Microsoft Information Security Administrator Associate (SC-401)
The SC-401 exam is designed for professionals who implement and configure Microsoft Security. It validates your ability to implement information protection, implement data loss prevention and retention, and manage risks, alerts, and activities.
Exam details
- Certification
- Microsoft Information Security Administrator Associate
- Application
- Microsoft Security
- Exam code
- SC-401
- Level
- Associate
- Duration
- Approximately 100 minutes
- Questions
- Typically 40–60 questions
- Passing score
- 700 out of 1000
- Cost
- USD $165 — typical price; the exact fee varies by country/region and currency, and local taxes may apply.
- Prerequisites
- None required
- Languages
- English (also available in Portuguese (Brazil), French, German, Japanese, Chinese (Simplified) and Spanish)
- Delivered by
- Pearson VUE
- Renewal
- Free online assessment, every 12 months
Skills measured
Implement information protection (30–35%)
- Create sensitive info types, EDM, trainable classifiers, fingerprints, and OCR support.
- Implement sensitivity labels, publishing and auto-labelling policies, and container labels.
- Protect Windows files, file shares, and Exchange with the Information Protection client and message encryption.
Implement data loss prevention and retention (30–35%)
- Design and manage DLP policies, Adaptive Protection, and Defender for Cloud Apps file policies.
- Configure Endpoint DLP, device requirements, just-in-time protection, and activity monitoring.
- Create retention labels and policies, auto-apply, precedence, and recover retained content.
Manage risks, alerts, and activities (30–35%)
- Implement Insider Risk Management policies, connectors, forensic evidence, and cases.
- Investigate Purview Audit, Activity explorer, DLP alerts, Defender XDR, and eDiscovery.
- Protect data used by AI services with DSPM for AI policies, roles, and activity monitoring.
Study Resources
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Frequently asked questions
Who should take SC-401?
SC-401 is for information security administrators, data-protection specialists, and Purview administrators. Most work in compliance, Microsoft 365 security, and data-protection teams in regulated industries such as finance, healthcare, and the public sector.
What is the average salary for an Information Security Administrator?
For a U.S. benchmark, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a 2025 median annual wage of $129,180 for Information Security Analysts. This is a related job family, not a salary tied to SC-401 or a specific administrator role; actual pay varies by responsibilities, experience, location, and employer.
Where do I find exam questions to practice?
Start with Microsoft's SC-401T00 course. Then use the official SC-401 practice test from MeasureUp to practise the exam skills.
Avoid exam dumps: using them can invalidate your score, revoke certifications you already hold, and bar you from future exams.
Search the Microsoft Training Services Partners directory for instructor-led options. Separately, current U.S. listings for the four-day SC-401T00 course quote $2,195 at Microtek and $2,495 at Sunset Learning.
Does the exam include official labs I can use to practice?
If you purchase instructor-led training, Microsoft Training Services Partners usually provide access to official labs for about 90 days. Always check that the labs are from a Microsoft partner such as Skillable.
Depending on the exam, a trial licence could include demo data to practise with, but this is not guaranteed and Microsoft often changes its policies about free trials with demo data. If you prefer hands-on learning using labs, contact a Microsoft Training Services Partner for instructor-led training.