AZ-500 Exam Prep Guide Microsoft Azure Security Engineer Associate Professional Certificate

Let’s discuss the AZ-500 Exam Prep Guide Microsoft Azure Security Engineer Associate Professional Certificate. This exam is designed for professionals working with Azure security services and solutions.

It validates a candidate’s expertise in managing Azure security controls, identity management, and securing data, applications, and networks in Azure environments. This certification is ideal for security engineers or cloud administrators who focus on maintaining the security posture of Azure solutions.

The AZ-500 exam can be challenging, but you can succeed with proper study and practice. It’s not meant for beginners—you should know the basics of Azure security and have some experience with security controls.

In this post, you will find everything you need about the AZ-500 Microsoft Azure Security Engineer Associate certification exam. This exam tests your skills in managing and securing Azure environments.

AZ-500 Exam Prep Guide – Microsoft Azure Security Engineer Associate Professional Certificate

As an Azure Security Engineer, your main job is to keep the cloud safe, including Azure, multi-cloud, and hybrid environments. You protect everything in the system, including data, applications, identity, and network security.

You constantly monitor and manage the security of these areas. You also work with architects, administrators, and developers to ensure the system meets security and compliance standards and is secure from threats.

Note! The English version of the AZ-500 certification exam will be updated on October 30, 2024. This means some exam objectives or question types may change after this date. Review the official study guide for details about what will be updated so you can prepare accordingly.

• Microsoft Cloud Security Benchmark Guide MCSB with Control Domain Security Principle Azure AWS Guidance
• 50% of Identities have Access to Full Access as per Microsoft Security Report 2024
• Maester Microsoft Security Test Automation Framework

Skills Measured in the AZ-500 Exam

To pass the AZ-500 exam, focus on understanding these key areas: By mastering the following topics, you can confidently prepare for the exam, whether aiming to pass on February 8, 2024, or anytime after. To pass the AZ-500 Microsoft Azure Security Engineer Associate certification exam, you must demonstrate your knowledge in the following areas.

Manage Identity and Access

Control who has access to Azure resources by using Azure Active Directory (Azure AD), multi-factor authentication (MFA), and Role-Based Access Control (RBAC). Implement solutions like Privileged Identity Management (PIM) to manage high-privilege roles.

Secure Networking

Configure and secure network connections using tools like Network Security Groups (NSGs), Azure Firewall, and DDoS protection. Securely manage hybrid connectivity, including setting up secure VPNs and ExpressRoute connections between on-premises and Azure.

Secure Compute Storage and Databases

Implement security best practices for virtual machines (VMs), including just-in-time VM access, patch management, and endpoint protection. Secure storage accounts with encryption at rest and manage access using firewalls and private endpoints. Protect databases like Azure SQL with encryption, access controls, and threat detection.

Manage Security Operations

Monitor and manage the security of Azure resources using tools like Azure Security Center and Azure Sentinel, a cloud-native security information and event management (SIEM) tool—Configure automated responses to threats, including setting up alerts and incident management processes.

Skill Areas and Task – Skills Measured as of October 30, 2024

As an Azure security engineer, you are essential in responding to security incidents. You collaborate with architects, administrators, and developers to create and implement solutions that meet security and compliance needs.

To succeed in this role, you should have hands-on experience managing Microsoft Azure and hybrid environments and a solid understanding of Azure’s computing, networking, and storage services and Microsoft Entra ID.

Skill Area	Tasks
Manage identity and access	(25–30%)
Manage Microsoft Entra identities	Secure Microsoft Entra users Secure Microsoft Entra groups Recommend when to use external identities Secure external identities Implement Microsoft Entra ID Protection
Manage Microsoft Entra authentication	Implement multi-factor authentication (MFA) Configure Microsoft Entra Verified ID Implement passwordless authentication Implement password protection Implement single sign-on (SSO) Integrate single sign on (SSO) and identity providers Recommend and enforce modern authentication methods
Manage Microsoft Entra authorization	Configure Azure role permissions for management groups, subscriptions, resource groups, and resources Assign Microsoft Entra built-in roles Assign Azure built-in roles Create and assign custom roles, including Azure roles and Microsoft Entra roles Implement and manage Microsoft Entra Permissions Management Configure Microsoft Entra Privileged Identity Management Configure role management and access reviews in Microsoft Entra Implement Conditional Access policies
Manage Microsoft Entra application access	Manage access to enterprise applications in Microsoft Entra ID, including OAuth permission grants Manage Microsoft Entra app registrations Configure app registration permission scopes Manage app registration permission consent Manage and use service principals Manage managed identities for Azure resources Recommend when to use and configure an Microsoft Entra Application Proxy, including authentication
Secure networking	(20–25%)
Plan and implement security for virtual networks	Plan and implement Network Security Groups (NSGs) and Application Security Groups (ASGs) Plan and implement user-defined routes (UDRs) Plan and implement Virtual Network peering or VPN gateway Plan and implement Virtual WAN, including secured virtual hub Secure VPN connectivity, including point-to-site and site-to-site Implement encryption over ExpressRoute Configure firewall settings on PaaS resources Monitor network security by using Network Watcher, including NSG flow logging
Plan and implement security for private access to Azure resources	Plan and implement virtual network Service Endpoints Plan and implement Private Endpoints Plan and implement Private Link services Plan and implement network integration for Azure App Service and Azure Functions Plan and implement network security configurations for an App Service Environment (ASE) Plan and implement network security configurations for an Azure SQL Managed Instance
Plan and implement security for public access to Azure resources	Plan and implement Transport Layer Security (TLS) to applications, including Azure App Service and API Management Plan, implement, and manage an Azure Firewall, including Azure Firewall Manager and firewall policies Plan and implement an Azure Application Gateway Plan and implement an Azure Front Door, including Content Delivery Network (CDN) Plan and implement a Web Application Firewall (WAF) Recommend when to use Azure DDoS Protection Standard
Secure compute, storage, and databases	(20–25%)
Plan and implement advanced security for compute	Plan and implement remote access to public endpoints, including Azure Bastion and just-in-time (JIT) virtual machine (VM) access Configure network isolation for Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) Secure and monitor AKS Configure authentication for AKS Configure security monitoring for Azure Container Instances (ACIs) Configure security monitoring for Azure Container Apps (ACAs) Manage access to Azure Container Registry (ACR) Configure disk encryption, including Azure Disk Encryption (ADE), encryption at host, and confidential disk encryption Recommend security configurations for Azure API Management
Plan and implement security for storage	Configure access control for storage accounts Manage life cycle for storage account access keys Select and configure an appropriate method for access to Azure Files Select and configure an appropriate method for access to Azure Blob Storage Select and configure an appropriate method for access to Azure Tables Select and configure an appropriate method for access to Azure Queues Select and configure appropriate methods for protecting against data security threats, including soft delete, backups, versioning, and immutable storage Configure Bring your own key (BYOK) Enable double encryption at the Azure Storage infrastructure level
Plan and implement security for Azure SQL Database and Azure SQL Managed Instance	Enable Microsoft Entra database authentication Enable database auditing Identify use cases for the Microsoft Purview governance portal Implement data classification of sensitive information by using the Microsoft Purview governance portal Plan and implement dynamic masking Implement Transparent Data Encryption (TDE) Recommend when to use Azure SQL Database Always Encrypted
Manage security operations	(25–30%)
Plan, implement, and manage governance for security	Create, assign, and interpret security policies and initiatives in Azure Policy Configure security settings by using Azure Blueprints Deploy secure infrastructures by using a landing zone Create and configure an Azure Key Vault Recommend when to use a dedicated Hardware Security Module (HSM) Configure access to Key Vault, including vault access policies and Azure Role Based Access Control Manage certificates, secrets, and keys Configure key rotation Configure backup and recovery of certificates, secrets, and keys
Manage security posture by using Microsoft Defender for Cloud	Identify and remediate security risks by using the Microsoft Defender for Cloud Secure Score and Inventory Assess compliance against security frameworks by using Microsoft Defender for Cloud Add industry and regulatory standards to Microsoft Defender for Cloud Add custom initiatives to Microsoft Defender for Cloud Connect hybrid cloud and multi-cloud environments to Microsoft Defender for Cloud Identify and monitor external assets by using Microsoft Defender External Attack Surface Management
Configure and manage threat protection by using Microsoft Defender for Cloud	Enable workload protection services in Microsoft Defender for Cloud, including Microsoft Defender for Storage, Databases, Containers, App Service, Key Vault, and Resource Manager Configure Microsoft Defender for Servers Configure Microsoft Defender for Azure SQL Database Manage and respond to security alerts in Microsoft Defender for Cloud Configure workflow automation by using Microsoft Defender for Cloud Evaluate vulnerability scans from Microsoft Defender for Server
Configure and manage security monitoring and automation solutions	Monitor security events by using Azure Monitor Configure data connectors in Microsoft Sentinel Create and customize analytics rules in Microsoft Sentinel Evaluate alerts and incidents in Microsoft Sentinel Configure automation in Microsoft Sentinel

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Author

Anoop C Nair has been Microsoft MVP from 2015 onwards for 10 consecutive years! He is a Workplace Solution Architect with more than 22+ years of experience in Workplace technologies. He is also a Blogger, Speaker, and Local User Group Community leader. His primary focus is on Device Management technologies like SCCM and Intune. He writes about technologies like Intune, SCCM, Windows, Cloud PC, Windows, Entra, Microsoft Security, Career, etc.