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Microsoft Security Compliance and Identity (SC-900) - Full Course PASS the Exam

freeCodeCamp.org・2 minutes read

Andrew Brown offers a Microsoft Security Compliance and Identity Fundamentals course on FreeCodeCamp, focusing on Azure security knowledge for passing certifications and recommends taking the AZ-900 certification before SC900 for a comprehensive understanding of Azure Active Directory and security practices. The SC900 certification covers essential Microsoft security services, Azure Active Directory, compliance solutions, and aims to equip beginners in security and compliance fields with lecture content, cheatsheets, and detailed exam preparation.

Insights

  • Andrew Brown, a cloud instructor at Exam Pro, emphasizes viewer support for creating free cloud courses, showcasing the importance of community backing.
  • The SC900 certification covers Microsoft security services, Azure Active Directory, and compliance solutions, crucial for Azure career paths, highlighting its comprehensive content.
  • Azure Active Directory is extensively covered in the course, focusing on single sign-on, MFA, risk-based policies, and more, showcasing its significance in identity management.
  • Vulnerabilities in applications, such as buffer overflow and memory leaks, are discussed, emphasizing the importance of understanding and mitigating these risks.
  • Azure Sentinel offers scalable automation through Azure Logic Apps for investigations, showcasing advanced detection techniques and incident response capabilities.
  • Compliance Manager aids in understanding risk assessment and compliance tracking for various standards, highlighting the importance of regulatory compliance in data protection.
  • Microsoft Information Protection (MIP) aids in discovering, classifying, and protecting sensitive data, emphasizing the need for robust data protection measures across environments.

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Recent questions

  • What is the SC900 certification about?

    The SC900 certification covers Microsoft security services, Azure Active Directory, and compliance solutions, essential for various Azure career paths. It is lecture-heavy and beneficial for beginners in security and compliance fields.

  • How long is the SC900 certification exam?

    The SC900 certification exam has a duration of 60 minutes and includes 40 to 60 questions of various formats like multiple choice and drag-and-drop. A passing score of at least 70% is required.

  • What are some key topics covered in the SC900 course?

    The SC900 course covers various topics in great detail, including IAM, Azure Active Directory, endpoints, data protection, infrastructure security, network security, vulnerabilities, and cryptography.

  • What is Azure Active Directory used for?

    Azure Active Directory (Azure AD) is Microsoft's cloud-based identity and access management service, offering single sign-on and multiple tiers of features. It is crucial for managing user identities, authentication services, and access control in cloud environments.

  • How does Azure Sentinel help with security threats?

    Azure Sentinel uses analytics to correlate alerts into incidents, grouping related alerts to address possible threats for investigation and resolution. It offers automation orchestration, investigation tools, hunting tools, and pricing models based on data volume ingested for analysis.

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Summary

00:00

"SC900 Certification: Azure Security Essentials Course"

  • Andrew Brown, a cloud instructor at Exam Pro, offers a Microsoft Security Compliance and Identity Fundamentals course on FreeCodeCamp to aid in passing Microsoft certifications.
  • The course includes lecture content and cheat sheets to enhance exam preparation for Azure security knowledge.
  • Andrew Brown, with extensive industry experience and specialization in cloud technologies, emphasizes the importance of viewer support for creating free cloud courses.
  • The SC900 certification covers Microsoft security services, Azure Active Directory, and compliance solutions, essential for various Azure career paths.
  • Andrew Brown suggests taking the AZ-900 certification before SC900 due to the latter's comprehensive content and focus on Azure Active Directory.
  • The SC900 certification is lecture-heavy and beneficial for beginners in security and compliance fields.
  • The certification exam requires a passing score of at least 70% and includes 40 to 60 questions of various formats like multiple choice and drag-and-drop.
  • The exam duration is 60 minutes, with a recommended study time of 30 minutes daily for 14 days.
  • The exam can be taken in person at a test center or online through proctored services like PSI or Pearson VUE.
  • The SC900 certification does not expire, making it a valuable asset for career advancement in Azure security and compliance.

14:27

Azure Security Course: IAM, Endpoints, Data Protection

  • The course covers various topics in great detail, including IAM and Azure Active Directory.
  • Azure Active Directory is a significant focus, encompassing single sign-on, MFA, passwordless authentication, risk-based policies, identity secure score, and endpoints.
  • Endpoints are crucial for gaining visibility into devices accessing the network, ensuring compliance and health status before granting access.
  • Azure AD Device Manager registers devices with the identity provider, managed by Intune, now part of Microsoft Endpoint Manager.
  • Microsoft Defender for Endpoints provides protection around endpoints, a recurring theme in the course.
  • DLP policies prevent data loss, ensuring sensitive data remains protected.
  • For apps, tools like Microsoft Cloud App Security, Azure AD Application Proxy, and Cloud Discovery help manage shadow IT and access control.
  • Data protection shifts to data-driven methods, utilizing sensitivity labels, Microsoft Information Protection, and data classification.
  • Infrastructure security involves telemetry for attack detection, employing least privileged access principles and tools like Azure Security Center and Azure Sentinel.
  • Network security focuses on trust, employing network segmentation, Azure DDoS Protection Service, VPNs, proxies, and SSL/TLS encryption.

29:33

Understanding Vulnerabilities and Encryption in SC900

  • Vulnerabilities in applications can stem from design flaws or implementation bugs, allowing attackers to harm stakeholders or the application.
  • The term "vulnerability" is crucial in the SC900 course but lacks a clear definition, so it's explained here with examples from OWASP (Open Web Application Security Project).
  • Examples of vulnerabilities include buffer overflow, memory leaks, least privilege violation, and using risky cryptographic algorithms like SHA instead of bcrypt.
  • Cryptography involves secure communication techniques, with encryption being the process of encoding information using a key to protect sensitive data.
  • The Enigma machine from World War II is a famous example of encryption, where a daily key determined rotor positions for cipher substitution.
  • A cipher is an algorithm for encryption or decryption, producing ciphertext from plaintext, with examples like codebooks used historically.
  • Cryptographic keys are essential for encryption, with symmetric keys using the same key for encoding and decoding, while asymmetric keys use two keys for these processes.
  • Hashing is a one-way process that maps values to fixed-size data structures, crucial for password hashing to secure them in databases.
  • Digital signatures verify the authenticity of digital messages, providing tamper evidence, with algorithms like RSA used for signing and verification.
  • Encryption in transit secures data during movement, using TLS and SSL protocols, while encryption at rest protects data stored in databases using algorithms like AES and RSA.

44:55

Endpoint Detection and Response for Security Enhancement

  • EDR targets tier one manufacturers, defense contractors, and government agencies for detection and behavioral analysis.
  • EDR offers advanced detection techniques, IOC scans, automated response, and root cause attack visualizations.
  • EDR focuses on endpoints, while XDRs are broader in scope.
  • CASB sits between cloud users and applications, enforcing security policies and monitoring all activity.
  • CASB features include monitoring user activity, enforcing security policy compliance, preventing malware, and data loss prevention.
  • Security posture involves assessing a company's overall defense effectiveness, with Azure using a security score.
  • CSPM identifies and remediates risks through security assessments and automated compliance monitoring.
  • Just in time grants access to resources only when needed, reducing the attack surface.
  • Shadow IT allows departments to provision IT resources without central IT approval, increasing agility but requiring additional security measures.
  • Automation investigation and remediation involve gathering evidence, preventing disasters, and changing resources back to desired states.

01:00:26

MITRE ATT&CK Framework and Microsoft Privacy Practices

  • The MITRE ATT&CK Framework is a global knowledge base of adversary tactics and techniques used for developing threat models in cybersecurity.
  • The website attack.mitre.org provides detailed information on various attack categories and procedures.
  • Microsoft's privacy principles include control, transparency, data protection, legal compliance, no content-based targeting, and benefits to users.
  • Microsoft's privacy practices focus on user control, transparency, data protection, legal compliance, and benefits to users.
  • The primary security perimeter involves user identity management, with Azure Active Directory being a key tool.
  • Identity Providers (IPDs) manage user identities and provide authentication services, including federated identity and technologies like OpenID, OAuth 2.0, and SAML.
  • Azure Active Directory (Azure AD) is Microsoft's cloud-based identity and access management service, offering single sign-on and multiple tiers of features.
  • Active Directory and Azure AD serve different purposes, with the former for on-premise management and the latter for cloud-based identity services.
  • App registrations in Azure AD allow developers to integrate web applications for user authentication and resource access.
  • Azure AD External Identities enable external users to access apps using their preferred identities, supporting various identity providers for collaboration and customer engagement.

01:15:42

Azure External User & B2C Management Overview

  • External user management can be done in the same directory as employees, while for B2C, it is managed separately from the organization's employees and partner directories.
  • Azure supports connected apps for SSO, and for B2C, customer-owned apps with Azure ADB2C tenants are supported.
  • Policy and compliance for external user management are managed by the host inviting organization, while for B2C, it is managed by the organizations via conditional access identity protection.
  • Branding for external user management uses the host inviting organization's brand, while for B2C, it's fully customized branding per application or organization.
  • Billing models for both external user management and B2C are based on monthly active users (MAU).
  • Service principles for Azure ID are security identities used by applications or services to access specific Azure resources.
  • Managed identities within Azure ID are used to manage credentials for authenticating a cloud application with an Azure service.
  • Device identity management involves managing physical devices like phones, tablets, laptops, etc., that are granted access to company resources.
  • Azure AD offers different ways for device management: Azure AD registered, Azure AD joined, and Hybrid Azure AD joined.
  • Mobile Device Management (MDM) allows controlling entire devices, while Mobile Application Management (MAM) allows publishing, configuring, securing, monitoring, and updating mobile apps for users.

01:31:12

"Enhancing Security with Passwordless Authentication Methods"

  • FIDO Alliance focuses on developing authentication standards to reduce reliance on passwords
  • FIDO Alliance has published three sets of open specifications for user authentication: Universal Second Factor (U2F), Universal Authentication Framework (UAF), and Client to Authentication Protocol (CTAP)
  • Security keys, like the YubiKey, are secondary devices used for authentication, generating security tokens upon contact
  • Open Authentication (OATH) generates time-based one-time passwords (TOTPs) for secure access
  • Passwordless authentication methods, like Windows Hello and Microsoft Authenticator, offer convenience and security
  • Azure AD Conditional Access adds an extra security layer by analyzing signals like user location and device to verify access attempts
  • Signals for Conditional Access include user and group memberships, location, devices, applications, real-time risk, and cloud apps
  • Common decisions for Conditional Access include blocking or granting access based on various factors like MFA or device compliance
  • Azure AD Roles allow management of resources, with roles like Global Administrator, User Administrator, and Billing Administrator
  • Azure Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) assigns permissions to identities requesting access to Azure resources based on roles and scopes

01:47:46

Azure AD P2 Identity Protection and Network Security

  • Identity protection in Azure AD P2 level detects, investigates, remediates, and analyzes identity-based risks using 6.5 trillion signals daily.
  • Identity protection identifies risky users, sign-ins, and detections, displaying risky sign-ins over time and high-risk user details.
  • Detection capabilities of identity protection include anonymous IP addresses, atypical sign-ins, malware-linked IP addresses, leak credentials, and more.
  • Remediation efforts triggered by risky signals include multi-factor authentication, password resets, and blocking users until admin action.
  • Investigation in identity protection categorizes risks into low, medium, and high tiers, providing details on risky users, sign-ins, and detections.
  • Network Security Groups (NSGs) filter network traffic in Azure, with inbound and outbound rules based on source, destination, port range, protocol, and action.
  • Default NSG rules include allowing traffic from virtual networks, Azure Load Balancer, and denying other traffic for both inbound and outbound rules.
  • NSG logic involves unique rule names, priority order processing, and validation using five-tuple information for traffic allowance or denial.
  • Azure Firewall is a managed cloud-based service offering stateful firewall capabilities, high availability, and scalability for application network connectivity policies.
  • DDoS attacks, including volumetric, protocol, and application layer attacks, can be mitigated with Azure's free basic tier or paid standard tier protection, offering metrics, alerts, expert support, and more.

02:02:54

Essential Security Measures for Azure Servers

  • Port scanning protection and protection against zero-day exploits are essential.
  • To connect to a Windows server, use RDP and have the bastion in the same VNet.
  • RDP is for Windows, SSH is for Linux, using private keys or passwords for access.
  • Azure Web Application Firewall (WAF) protects web applications by analyzing HTTP requests.
  • WAF can be attached to Azure Application Gateway, Front Door, or Content Delivery Network.
  • WAF uses OWASP core rule sets to guard against common vulnerabilities.
  • Azure Encryption offers Azure Storage Service Encryption, Azure Disk Encryption, and Transparent Data Encryption.
  • Server-side encryption and Azure Disk Encryption safeguard data at rest for managed disks.
  • Transparent Data Encryption encrypts data for Microsoft databases like SQL Server.
  • Azure Key Vault secures cryptographic keys and secrets, offering software or hardware protection.

02:18:52

Azure Workbooks and Sentinel in Microsoft 365

  • Azure Workbooks in Azure Monitor allows easy creation of flexible canvases for data analysis and visual reports within the Azure portal.
  • Workbooks enable tapping into multiple data sources across Azure to create unified interactive experiences depicting application performance and availability.
  • These living documents combine monitoring data with text and visuals for easy visualization and analysis, akin to Jupiter notebooks.
  • Azure Sentinel uses analytics to correlate alerts into incidents, grouping related alerts to address possible threats for investigation and resolution.
  • Automation orchestration in Sentinel offers scalable automation through Azure Logic Apps, with over 200 connectors for investigations.
  • Investigation tools in Sentinel aid in understanding and identifying the root cause of security threats, allowing for entity-based queries and root cause analysis.
  • Azure Sentinel's hunting tools, based on the MITRE framework, proactively search for security threats before alerts trigger, enabling custom detection rules creation.
  • Azure Sentinel's pricing models include capacity reservation with fixed fees and pay-as-you-go based on data volume ingested for analysis.
  • Microsoft 365, formerly Office 365, offers a suite of business software accessible at portal.office.com, including SharePoint, Outlook, Word, PowerPoint, Excel, and Teams.
  • Microsoft 365 Defender is a unified pre and post-breach defense suite coordinating responses across endpoints, identities, emails, and applications for integrated protection against advanced attacks.

02:36:01

Managing Compliance in Microsoft Environments and Beyond

  • Microsoft Intune can manage on-premise infrastructure via Intune connectors, including Active Directory and certificate connectors.
  • Regulatory compliance involves conforming to rules, policies, and laws at federal, state, political, economic union, and international levels.
  • Governments enforce regulatory compliance to protect citizens' data collected by organizations.
  • Compliance controls include internal mechanisms like standards, policies, procedures, training, monitoring, and audits.
  • Regulatory compliance measures ensure citizens' rights to access, correct, delete data, define data processing rules, and enable government access.
  • The M365 Compliance Center offers tools like compliance score, audits, activity alerts, data classification, e-discovery, and more.
  • The Azure Trust Center provides audit reports for compliance with data protection standards like ISO, SOC, NIST, FedRAMP, and GDPR.
  • Compliance Manager aids in shared responsibility model understanding, risk assessment, workflow management, and compliance tracking for various standards.
  • Compliance programs like CJIS, CSA STAR, GDPR, EU Model Clauses, HIPAA, ISO 27018, and others ensure security and compliance in various sectors.
  • Microsoft Information Protection (MIP) features in M365 Compliance help discover, classify, and protect sensitive data across environments.
  • MIP domains include knowing, protecting, preventing data loss, and governing data through features like sensitive information types, trainable classifiers, content explorer, sensitivity labels, and more.

02:51:26

Managing Data Security and Compliance in M365

  • The Activity Explorer helps identify file label changes and modifications, monitoring label activity across various platforms.
  • Sensitivity labels can be applied to documents and emails using built-in drop-downs in Office 365 products.
  • Sensitivity labeling allows for easy application of content marketing like watermarks and encryption for protection.
  • Within the M365 compliance center, sensitive labels can be distributed and applied to documents and emails based on location.
  • Label policies for sensitivity labels determine who can use the labels and under what conditions.
  • Retention labels ensure data is held for a specific duration to meet regulatory compliance or industry best practices.
  • Records management involves managing information throughout its life cycle, including identifying, classifying, storing, securing, and preserving records.
  • Data Loss Protection (DLP) policies in the M365 compliance center prevent data loss by identifying and protecting sensitive information.
  • Insider Risk Management in the M365 compliance center helps detect and act on malicious and inadvertent activities within an organization.
  • Communication Compliance in the M365 compliance center helps minimize communication risks by detecting and acting on inappropriate messages, with predefined and custom policies for scanning internal and external communications.

03:07:49

"Mastering e-discovery and audit in M365"

  • Core e-discovery in M365 offers a basic tool for organizations to search and export content in M365 and Office 365.
  • Query discovery allows placing e-discovery holds on content locations like mailboxes, SharePoint, OneDrive, and Microsoft Teams.
  • Prerequisites include verifying and assigning appropriate licensing, assigning e-discovery permissions, and creating a core e-discovery case.
  • Content search in e-discovery involves creating a new search, specifying locations, providing keywords and conditions, and searching within a hold.
  • Holds preserve content until removed or deleted, taking up to 24 hours to take effect after creation.
  • Advanced e-discovery builds on core e-discovery, offering an end-to-end workflow for preserving, collecting, reviewing, analyzing, and exporting relevant content.
  • M365 audit involves investigating security events, forensic investigations, internal investigations, and compliance obligations.
  • Basic audit in M365 includes thousands of searchable audited events, 90-day audit record retention, and exporting audit records to a CSV.
  • Advanced audit includes basic features with longer retention periods, high-value events, and higher bandwidth to the Office 365 management activity API.
  • Azure resource locks allow admins to lock subscriptions, resource groups, or resources to prevent accidental deletion or modification of critical resources.

03:22:47

Azure Storage SAS, CORS, and SDL Overview

  • Shared Access Signatures (SAS) in Azure Storage:
  • SAS is a URL granting restricted access rights to Azure storage, allowing temporary access with specific permissions.
  • Types include account level SAS, service level SAS, and user-delegated SAS, with Microsoft recommending the latter for best practice.
  • SAS formats include ad hoc SAS and service SAS with stored access policies, defining constraints for resources like blob containers.
  • Cross-Origin Resource Sharing (CORS) Mechanism:
  • CORS is an HTTP header-based mechanism permitting servers to indicate origins from which browsers can load resources.
  • It restricts website access to data loading through HTTP headers like origin and access control headers.
  • CORS headers include request headers like origin and response headers like access control allowed origin, credentials, max age, methods, and headers.
  • Microsoft Security Development Lifecycle (SDL):
  • SDL is a software security assurance process by Microsoft since 2004, integrating security into each phase of the development lifecycle.
  • It aims to enhance security and privacy in Microsoft software, reducing development costs by catching issues early.
  • SDL phases include training, requirements, design, implementation, verification, release, and response, emphasizing early security measures.
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