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Microsoft SC-100 Study Guide

Microsoft Cybersecurity Architect Expert SC-100

Microsoft Cybersecurity Architect Expert (SC-100) is the expert level exam for people who design security solutions that follow Zero Trust principles. It covers security best practices and priorities, security operations, identity and compliance, infrastructure security, and application and data security. It suits security engineers and architects who already work in identity, security operations or cloud security and need to choose and justify controls for a business requirement.

  • Exam code SC-100
  • Expert level
  • 4 exam domains

This guide is free, with no sign-up. It explains every Microsoft SC-100 exam topic in plain English, one chapter at a time. Read them in order or jump straight to the topic you need.

  • 4chapters
  • 22topics
  • 8diagrams and exhibits
  • 2 h 2 minfast track
Start with Design solutions that align with security best practices and priorities
  • Every topic follows the same simple pattern: what it is, how it works, common mistakes
  • Diagrams and real command output where a picture explains it best
  • Exam tips and worked subnetting and IPv6 practice, with answers

How the exam is weighted

Each domain is worth roughly this share of the exam. The exam provider publishes a range for each domain, so the bar marks the middle of it. Spend your study time in proportion, and select a domain to open its chapter.

Chapters

Open a chapter to see its topics and how long each takes.

1Design solutions that align with security best practices and priorities4 topics · 20 min fast trackRansomware resiliency, MCRA, MCSB, Zero Trust, CAF, Well-Architected, landing zones and secure AI.
  1. 1Ransomware Resiliency and Business Continuity6 min
  2. 2MCRA, MCSB and Zero Trust Aligned Solutions5 min
  3. 3Cloud Adoption Framework, Well-Architected and Landing Zones4 min
  4. 4Secure AI Adoption and DevSecOps5 min
Read the chapter overview →
2Design security operations, identity, and compliance capabilities7 topics · 40 min fast trackXDR, SIEM, SOAR, Entra identity, privileged access and regulatory compliance.
  1. 1Detection and Response with XDR and SIEM6 min
  2. 2Logging, Auditing, SOAR and Threat Hunting6 min
  3. 3Identity and Access Solutions with Microsoft Entra5 min
  4. 4Modern Authentication, Conditional Access and External Identities6 min
  5. 5Agent Identities, Secrets and AD DS Hardening6 min
  6. 6Securing Privileged Access6 min
  7. 7Regulatory Compliance with Purview, Azure Policy and Defender for Cloud5 min
Read the chapter overview →
3Design security solutions for infrastructure6 topics · 33 min fast trackDefender for Cloud posture, Arc, EASM, endpoints, service baselines, containers, networks and SSE.
  1. 1Security Posture Management with Defender for Cloud6 min
  2. 2Hybrid and Multicloud with Azure Arc, EASM and Exposure Management5 min
  3. 3Securing Servers, Clients, IoT and OT Endpoints6 min
  4. 4Securing SaaS, PaaS and IaaS Services5 min
  5. 5Securing Containers and Azure AI Services5 min
  6. 6Network Security and Security Service Edge6 min
Read the chapter overview →
4Design security solutions for applications and data5 topics · 29 min fast trackMicrosoft 365 and Copilot, application security, workload identities, WAF and data protection.
  1. 1Securing Microsoft 365 Workloads and Copilot6 min
  2. 2Application Security Lifecycle and Threat Modeling5 min
  3. 3Workload Identities, API Management and WAF6 min
  4. 4Data Discovery, Classification and Encryption6 min
  5. 5Securing Data in Azure Workloads and AI6 min
Read the chapter overview →

Ready for more practice?

The full Microsoft SC-100 question bank has 770 questions, with timed practice exams and an explanation for every answer.

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