Study Guide - Exam SC-401: Administering Information Security in Microsoft 365.

The SC-401: Administering Information Security in Microsoft 365 certification equips IT professionals with essential skills to protect organizational assets through identity, threat, and information protection strategies. The study guide comprehensively covers all five exam domains. Identity and Access Management introduces Microsoft Entra ID, Conditional Access, Identity Protection, and secure authentication methods like Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) and passwordless sign-ins. It also explores managing external identities through B2B collaboration and cross-tenant access settings. Threat Protection delves into the Microsoft Defender XDR suite, including Defender for Endpoint, Office 365, Identity, and Cloud Apps. Topics include onboarding devices, attack surface reduction, anti-phishing, sandboxing, lateral movement detection, Shadow IT discovery, and policy enforcement. Information Protection focuses on Microsoft Purview's sensitivity labels, data loss prevention (DLP), and endpoint data governance. Users learn how to classify, encrypt, retain, or dispose of sensitive data securely using automated and manual policies. Compliance Management emphasizes audit capabilities, Microsoft Purview Compliance Portal, eDiscovery (Standard & Premium), and Communication Compliance. Tools like Advanced Audit, review sets, and ethical compliance policies support data governance and legal investigations. Hands-on Labs and Practice Scenarios simulate real-world configurations, troubleshooting, and policy implementations to reinforce learning. A set of 250 multiple-choice questions (MCQs) with answers provides self-assessment and exam preparation. This guide delivers practical, scenario-driven knowledge to help candidates confidently manage security and compliance in Microsoft 365, aligning with the latest industry standards and best practices.