Here’s a detailed checklist covering the key areas and subtopics for the Microsoft AZ-500: Microsoft Azure Security Technologies certification exam. This checklist is organized according to the four main sections of the AZ-500 exam, including subtopics and specific areas of focus within each section.
1. Manage Identity and Access (30-35%)
- Configure Azure Active Directory (AAD) for Security
- Manage AAD users, groups, and external identities.
- Configure password policies and multifactor authentication (MFA).
- Implement role-based access control (RBAC) and Azure AD Privileged Identity Management (PIM).
- Manage Access to Resources Using RBAC
- Define custom roles for finer access controls.
- Interpret and configure least privilege principles.
- Configure resource locks, tags, and Azure Policy to enforce governance standards.
- Configure Azure AD Identity Protection
- Configure Azure AD Conditional Access policies.
- Detect and respond to risky sign-ins and user risk levels.
- Configure user risk-based Conditional Access policies for enhanced security.
- Manage and Monitor Identity Governance
- Implement and manage entitlement management.
- Configure and manage AAD access reviews.
- Monitor and manage Azure AD audit logs and activity reports.
2. Implement Platform Protection (15-20%)
- Network Security
- Configure network security groups (NSGs), application security groups (ASGs), and service endpoints.
- Implement Azure DDoS Protection.
- Configure firewall policies using Azure Firewall and manage network segmentation.
- Configure and Manage Network Security for Applications
- Configure and manage Azure Web Application Firewall (WAF).
- Implement Application Gateway and Front Door security settings.
- Implement network-based threat protection with Azure Defender for DNS.
- Manage Security for Container-Based Applications
- Implement and configure Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) security.
- Enable Azure Policy for Kubernetes security and monitoring.
- Configure AKS network policies and RBAC within Kubernetes.
- Manage Security for Resource-Based Applications
- Configure and manage storage account security.
- Implement managed identity for resources to facilitate secure access.
- Secure Azure Functions, Logic Apps, and API Management.
3. Manage Security Operations (25-30%)
- Monitor Security Using Azure Security Center (ASC) and Microsoft Defender for Cloud
- Configure security policies and recommendations in ASC.
- Interpret and remediate security recommendations.
- Manage regulatory compliance settings and security baselines.
- Monitor Threat Detection with Microsoft Defender
- Configure alerts and responses for Azure resources.
- Enable advanced threat protection for virtual machines, SQL databases, and storage accounts.
- Integrate ASC with Microsoft Defender for Cloud.
- Respond to and Mitigate Security Incidents
- Set up alerts and automated responses using Azure Sentinel and Logic Apps.
- Implement playbooks and configure Security Orchestration, Automation, and Response (SOAR) capabilities.
- Conduct security incident investigations and analyses.
- Configure and Use Security Monitoring Tools and Reports
- Configure Azure Monitor and Log Analytics workspaces for security data collection.
- Manage and analyze log data using Kusto Query Language (KQL).
- Set up and use Azure Sentinel for security event management.
4. Secure Data and Applications (20-25%)
- Configure Security Policies for Data Services
- Implement data encryption at rest and in transit for databases, storage, and data services.
- Configure Transparent Data Encryption (TDE) and Always Encrypted in SQL databases.
- Enable Azure Key Vault for sensitive data management and secrets.
- Manage Key Vault and Certificate Management
- Create and configure Key Vault instances for secure storage of keys and secrets.
- Enable managed identities for secure access to Key Vault.
- Implement Key Vault access policies and configure RBAC for Key Vault.
- Implement and Manage Security for Azure App Services
- Enable and configure authentication and authorization for App Services.
- Configure App Service networking features for security.
- Implement endpoint security using Azure Front Door and Application Gateway.
- Configure Security for Container-Based Applications and Microservices
- Set up network isolation and secure access within AKS.
- Implement pod security policies and enable logging for container diagnostics.
- Secure AKS environments with Azure Policies for Kubernetes.
