Validate critical information security skills with our new Certification
The cybersecurity landscape is constantly evolving, and organizations of all sizes must stay ahead of the curve to protect their networks and keep their data, systems, and digital assets safe. With the growth of AI and cloud computing, defenders and cyberattackers alike can change this landscape. As a result, business leaders are reassessing their digital defenses, especially around data governance. And while the technology is critical, it’s even more important to have a workforce with the skills and experience to maximize its potential, protect against cyberthreats, and detect and respond to any security incidents. In short, security skills in the era of AI are crucial. To support these needs, we regularly review and update our training and credentials portfolio to make sure that it encompasses the latest technologies and in-demand, real-world skills. As these skills are becoming more defined for specific roles, we’re making some changes to our Security offerings. Introducing a new Certification for information security Created specifically for those in the data security and information protection profession, we’re glad to introduce the new Microsoft Certified: Information Security Administrator Certification that will be available in April 2025. You can earn this new Certification by passing Exam SC-401: Administering Information Security in Microsoft 365,available in beta on February 11, 2025. This new Certification validates the skills needed to plan and implement information security for sensitive data by using Microsoft Purview and related services. It also validates the skills needed to mitigate risks from internal and external threats by protecting data inside collaboration environments that are managed by Microsoft 365. Plus, it verifies subject matter expertise needed to participate in information security incident responses. As an information security administrator who earns this Certification, you demonstrate your expertise in: Implementing information protection. Implementing data loss prevention and retention. Managing risks, alerts, and activities. Get ready to take Exam SC-401 and earn the new Certification: Check out the Exam SC-401 study guide, and explore potential exam topics. Stay tuned for Exam SC-401 self-paced training. We’re retiring the Information Protection and Compliance Administrator Associate Certification In addition to introducing the new Certification, we’re announcing the upcoming retirement of the Microsoft Certified: Information Protection and Compliance Administrator Associate Certification and its related Exam SC-400: Administering Information Protection and Compliance in Microsoft 365. The Certification, related exam, and renewal assessments will all be retired on May 31, 2025. We’ve received consistent feedback regarding the fact that this Certification includes two separate roles—data security/information protection professionals and compliance professionals—and that each role should have its own validation solution. Although we aren’t creating a new Certification for compliance-related roles, we offer Microsoft Applied Skills that can validate these skills. Find more details in the next section. The following questions and answers can help you determine how these retirements could impact your learning goals: Q: What if I’m studying for Exam SC-400? A: If you’re currently preparing for Exam SC-400, you should take and pass the exam before May 31, 2025. If you’re just starting your preparation process, we recommend that you explore the new Information Security Administrator Certification and its related Exam SC-401: Administering Information Security in Microsoft 365. Q: I’ve already earned the Information Protection and Compliance Administrator Associate Certification. What happens now? A: If you’ve already earned the Information Protection and Compliance Administrator Associate Certification, it will stay on the transcript in your profile on Microsoft Learn. If you’re eligible to renew your Certification before May 31, 2025, we recommend that you consider doing so, because it won’t be possible to renew the Certification after this date. Validate your compliance administrator skills with Microsoft Applied Skills Microsoft Applied Skills help you demonstrate your capabilities in specific scenarios or workloads, complementing the broader job role competencies validated by Microsoft Certifications. By combining these credentials, you validate a comprehensive skill set across projects and roles. To prove your skills in security and compliance, consider earning the following Applied Skills: Implement retention, eDiscovery, and Communication Compliance in Microsoft Purview. Validate your ability to: create, configure, and apply retention labels; create and manage retention policies; create and configure eDiscovery (Premium) cases; implement Communication Compliance; and monitor and investigate data and activities by using Content search. Implement information protection and data loss prevention by using Microsoft Purview. Validate your ability to: create a custom sensitive information type; create and publish a sensitivity label; create and assign an auto-labeling policy; and create a data loss prevention (DLP) policy. Be part of the cybersecurity solution Your validated, in-demand skills can help make a positive impact in your organization and in your career. As business leaders aim to modernize systems, integrate new technologies, and fortify their cybersecurity in the era of AI, this new Certification is a great opportunity for you to become part of the solution—now and in the future.
Build skills that matter—faster—with AI-assisted learning and Applied Skills
Jeana Jorgensen: Corporate Vice President, Worldwide Learning Curtis Lee: Vice President, Azure Experiences & Ecosystems Microsoft Learn is committed to empowering individuals and organizations with the skills needed to innovate, adapt, and thrive in the AI economy. We’re excited to share how we’re evolving the way you learn using AI to enable faster skill acquisition personalized to your needs. We’re also announcing the availability of new Microsoft Applied Skills that range from beginner scenarios to equip aspiring professionals with practical tools to kickstart their careers, to new AI-focused scenarios that help you accelerate app development with GitHub Copilot. And, we’re sharing how you can enter to win a free certification exam as part of the AI Skills Fest Challenge! Grow your skills faster with AI-assisted learning Microsoft Learn uses AI to help you build your skills with features that adapt to your learning needs and preferences. At this year’s Microsoft Build, May 19–22, 2025, we’re sharing four more ways that you can benefit from the power of AI on Microsoft Learn. Here’s an introduction to these features. 1. Get personalized assistance with Ask Learn, now expanding across Microsoft Learn Last November at Ignite, we announced Ask Learn, our AI assistant. Initially available to support your training on Microsoft Learn, Ask Learn is now expanding to all documentation to help you find answers and troubleshoot faster. Available in Microsoft Azure documentation now, and expanding further in the coming weeks, Ask Learn will also factor in your interactions as you move through the site to refine your experience. So whether you are looking to understand the potential use cases for Agentic AI, which model to use in Azure AI Foundry for your latest project, or the steps to follow to complete tasks with Microsoft products, Ask Learn provides personalized assistance. To get real-time advice and support while you learn—right from within any training topic and in Azure documentation—just click the “Ask Learn” button and write your prompt. Try it now on the Azure App Service documentation page or explore your favorite training topic on Microsoft Learn. 2. Learn where you code—with Ask Learn in Visual Studio Code (coming soon!) Ask Learn is also coming to Visual Studio Code as an extension and you can request early access. Whether you’re new to development or an experienced developer, you’ll soon be able to seamlessly transition from learning about topics on Microsoft Learn to putting them to work. Within Visual Studio Code, Ask Learn will provide: Coaching on concepts. Want to learn when you should apply one development technique vs another? Get digestible, bite-sized guidance to help you make better decisions and improve the quality of your code. Step-by-step instruction. Trying to accomplish a specific task and want help? Ask Learn connects you to the right information right when and where you need it. A dynamic development experience. Have a question while you’re building your next feature? Dynamically switch between coding in Visual Studio Code and learning with Ask Learn, whenever you need to. To request early access, you can submit your information at aka.ms/AskLearnInVSCode 3. Quickly create learning plans tailored to your specific needs At Microsoft Ignite, we announced AI-generated plans to quickly curate the best training tailored for your individual needs. Over the coming days and weeks, we’ll be rolling out improvements to enhance the experience further, allowing you to: Prepare for specific credentials. Customize your plan with credential study guide content aligned to Certifications and Applied Skills to help you achieve your aspirations. Improve fine-tuning. You’ll be able to generate plans that mix and match modules across learning paths based on your exact scenario, along with enhancements to how you edit, save and share plans. Create group plans. Whether you’re looking to help a team or group keep pace with technology, get project-ready, or develop their professional skills, you’ll be able to generate a plan to meet your team’s needs. You can get started generating plans today, and these additional enhancements will be rolling out over the next few weeks. At aka.ms/LearnAtBuild you can also access pre-made plans on key topics from Microsoft Build with guided learning from Microsoft and GitHub. 4. Improve your focus with AI-powered assessments Microsoft Learn now offers an improved experience to help you gain real-time insights into your competencies as you complete modules. You can test your knowledge more thoroughly with an increased number of questions generated dynamically with AI. As you pass each one of these module assessments, it helps build a more complete picture of your progress through a given topic, which can be seen on a learner transcript you can share with your employer for credit. This feature is rolling out now and will expand to all modules on Microsoft Learn over the next several weeks. Test your knowledge with Microsoft Learn module assessments. Introducing new Microsoft Applied Skills—now featuring beginner level, GitHub Copilot, and AI scenarios As you build skills on Microsoft Learn, consider demonstrating your expertise with Microsoft Applied Skills. These credentials validate your knowledge of Microsoft products and services through practical application to real-world scenarios, enabling you to succeed in your job or advance your career with confidence. According to IDC 1 , scenario- and project-based skills are increasingly used to hire and promote employees, with more than 60% of organizations highlighting that micro-credentials like Applied Skills allow them to test and validate specific technical skills. We have two significant updates to help learners at all stages prove their skills and advance their careers. 1. New beginner-level Applied Skills If you’re a student, just starting out, or changing career, check out our new beginner-level Applied Skills that help you apply and validate foundational skills in cloud and emerging technologies. Gain practical experience to establish a strong foundation for your career. The new beginner-level Applied Skills scenarios include, with more coming soon: Get started with classes, properties, and methods in C# Get started with identities and access using Microsoft Entra 2. Expanded Applied Skills for AI scenarios, including GitHub Copilot GitHub Copilot has been paving the way for worldwide adoption of generative AI, and we are excited to offer a new credential designed to accelerate app development with GitHub Copilot. In addition, there are now more credentials on Copilot to help you demonstrate your ability to build, extend, and automate with AI—skills that are increasingly in demand across industries. The new intermediate-level Applied Skills scenarios include: Accelerate app development by using GitHub Copilot Create agents in Microsoft Copilot Studio Extend Microsoft 365 Copilot with declarative agents by using Visual Studio Code* *Coming soon Explore all Applied Skills on Microsoft Learn. Join the Microsoft AI Skills Fest Challenge for the chance to win a free Microsoft Certification exam As you deepen your AI skills, be sure to participate in the Microsoft AI Skills Fest Challenge through May 28, 2025. It’s your chance to gain in-demand skills in agent creation, AI Security, Azure AI Foundry, GitHub Copilot, Fabric, and more, and you can enter the Challenge Sweepstakes for a chance to win a free Certification exam. Don’t miss out! Unlock your potential AI has the power to unlock your potential, and we can’t think of anything more rewarding than helping you build and prove your abilities—one skill at a time. We’re glad to share the ongoing updates to the Microsoft Learn portfolio of offerings and experiences, and we’re with you all along the way. 1 IDC InfoBrief, Sponsored by Microsoft, Skilling Up! Leveraging Full and Micro-Credentials for Optimal Skilling Solutions, Doc. #US52019124, June, 2024.
