- Worth 30 to 35% of SC-401, with 20 skills in the study guide. We teach and practice each one
- Identify sensitive information requirements for an organization's data
- Translate sensitive information requirements into built-in or custom sensitive info types
- Create and manage custom sensitive info types
- Implement document fingerprinting
- Create and manage exact data match based sensitive information types (EDM)
- Create and manage trainable classifiers
- Monitor data classification and label usage by using Data explorer and Content explorer
- Configure optical character recognition (OCR) support for sensitive info types
- Implement roles and permissions for administering sensitivity labels
- Define and create sensitivity labels for items and containers
- Configure protection settings and content marking for sensitivity labels
- Configure and manage publishing policies for sensitivity labels
- Configure and manage auto-labeling policies for sensitivity labels
- Apply sensitivity labels to containers, such as Microsoft Teams, Microsoft 365 Groups, and Microsoft SharePoint sites, and to Power BI items
- Apply sensitivity labels by using Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps
- Plan and implement the Microsoft Purview Information Protection client
- Manage files by using the Microsoft Purview Information Protection client
- Apply bulk classification to on-premises data by using the Microsoft Purview Information Protection scanner
- Design and implement Microsoft Purview Message Encryption
- Design and implement Microsoft Purview Advanced Message Encryption
Microsoft Certification Training Course
Information Security Administrator Associate (SC-401) Certification Training Course
We'll get you ready for Exam SC-401, the Microsoft credential for information security administrators who work in Microsoft Purview.
Course focus: Information protection, data loss prevention and retention, and managing risks, alerts and activities, mapped to the SC-401 study guide.
Course Overview
What the SC-401 course covers and who it's for.
Per Microsoft, SC-401 is for people who plan and implement information security for sensitive data with Microsoft Purview and related services, including risks from AI tools like Copilot.
The three domains are weighted evenly at 30 to 35%. We configure sensitivity labels, DLP and retention policies, then work through insider risk, alerts and audit.
Per Microsoft, you should be familiar with all Microsoft 365 services, PowerShell, Microsoft Entra, the Defender portal and Defender for Cloud Apps. The role also takes part in responding to information security incidents.
Copilot and other AI tools read whatever data people can reach. SC-401 is the exam for the person who labels that data, sets DLP and retention, and manages insider risk so AI doesn't leak what it shouldn't.
Accumentum is an independent training provider. We aren't a Microsoft partner and this isn't official Microsoft training. Microsoft sets exam content, prices and policies, so check learn.microsoft.com before you book.
Course Objectives
Get ready for SC-401 the way the exam is built.
01
Cover the Whole Study Guide
Work through all 3 skill areas in Microsoft's SC-401 study guide, weighted the way the exam weights them.
02
Go Deep on the Biggest Domain
Implement information protection is 30 to 35% of the exam per Microsoft, so it gets the most class time.
03
Practice Hands-On
Work through the tasks the SC-401 study guide lists, hands on.
04
Master Implement information protection
Microsoft lists 20 skills here, worth 30 to 35%. We practice all of them, from the first, identify sensitive information requirements for an organization's data, through the last, design and implement Microsoft Purview Advanced Message Encryption.
05
Master Implement data loss prevention and retention
Microsoft lists 19 skills here, worth 30 to 35%. We practice all of them, from the first, design data loss prevention policies based on an organization's requirements, through the last, recover retained content in Microsoft 365.
06
Master Manage risks, alerts, and activities
Microsoft lists 26 skills here, worth 30 to 35%. We practice all of them, from the first, implement roles and permissions for Insider Risk Management, through the last, monitor activities in DSPM for AI.
07
Be Ready for Test Day
We practice the question styles Microsoft uses and walk through how scheduling, scoring and renewal work.
Who Should Attend
- Microsoft 365 and compliance admins.
- Information protection and data security staff.
- Security admins supporting Copilot rollouts.
- Former SC-400 candidates.
Prerequisites
- Microsoft doesn't require another certification first, and we don't have enrollment prerequisites either.
- Experience with Microsoft 365 administration helps.
Pathway Map
The SC-401 course in 3 modules.
Each module is one skill area from the official study guide, with its exam weight.
Course Content
- Worth 30 to 35% of SC-401, with 19 skills in the study guide. We teach and practice each one
- Design data loss prevention policies based on an organization's requirements
- Implement roles and permissions for data loss prevention
- Create and manage data loss prevention policies
- Configure data loss prevention policies for Adaptive Protection
- Interpret policy and rule precedence in data loss prevention
- Create file policies in Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps by using a DLP policy
- Specify device requirements for Endpoint DLP, including extensions
- Configure advanced DLP rules for devices in DLP policies
- Configure Endpoint DLP settings
- Configure just-in-time protection
- Monitor endpoint activities
- Plan for information retention and disposition by using retention labels
- Create, configure, and manage adaptive policu scopes
- Create retention labels for data lifecycle management
- Configure a retention label policy to publish labels
- Configure a retention label policy to auto-apply labels
- Interpret the results of policy precedence, including using Policy lookup
- Create and configure retention policies
- Recover retained content in Microsoft 365
- Worth 30 to 35% of SC-401, with 26 skills in the study guide. We teach and practice each one
- Implement roles and permissions for Insider Risk Management
- Plan and implement Insider Risk Management connectors
- Plan and implement integration with Microsoft Defender for Endpoint
- Configure and manage Insider Risk Management settings
- Configure policy indicators
- Select an appropriate policy template
- Create and manage Insider Risk Management policies
- Manage forensic evidence settings
- Enable and configure insider risk levels for Adaptive Protection
- Manage insider risk alerts and cases
- Manage Insider Risk Management workflow, including notice templates
- Assign Microsoft Purview Audit (Premium) user licenses
- Investigate activities by using Microsoft Purview Audit
- Configure audit retention policies
- Analyze Purview activities by using Activity explorer
- Respond to data loss prevention alerts in the Microsoft Purview portal
- Investigate insider risk activities by using the Microsoft Purview portal
- Respond to Purview alerts in Microsoft Defender XDR
- Respond to Defender for Cloud Apps file policy alerts
- Perform searches by using eDiscovery
- Implement controls in Microsoft Purview to protect content in an environment that uses AI services
- Implement controls in Microsoft 365 productivity workloads to protect content in an environment that uses AI services
- Implement pre-requisites for Data Security Posture Management (DSPM) for AI
- Manage roles and permissions for DSPM for AI
- Configure DSPM for AI policies
- Monitor activities in DSPM for AI
Course Features
How we teach SC-401.
Instructor-Led Classes
Live instruction with time for questions, so you aren't figuring out the hard parts alone.
Hands-On Practice
Practice on the tasks in the SC-401 study guide.
Study Guide Mapping
Every module maps to a skill area in Microsoft's SC-401 study guide.
Exam Strategy
Practice questions plus tips on scheduling, timing and what to expect on test day.
Certification Exam
About the SC-401 exam.
SC-401 Exam Readiness
Our students pass at a 98.8% rate across Accumentum courses. We'll get you ready for SC-401 the same way.
Per Microsoft, SC-401 is the exam for Microsoft Certified: Information Security Administrator Associate. Microsoft lists 100 minutes of exam time for associate exams like this one. You need a score of 700 or greater to pass. Microsoft sets the price by country and shows it on the exam page.
Full details are on the official certification page and the SC-401 study guide.
Accumentum is an independent training provider. We aren't a Microsoft partner and this isn't official Microsoft training. Microsoft sets exam content, prices and policies, so check learn.microsoft.com before you book.
Inside the Course
A closer look at each SC-401 domain.
The course starts with information protection. You'll classify data with sensitive information types, trainable classifiers and exact data match, then build and publish sensitivity labels and auto labeling policies. You'll also cover encryption for email and files.
The data loss prevention and retention domain covers DLP policies across Microsoft 365, endpoints and Defender for Cloud Apps, plus retention policies and labels. We spend time on protecting content in environments that use AI services, since Microsoft added that to the role.
The largest domain covers risks, alerts and activities. Insider Risk Management, Adaptive Protection, DLP alerts in the Defender portal, audit search and Data Security Posture Management for AI. You'll learn how to triage what Purview flags and how to work with security teams on incidents.
By the end you'll be able to design a Purview setup that protects sensitive data without blocking real work. That balance is what the exam tests and what employers want.
In class you'll build a working Purview setup in a lab tenant. You'll create labels, publish them, set DLP rules, add retention, turn on insider risk policies and then review what those policies catch. Seeing the alerts your own policies create is the fastest way to learn how to tune them.
Study Plan
A study plan for SC-401 built from the study guide.
Time follows Microsoft's domain weights, so you study what the exam asks most.
Step 1: Implement information protection
Spend about 35% of your study time here. First, identify sensitive information requirements for an organization's data. Then configure protection settings and content marking for sensitivity labels. Last, design and implement Microsoft Purview Advanced Message Encryption.
Step 2: Implement data loss prevention and retention
Spend about 35% of your study time here. First, design data loss prevention policies based on an organization's requirements. Then configure just-in-time protection. Last, recover retained content in Microsoft 365.
Step 3: Manage risks, alerts, and activities
Spend about 35% of your study time here. First, implement roles and permissions for Insider Risk Management. Then configure audit retention policies. Last, monitor activities in DSPM for AI.
Step 4: Review and book
Take Microsoft's free practice assessment, review the domains you scored lowest in, and book the exam once you're scoring well.
Official Resources
Where to check SC-401 facts on Microsoft Learn.
Microsoft changes exams often. These are the pages we teach from.
Exam Domains
How Microsoft weights the SC-401 exam.
From the official SC-401 study guide. Bigger domains get more questions.
Implement information protection
30 to 35% of the exam. 20 skills listed by Microsoft.
Implement data loss prevention and retention
30 to 35% of the exam. 19 skills listed by Microsoft.
Manage risks, alerts, and activities
30 to 35% of the exam. 26 skills listed by Microsoft.
Exam and Course Format
What test day and class look like for SC-401.
SC-401 is a associate level exam. Microsoft lists 100 minutes of exam time for associate exams like this one. Microsoft scores exams from 1 to 1000 and you need 700 or greater to pass.
You can book SC-401 through the exam page on Microsoft Learn, where Microsoft shows the price for your country and the delivery options it offers. Microsoft also has a free exam sandbox there so you can see the question layout before test day.
Our course runs instructor-led. We teach each domain in study guide order, practice the tasks, and finish with review on the areas you miss most.
Career Paths
Where SC-401 fits in your career.
Information security administrator
Run Purview labels, DLP and retention.
Compliance administrator
Turn policy into Purview settings and audits.
Microsoft 365 security admin
Protect data before and during a Copilot rollout.
Data governance staff
Work with legal and security on what gets kept and protected.
Funding and PathPay
Ways to pay for SC-401 training.
Accumentum is an Army CA and Air Force COOL Approved Vendor. If you're a soldier or airman, ask us whether Army Credentialing Assistance or Air Force COOL can fund this course for you.
PathPay lets you spread tuition into monthly payments instead of paying it all up front. You can see the plans on the PathPay page or ask us which plan fits this course.
Employers often pay for Microsoft training too. Ask us for a quote or invoice your company can use.
See PathPay plans, Army Credentialing Assistance training and Air Force COOL training.
Related Courses
Courses that pair well with SC-401.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about our SC-401 course.
SC-401 is the exam for Microsoft Certified: Information Security Administrator Associate, a associate level credential. Details are on the official page at https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/credentials/certifications/information-security-administrator/
No. We're an independent training provider and we aren't a Microsoft partner. Our course follows Microsoft's public study guide. Microsoft offers free self-paced training on Microsoft Learn too.
Microsoft sets the price by country and shows it on the exam page when you pick your location. Check it there before you book.
Microsoft lists 100 minutes of exam time for associate exams like this one. A score of 700 or greater is needed to pass.
Fundamentals certifications don't expire. Associate, expert and specialty certifications are valid for one year and you renew for free online on Microsoft Learn.
Microsoft doesn't require another certification first, and we don't have enrollment prerequisites either. Experience with Microsoft 365 administration helps.
Instructor-led, with hands-on practice and exam prep. Ask us about upcoming class dates.
SC-400 is retired. SC-401 is Microsoft's current information security administrator exam, built on Microsoft Purview.
Yes. Microsoft says the role protects data used by AI services.
Microsoft Purview for labels, DLP, retention, insider risk and audit, plus related Microsoft 365 and Defender tools.
SC-100 has its own prerequisite list. SC-401 isn't on it, but the data security skills carry straight into SC-100's data domain.
No. Microsoft doesn't require it, but it's a good warm up if Purview is new to you.
Yes. Expect questions about configuring labels, DLP, retention and insider risk in Microsoft Purview.
Accumentum is an Army CA and Air Force COOL Approved Vendor. If you're a soldier or airman, ask us whether Army Credentialing Assistance or Air Force COOL can fund this course for you.
PathPay lets you spread tuition into monthly payments instead of paying it all up front. You can see the plans on the PathPay page or ask us which plan fits this course.
Use the registration page linked below, or email info@accumentum.net and we'll follow up with dates and next steps.
Enrollment
Enroll in SC-401 training with Accumentum.
Enroll in our SC-401 course to get ready for the Information Security Administrator Associate exam with instructor-led classes and hands-on practice.
For dates and next steps, use the registration page linked below or email info@accumentum.net.
Ready to start on SC-401?
Tell us your target date and we'll help you plan the path.