Exam guide for cloud switchers · Associate

SC-500 for AWS engineers: Implementing End-to-End Security Controls for Cloud and AI Workloads

SC-500 is the Cloud and AI Security Engineer Associate exam.

It replaces the retired AZ-500 (Azure Security Engineer Associate). It covers identity and governance, platform security for storage, databases and networks, compute and AI workload protection, and security operations with Defender for Cloud, Microsoft Sentinel and Security Copilot. Compared with AWS security work, it reaches further into Microsoft 365 and AI-agent security.

Last verified: Oct 27, 2026 against the official SC-500 study guide · Edit on GitHub · Report an error

Exam at a glance

Exam	SC-500: Implementing End-to-End Security Controls for Cloud and AI Workloads
Certification	Microsoft Certified – Cloud and AI Security Engineer Associate (Associate)
Status	current New certification. A practice assessment isn't available yet, which the page says usually means the exam recently left (or is in) beta.
Skills measured as of	Not stated on the study guide
Passing score	700 or greater (per the study guide)
Closest AWS cert	SCS-C03

Exam prices vary by country and are set on the exam page, so none are quoted here. Microsoft doesn't publish pass rates.

Who it's for

AWS security engineers (the SCS-C03 audience) taking on Azure.
Former AZ-500 candidates. AZ-500 and its certification retired on Aug 31, 2026.
Engineers who secure AI workloads and agents as well as classic infrastructure.

Domains and how they map to AWS

Domain (official)	Weight	Compare pages
Manage identity, access, and governance	20–25%	11
Secure storage, databases, and networking	25–30%	11
Secure compute	20–25%	12
Manage and monitor security posture	20–25%	6

1. Manage identity, access, and governance 20–25%

Official skill areas: Secure access to resources by using Microsoft Entra ID · Secure secrets and keys by using Azure Key Vault · Implement governance to enforce security and regulatory compliance

From AWS: IAM, IAM Identity Center, KMS/Secrets Manager and Organizations/SCPs carry over conceptually. The Azure versions: Entra Privileged Identity Management (just-in-time role elevation), Conditional Access, managed identities, OAuth consent settings, Key Vault (with its own firewall and RBAC), Azure Policy, resource locks, and custom Azure and Entra roles.

Compare pages to study (11):

2. Secure storage, databases, and networking 25–30%

Official skill areas: Implement security for storage accounts · Implement security for databases · Implement security for Azure network services

From AWS: S3 bucket policies and Block Public Access map to the storage account firewall, SAS and access policies, with Defender for Storage for threat detection. RDS security maps to Azure SQL auditing and Defender for Databases. VPC security maps to NSGs and application security groups, Virtual Network Manager security admin rules, Virtual WAN, VPN, private endpoints and Private Link, Azure Firewall, and Entra Private Access (≈ Verified Access).

Compare pages to study (11):

3. Secure compute 20–25%

Official skill areas: Implement security for AI · Implement security for servers and virtual machines (VMs) · Implement security for application platform services

From AWS: New ground for AWS security engineers. The AI section covers SharePoint oversharing, Copilot and AI app risk, Entra Agent ID and the AI Gateway in API Management, Defender for AI Services, and guardrails for agents in Foundry. Closest AWS references: Bedrock Guardrails and AgentCore Identity. VM security maps to Inspector, Systems Manager and Nitro features (disk encryption, Bastion, just-in-time VM access, Defender for Servers, Trusted Launch). Container and app-platform security covers AKS, ACR, Functions, App Service and WAF.

Compare pages to study (12):

4. Manage and monitor security posture 20–25%

Official skill areas: Manage security posture by using Defender for Cloud · Implement activity and event collection in Microsoft Sentinel · Implement Microsoft Security Copilot

From AWS: Security Hub CSPM and GuardDuty map to Defender for Cloud: Defender CSPM, regulatory compliance and workload protection plans, including AWS and GCP connectors. Security Lake and Detective map to Microsoft Sentinel, which is a full SIEM/SOAR with KQL analytics, data connectors and playbooks. Security Copilot has no direct AWS equivalent.

Compare pages to study (6):

Concepts that trip AWS engineers up

Defender for Cloud is both CSPM and CWPP

Foundational CSPM is free. Defender CSPM and the per-resource-type workload protection plans (Servers, Storage, Databases, Containers, AI services, Key Vault…) are paid and enabled per subscription. AWS splits the same ground across Security Hub, GuardDuty, Inspector and Macie.

PIM eligibility vs active assignment

Entra PIM separates "eligible" from "active" role assignments: users activate an eligible role for a limited time, with optional MFA, justification and approval. IAM Identity Center has no built-in eligible/activate model.

Key Vault access: RBAC or access policies

Key Vault supports Azure RBAC (recommended) or the legacy vault access policy model, plus its own network firewall and private endpoints. Questions often turn on which permission model a vault uses.

Sentinel runs on Log Analytics

Sentinel is enabled on a Log Analytics workspace. Data connectors, retention and analytics rules all depend on that workspace, and queries are KQL. Plan workspace topology the way you would plan Security Lake accounts and Regions.

Microsoft 365 is in scope

Objectives include SharePoint data overexposure, Copilot and AI app risk, and Purview Audit in Defender XDR. An AWS-only security background won't cover these.

Just-in-time VM access

Defender for Servers can lock management ports and open them on request for a limited time. On AWS you would get the same outcome with Session Manager and no open ports. Both approaches appear in Azure guidance: Azure Bastion, or JIT on NSG and Azure Firewall rules.

Closest AWS certification

AWS Certified Security – Specialty SCS-C03: Same role. SC-500 adds Microsoft 365 and AI-agent security that SCS-C03 doesn't cover. The current code (SCS-C03) is taken from the exam-prep link on the official certification page. Simplified Chinese, Spanish (Latin America), and Portuguese (Brazil) versions retire after Dec 31, 2026.

Verification notes

The SC-500 study guide did not show a "skills measured as of" date when checked, and the certification page says a practice assessment isn't available yet (usually within 8 weeks of an exam leaving beta). Recheck the study guide before you book.

FAQ

What does SC-500 cover, and how is it weighted?

SC-500 (Implementing End-to-End Security Controls for Cloud and AI Workloads) has 4 domains: Manage identity, access, and governance (20–25%); Secure storage, databases, and networking (25–30%); Secure compute (20–25%); Manage and monitor security posture (20–25%). Weights are from the official Microsoft Learn study guide.

What is the closest AWS certification to SC-500?

AWS Certified Security – Specialty (SCS-C03): Same role. SC-500 adds Microsoft 365 and AI-agent security that SCS-C03 doesn't cover.

Is SC-500 a current exam?

As of Oct 27, 2026, Microsoft Learn lists SC-500 as current. New certification. A practice assessment isn't available yet, which the page says usually means the exam recently left (or is in) beta.