Filling the cybersecurity gap

It’s the New Year and you may be thinking about pivoting to a career in cybersecurity. Did you know by 2025 there will be a 3.5 million cybersecurity jobs open globally, according to Cybercrime Magazine https://cybersecurityventures.com/jobs/.

This could be your year to make the leap to security or just learn more about it. Here is a list of Microsoft resources to help prepare.

1.??????Microsoft has now added a free practice assessment for SC-900: Microsoft Security, Compliance, and Identity Fundamentals. You’ll find the link to the assessment in the Schedule Exam section of the SC-900 page Exam SC-900: Microsoft Security, Compliance, and Identity Fundamentals - Certifications | Microsoft Learn.

2.??????Check out Microsoft Virtual Training Days – Security Microsoft Virtual Training Days - Security. Here you will find free online training sessions. Sessions are always being added, bookmark the page and check back often.

3.??????For those of you with security experience, Microsoft has Ninja training for the various security offerings.

Defender Ninja Training

• Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps Ninja Training | June 2022 - Microsoft Community Hub
• Microsoft Defender for Identity Ninja Training - Microsoft Community Hub
• Become a Microsoft Defender for Endpoint Ninja - Microsoft Community Hub

Microsoft Cloud App Security

• https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/security-compliance-and-identity/the-microsoft-cloud-app-security-mcas-ninja-training-march-2021/ba-p/1877343

Complete Sentinel Ninja Level 400 training

• https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/microsoft-sentinel-blog/become-a-microsoft-sentinel-ninja-the-complete-level-400/ba-p/1246310

I have been slowing moving into the security space, recently sitting the SC-200 and SC-100 exams. I have created a OneNote study guide for each exam. Those can be found at bennettsharon/SC-Exam-Study-Guides (github.com). These are not official Microsoft guides, but my own study guides with links to Microsoft docs and other resources. Feel free to modify as you wish. You’ll also find my KQL example list which aligns to the SC-200: Create queries for Microsoft Sentinel using Kusto Query Language (KQL) learning path SC-200: Create queries for Microsoft Sentinel using Kusto Query Language (KQL) - Training | Microsoft Learn. If you look in the AZ-Study-Guide repository you will find my old study guide for AZ-500. I do need to update this version and repost it. Again feel free to grab it as your AZ-500 starting point.

The one thing I noticed as I moved into this space was my lack of generic security knowledge. The last security course/exam I took was CompTIA Security+ exam back in the early 2000’s. To fill this gap, I picked up a copy of the Certified Cloud Security Professional study guide from (ISC)2. (ISC)2 CCSP Certified Cloud Security Professional Official Study Guide: Chapple, Mike, Seidl, David: 9781119909378: Books - Amazon.ca. This is a vendor neutral guide that will give you a solid security base to build on.

I hope these resources will help you move into the security space, move your career forward and help fill the security skills shortage.

Let’s help each other and post your favorite security study resources.