SC-401 Administering Information Security in Microsoft 2026

SC-401 Administering Information Security in Microsoft Practice Exam 2026 Practice Exam

The SC-401 exam gauges your proficiency in pivotal technical tasks, from implementing information protection and data loss prevention (DLP) strategies to efficiently managing data lifecycle, records, and insider risks within Microsoft 365. Unveil your capabilities in monitoring, investigating data, and activities through Microsoft Purview, while ensuring robust privacy risk management

Candidates with familiarity in Microsoft 365 services, encompassing Microsoft 365 Apps, Exchange Online, SharePoint Online, OneDrive, and Teams, are well-suited for this course. A basic grasp of PowerShell is advantageous

Immerse yourself in an all-encompassing curriculum that spans content classification, DLP, information protection, data lifecycle management, records management, and more. Acquire skills to effectively translate organizational risk and compliance prerequisites into technical implementations

SC-401: Microsoft Information Security Administrator Associate Exam Summary:

• Exam Name : Microsoft Information Security Administrator Associate

• Exam code: SC-401

• Exam voucher cost: $165 USD

• Exam languages: English, Japanese, Korean, and Simplified Chinese

• Exam format: Multiple-choice, multiple-answer

• Number of questions: 40-60 (estimate)

• Length of exam: 120 minutes

• Passing grade: Score is from 700-1000.

SC-401: Microsoft Information Security Administrator Associate Exam Syllabus Topics:

Skills at a glance

• Implement information protection (30–35%)

• Implement data loss prevention and retention (30–35%)

• Manage risks, alerts, and activities (30–35%)

Implement information protection (30–35%)

Implement and manage data classification

• Identify sensitive information requirements for an organization's data

• Translate sensitive information requirements into built-in or custom sensitive info types

• Create and manage custom sensitive info types

• Implement document fingerprinting

• Create and manage exact data match (EDM) classifiers

• Create and manage trainable classifiers

• Monitor data classification and label usage by using data explorer and content explorer

• Configure optical character recognition (OCR) support for sensitive info types

Implement and manage sensitivity labels in Microsoft Purview

• Implement roles and permissions for administering sensitivity labels

• Define and create sensitivity labels for items and containers

• Configure protection settings and content marking for sensitivity labels

• Configure and manage publishing policies for sensitivity labels

• Configure and manage auto-labeling policies for sensitivity labels

• Apply a sensitivity label to containers, such as Microsoft Teams, Microsoft 365 Groups, Microsoft Power BI, and Microsoft SharePoint

• Apply sensitivity labels by using Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps

Implement information protection for Windows, file shares, and Exchange

• Plan and implement the Microsoft Purview Information Protection client

• Manage files by using the Microsoft Purview Information Protection client

• Apply bulk classification to on-premises data by using the Microsoft Purview Information Protection scanner

• Design and implement Microsoft Purview Message Encryption

• Design and implement Microsoft Purview Advanced Message Encryption

Implement data loss prevention and retention (30–35%)

Create and configure data loss prevention policies

• Design data loss prevention policies based on an organization’s requirements

• Implement roles and permissions for data loss prevention

• Create and manage data loss prevention policies

• Configure data loss prevention policies for Adaptive Protection

• Interpret policy and rule precedence in data loss prevention

• Create file policies in Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps by using a DLP policy

Implement and monitor Microsoft Purview Endpoint DLP

• Specify device requirements for Endpoint DLP, including extensions

• Configure advanced DLP rules for devices in DLP policies

• Configure Endpoint DLP settings

• Configure just-in-time protection

• Monitor endpoint activities

Implement and manage retention

• Plan for information retention and disposition by using retention labels

• Create, configure, and manage adaptive scopes

• Create retention labels for data lifecycle management

• Configure a retention label policy to publish labels

• Configure a retention label policy to auto-apply labels

• Interpret the results of policy precedence, including using Policy lookup

• Create and configure retention policies

• Recover retained content in Microsoft 365

Manage risks, alerts, and activities (30–35%)

Implement and manage Microsoft Purview Insider Risk Management

• Implement roles and permissions for Insider Risk Management

• Plan and implement Insider Risk Management connectors

• Plan and implement integration with Microsoft Defender for Endpoint

• Configure and manage Insider Risk Management settings

• Configure policy indicators

• Select an appropriate policy template

• Create and manage Insider Risk Management policies

• Manage forensic evidence settings

• Enable and configure insider risk levels for Adaptive Protection

• Manage insider risk alerts and cases

• Manage Insider Risk Management workflow, including notice templates

Manage information security alerts and activities

• Assign Microsoft Purview Audit (Premium) user licenses

• Investigate activities by using Microsoft Purview Audit

• Configure audit retention policies

• Analyze Purview activities by using activity explorer

• Respond to data loss prevention alerts in the Microsoft Purview portal

• Investigate insider risk activities by using the Microsoft Purview portal

• Respond to Purview alerts in Microsoft Defender XDR

• Respond to Defender for Cloud Apps file policy alerts

• Perform searches by using Content search

Protect data used by AI services

• Implement controls in Microsoft Purview to protect content in an environment that uses AI services

• Implement controls in Microsoft 365 productivity workloads to protect content in an environment that uses AI services

• Implement pre-requisites for Data Security Posture Management (DSPM) for AI

• Manage roles and permissions for DSPM for AI

• Configure DSPM for AI policies

• Monitor activities in DSPM for AI

  
  

In conclusion, SC-401: Microsoft Information Security Administrator Associate certification is a valuable credential for individuals looking to specialize in information protection and compliance. By obtaining this certification, individuals can demonstrate their expertise in implementing information protection policies and managing compliance within an organization. This certification can lead to career advancement, increased job satisfaction, and personal growth, making it a worthwhile investment for anyone looking to excel in the field of information security.

Who is This Course For:

This course is ideal for individuals preparing for the SC-401 certification exam, from IT professionals and business application owners to students aspiring for a comprehensive understanding of Microsoft information protection and governance requirements. Extensive experience with Microsoft 365 services is recommended.