Microsoft 365 Security Administrator (MS-500)

This Microsoft 365 Security Administrator course will teach you how to secure user access to your organisation’s resources.

First, the course covers user password protection, multi-factor authentication, how to enable Azure Identity Protection, how to set up and use Azure AD Connect, and introduces you to conditional access in Microsoft 365.

Second, you will learn about threat protection technologies that help protect your Microsoft 365 environment. Specifically, you will learn about threat vectors and Microsoft’s security solutions to mitigate threats. You will learn about Secure Score, Exchange Online protection, Azure Advanced Threat Protection, Windows Defender Advanced Threat Protection, and threat management.

Third, the course will teach you about information protection technologies that help secure your Microsoft 365 environment. For example, the course discusses information rights-managed content, message encryption, labels, policies, and rules that support data loss prevention and information protection.

Lastly, you will learn about archiving and retention in Microsoft 365, data governance, and how to conduct content searches and investigations. This course covers data retention policies and tags, in-place records management for SharePoint, email retention, and how to conduct content searches that support eDiscovery investigations.

Microsoft 365 Security Course Delivery Methods

• In-Person

• Online

Microsoft 365 Security Course Information

• Microsoft 365 Security Course Benefits

  • Administer user and group access in Microsoft 365.
  • Explain and manage Azure Identity Protection.
  • Plan and implement Azure AD Connect.
  • Manage synchronised user identities.
  • Explain and use conditional access.
  • Describe cyber-attack threat vectors.
  • Explain security solutions for Microsoft 365.
  • Use Microsoft Secure Score to evaluate and improve your security posture.
  • Configure various advanced threat protection services for Microsoft 365.
  • Plan for and deploy secure mobile devices.
  • Implement information rights management.
  • Secure messages in Office 365.
  • Configure Data Loss Prevention policies.
  • Deploy and manage Cloud App Security.
  • Implement Windows information protection for devices.
  • Plan and deploy a data archiving and retention system.
  • Create and manage an eDiscovery investigation.
  • Manage GDPR data subject requests.
  • Explain and use sensitivity labels.
  • Continue learning and face new challenges with after-course one-on-one instructor coaching.

• Microsoft 365 Security Course Prerequisites

  • Basic conceptual understanding of Microsoft Azure.
  • Experience with Windows 10 devices.
  • Experience with Office 365.
  • Basic understanding of authorization and authentication.
  • Basic understanding of computer networks.
  • Working knowledge of managing mobile devices.

• Microsoft 365 Security Course Exam Information

  This course can help you prepare for the following Microsoft role-based certification exam — Microsoft 365 Certified: Security Administrator Associate .

Microsoft 365 Security Course Outline

Module 1: User and Group Management

This module explains how to manage user accounts and groups in Microsoft 365. It introduces you to the Zero Trust concept as well as authentication. The module sets the foundation for the remainder of the course.

Lessons

• Identity and Access Management concepts
• The Zero Trust model
• Plan your identity and authentication solution
• User accounts and roles
• Password Management

Lab: Initialise your tenant - users and groups

• Set up your Microsoft 365 tenant
• Manage users and groups

Lab: Password management

• Configure Self-service password reset ( SSPR ) for user accounts in Azure AD
• Deploy Azure AD Smart Lockout

After completing this module, students will be able to:

• Create and manage user accounts.
• Describe and use Microsoft 365 admin roles.
• Plan for password policies and authentication.
• Describe the concepts of Zero Trust security.
• Explain the Zero Trust model.

Module 2: Identity Synchronization and Protection

This module explains concepts related to synchronising identities for Microsoft 365. Specifically, it focuses on Azure AD Connect and managing directory synchronisation to ensure the right people are connecting to your Microsoft 365 system.

Lessons

• Plan directory synchronisation
• Configure and manage synchronised identities
• Azure AD Identity Protection

Lab: Implement Identity Synchronisation

• Set up your organisation for identity synchronisation

After completing this module, students will be able to:

• Explain directory synchronisation.
• Plan directory synchronisation.
• Describe and use Azure AD Connect.
• Configure Azure AD Connect Prerequisites.
• Manage users and groups with directory synchronisation.
• Describe Active Directory federation.
• Enable Azure Identity Protection.

Module 3: Identity and Access Management

This module explains conditional access for Microsoft 365 and how it can be used to control access to resources in your organisation. The module also explains Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) and solutions for external access. Finally, we discuss identity governance as a concept and its components.

Lessons

• Application Management
• Identity Governance
• Manage device access
• Role-Based Access Control ( RBAC )
• Solutions for external access
• Privileged Identity Management

Lab: Use Conditional Access to enable MFA

• MFA Authentication Pilot (require MFA for specific apps)
• MFA Conditional Access (complete an MFA rollout)

Lab: Configure Privileged Identity Management

• Manage Azure resources
• Assign directory roles
• Activate and deactivate PIM roles
• Directory roles
• PIM resource workflows
• View audit history for Azure AD roles in PIM

After completing this module, students will be able to:

• Describe the concept of conditional access.
• Describe and use conditional access policies.
• Plan for device compliance.
• Configure conditional users and groups.
• Configure role-based access control.
• Describe the concepts of identity governance.
• Configure and use Privileged Identity Management.

Module 4: Security in Microsoft 365

This module explains the various cyber-attack threats that exist. It then introduces you to the Microsoft solutions used to mitigate those threats. Finally, the module finishes with an explanation of Microsoft Secure Score and how it can be used to evaluate and report your organisation's security posture.

Lessons

• Threat vectors and data breaches
• Security strategy and principles
• Microsoft security solutions
• Secure Score

Lab: Use Microsoft Secure Score

• Improve your secure score in the Microsoft 365 Security Center

After completing this module, students will be able to:

• Describe several techniques attackers use to compromise user accounts through email.
• Describe techniques attackers use to gain control over resources.
• List the types of threats that can be avoided by using EOP and Microsoft Defender for Office 365.
• Describe the benefits of Secure Score and what kind of services can be analysed.
• Describe how to use Secure Score to identify gaps in your current Microsoft 365 security posture.

Module 5: Threat Protection

This module explains the various threat protection technologies and services available for Microsoft 365. In addition, the module covers message protection through Exchange Online Protection, Microsoft Defender for Identity and Microsoft Defender for Endpoint.

Lessons

• Exchange Online Protection (EOP)
• Microsoft Defender for Office 365
• Manage Safe Attachments
• Manage Safe Links
• Microsoft Defender for Identity
• Microsoft Defender for Endpoint

Lab: Manage Microsoft 365 Security Services

• Implement Microsoft Defender Policies

After completing this module, students will be able to:

• Describe the anti-malware pipeline as Exchange Online Protection analyses email.
• Describe how Safe Attachments is used to block zero-day malware in email attachments and documents.
• Describe how Safe Links protect users from malicious URLs embedded in email and documents that point.
• Configure Microsoft Defender for Identity.
• Configure Microsoft Defender for Endpoint.

Module 6: Threat Management

This module explains Microsoft Threat Management which provides you with the tools to evaluate and address cyber threats and formulate responses. In addition, you will learn how to use the Security dashboard and Azure Sentinel for Microsoft 365.

Lessons

• Security dashboard
• Threat investigation and response
• Azure Sentinel
• Advanced Threat Analytics

Lab: Using Attack Simulator

• Conduct a simulated Spear phishing attack
• Conduct simulated password attacks

After completing this module, students will be able to:

• Describe how Threat Explorer can be used to investigate threats and help to protect your tenant.
• Describe how the Security Dashboard gives C-level executives insight into top risks and trends.
• Describe what Advanced Threat Analytics ( ATA ) is and what requirements are needed to deploy it.
• Configure Advanced Threat Analytics.
• Use the attack simulator in Microsoft 365.
• Describe how Azure Sentinel can be used for Microsoft 365.

Module 7: Microsoft Cloud Application Security

This module focuses on cloud application security in Microsoft 365. The module will explain cloud discovery, app connectors, policies, and alerts. In addition, you will learn how these features work to secure your cloud applications.

Lessons

• Deploy Cloud Application Security
• Use cloud application security information

After completing this module, students will be able to:

• Describe Cloud App Security.
• Explain how to deploy Cloud App Security.
• Control your Cloud Apps with Policies.
• Use the Cloud App Catalog.
• Use the Cloud Discovery dashboard.
• Manage cloud app permissions.

Module 8: Mobility

This module focuses on securing mobile devices and applications. You will learn about Mobile Device Management and how it works with Microsoft Intune. You will also learn about how Intune and Azure AD can be used to secure mobile applications.

Lessons

• Mobile Application Management ( MAM )
• Mobile Device Management ( MDM )
• Deploy mobile device services
• Enrol devices in Mobile Device Management

Lab: Device Management

• Enable Device Management
• Configure Azure AD for Intune
• Create compliance and conditional access policies

After completing this module, students will be able to:

• Describe mobile application considerations.
• Manage devices with MDM.
• Configure Domains for MDM.
• Manage Device Security Policies.
• Enrol devices to MDM.
• Configure a Device Enrollment Manager Role.

Module 9: Information Protection and Governance

This module focuses on data loss prevention in Microsoft 365. You will learn about how to create policies, edit rules, and customise user notifications to protect your data.

Lessons

• Information protection concepts
• Governance and Records Management
• Sensitivity labels
• Archiving in Microsoft 365
• Retention in Microsoft 365
• Retention policies in the Microsoft 365 Compliance Center
• Archiving and retention in Exchange
• In-place records management in SharePoint

Lab: Archiving and Retention

• Initialise compliance
• Configure retention tags and policies

After completing this module, students will be able to:

• Configure sensitivity labels.
• Configure archiving and retention in Microsoft 365.
• Plan and configure Records Management.

Module 10: Rights Management and Encryption

This module explains information rights management in Exchange and SharePoint. The module also describes encryption technologies used to secure messages.

Lessons

• Information Rights Management ( IRM )
• Secure Multipurpose Internet Mail Extension ( S-MIME )
• Office 365 Message Encryption

Lab: Configure Office 365 Message Encryption

• Configure Office 365 Message Encryption
• Validate Information Rights Management

After completing this module, students will be able to:

• Describe the various Microsoft 365 Encryption Options.
• Describe the use of S-MIME.
• Describe and enable Office 365 Message Encryption.

Module 11: Data Loss Prevention

This module focuses on data loss prevention in Microsoft 365. You will learn about how to create policies, edit rules, and customise user notifications to protect your data.

Lessons

• Data loss prevention fundamentals
• Create a DLP policy
• Customise a DLP policy
• Create a DLP policy to protect documents
• Policy tips

Lab: Implement Data Loss Prevention policies

• Manage DLP Policies
• Test MRM and DLP Policies

After completing this module, students will be able to:

• Describe Data Loss Prevention (DLP).
• Use policy templates to implement DLP policies for commonly used information.
• Configure the correct rules for protecting content.
• Describe how to modify existing rules of DLP policies.
• Configure the user override option to a DLP rule.
• Explain how SharePoint Online creates crawled properties from documents.

Module 12: Compliance Management

This module explains the Compliance centre in Microsoft 365. It discusses the components of compliance score.

Lessons

• Compliance centre

After completing this module, students will be able to:

• Describe how to use compliance score to make organisational decisions.
• Describe how assessments are used to determine compliance scores.

Module 13: Insider Risk Management

This module focuses on insider risk-related functionality within Microsoft 365. It covers not only Insider Risk Management in the compliance centre but also information barriers and privileged access management as well.

Lessons

• Insider Risk
• Privileged Access
• Information barriers
• Building ethical walls in Exchange Online

Lab: Privileged Access Management

• Set up privileged access management and process a request

After completing this module, students will be able to:

• Explain and configure Insider Risk Management in Microsoft 365.
• Configure and approve privileged access requests for global administrators.
• Configure and use information barriers to conform to organisational regulations.
• Build ethical walls in Exchange Online.
• Configure Customer Lockbox.

Module 14: Discover and Respond

This module focuses on content search and investigations. The module covers how to use eDiscovery to conduct advanced investigations of Microsoft 365 data. It also covers audit logs and discusses GDPR data subject requests.

Lessons

• Content Search
• Audit Log Investigations
• Advanced eDiscovery

Lab: Manage Search and Investigation

• Investigate your Microsoft 365 Data
• Conduct a Data Subject Request

After completing this module, students will be able to:

• Conduct content searches in Microsoft 365
• Perform and audit log investigation.
• Configure Microsoft 365 for audit logging.
• Use Advanced eDiscovery.