New Microsoft Certified: Cloud and AI Security Engineer Associate Certification

As organizations expand across cloud and AI, security expectations are rising fast. Exam SC‑500 (beta) helps you demonstrate your skills across identity, data, compute, and threat defense.

Security roles are changing fast. As organizations expand across modern cloud environments, the scope of security has broadened. It’s no longer about protecting a single layer, it’s about securing identities, data, infrastructure, and AI systems together, continuously.

Microsoft Certifications are evolving alongside these demands, helping you build and demonstrate the skills needed to secure today’s, and tomorrow’s, environments.

Introducing the Microsoft Certified: Cloud and AI Security Engineer Associate certification. This new certification validates your ability to design and implement end-to-end security controls across cloud environments using modern, enterprise-ready security patterns.

To earn it, you’ll need to pass Exam SC-500: Implementing End-to-End Security Controls for Cloud and AI Workloads, now available in beta.

Is this the right Certification for you?

This Certification reflects the security skills used to help protect modern cloud environments that support AI workloads, including identity protection, data security, AI model security, and cloud threat defense.

It assesses a candidate’s knowledge of how to:

• Manage identity, access, and governance
• Secure storage, databases, and networking
• Secure compute
• Monitor and manage security posture

Exam SC-500 is designed for security engineers who protect organizational systems and data across cloud and hybrid environments by implementing comprehensive security controls that proactively help prevent unauthorized access and mitigate risks. This role spans multiple security domains, including identity, network, application, data, and compute, and it supports the secure implementation and monitoring of infrastructure, identities, and data used by AI workloads. 

Responsibilities may include: 

• Securing access to resources by using Microsoft Entra ID and Azure Key Vault
• Enforcing security and regulatory compliance
• Protecting cloud infrastructure, data platforms, and applications
• Securing AI solutions
• Monitoring and improving overall security posture

They may work closely with architects, administrators, engineers, analysts, and developers responsible for Azure, Microsoft 365, identity and access, information protection, security operations, DevOps, application development, database platforms, and networks. 

Candidates for this exam should have practical experience in administration of Azure and hybrid environments, including compute, network, and storage. They need strong familiarity with Microsoft Entra ID and familiarity with Microsoft 365 administration. 

Ready to prove your cybersecurity skills?

Take advantage of the discounted beta exam offer. The first 300 people who take Exam SC-500 (beta) on or before June 8, 2026, can get 80% off.

To receive the discount, when you register for the exam and are prompted for payment, use code VistaSC500. This is not a private access code. The seats are offered on a first-come, first-served basis. As noted, you must take the exam on or before June 8, 2026. Please note that this discount is not available in Turkey, Pakistan, India, or China.

How to prepare

• Review the Exam SC-500 (beta) page for training resources, exam registration, and other details.
• The Exam SC-500 study guide explores key topics covered in the exam.
• Connect with Microsoft Training Services Partners in your area for in-person offerings.
• Need other preparation ideas? Check out Just How Does One Prepare for Beta Exams?

Ready to get started?

• You can take Certification exams online, from your home or office. Get the details in Online proctored exams: What to expect and how to prepare.
• Remember, the number of spots is limited to the first 300 candidates on or before June 8, 2026.
• Beta exam rescoring begins when the exam goes live, with final results released approximately 10 days later. For more details, read Creating high-quality exams: The path from beta to live.
• Stay tuned for general availability of this Certification in July 2026.

Additional information

For more cloud and AI Certification updates, read our recent blog post, The AI job boom is here. Are you ready to showcase your skills?

Follow our credentials news on The Skills Hub Blog as we roll out additional new Certifications in May, June, and July 2026.

Join our Microsoft Worldwide Learning SME Group for Credentials on LinkedIn for beta exam alerts and opportunities to help shape future Microsoft learning and assessments.

If you’d like to learn more about Microsoft Credentials, go to AI Skills Navigator.