Overview

This course covers the following key elements of Microsoft 365 administration: Microsoft 365 tenant management, Microsoft 365 identity synchronization, and Microsoft 365 security and compliance. In Microsoft 365 tenant management, you learn how to configure your Microsoft 365 tenant, including your organizational profile, tenant subscription options, component services, user accounts and licenses, security groups, and administrative roles. You then transition to configuring Microsoft 365, with a primary focus on configuring Office client connectivity. Finally, you explore how to manage user-driven client installations of Microsoft 365 Apps for enterprise deployments. The course then transitions to an in-depth examination of Microsoft 365 identity synchronization, with a focus on Azure Active Directory Connect and Connect Cloud Sync. You learn how to plan for and implement each of these directory synchronization options, how to manage synchronized identities, and how to implement password management in Microsoft 365 using multifactor authentication and self-service password management. In Microsoft 365 security management, you begin examining the common types of threat vectors and data breaches facing organizations today. You then learn how Microsoft 365’s security solutions address each of these threats. You are introduced to the Microsoft Secure Score, as well as to Azure Active Directory Identity Protection. You then learn how to manage the Microsoft 365 security services, including Exchange Online Protection, Safe Attachments, and Safe Links. Finally, you are introduced to the various reports that monitor an organization’s security health. You then transition from security services to threat intelligence; specifically, using Microsoft 365 Defender, Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps, and Microsoft Defender for Endpoint. Once you have this understanding of Microsoft 365’s security suite, you then examine the key components of Microsoft 365 compliance management. This begins with an overview of all key aspects of data governance, including data archiving and retention, Microsoft Purview message encryption, and data loss prevention (DLP). You then delve deeper into archiving and retention, paying particular attention to Microsoft Purview insider risk management, information barriers, and DLP policies. You then examine how to implement these compliance features by using data classification and sensitivity labels.

Audience Profile

This course is designed for persons aspiring to the Microsoft 365 Administrator role and have completed at least one of the Microsoft 365 role-based administrator certification paths.

Syllabus

This module examines each of the tasks that an organization must complete to successfully configure its Microsoft 365 experience.

Learning Objectives
  • Configure your company's organization profile, which is essential for setting up for your company's tenant.
  • Maintain minimum subscription requirements for your company.
  • Manage your services and add-ins by assigning more licenses, purchasing more storage, and so on.
  • Create a checklist that enables you to confirm your Microsoft Entra tenant meets your business needs.

This module provides instruction on how to create and manage user accounts, assign Microsoft 365 licenses to users, recover deleted user accounts, and create and manage guests and contacts.

Learning Objectives
  • Identify which user identity model best suited for your organization.
  • Create user accounts from both the Microsoft 365 admin center and Windows PowerShell.
  • Manage user accounts and licenses in Microsoft 365.
  • Recover deleted user accounts in Microsoft 365.
  • Perform bulk user maintenance in Microsoft Entra ID.
  • Create and manage guests and collaborate with them in SharePoint sites.
  • Create and manage contacts.

This module provides instruction on how to create groups for distributing email to multiple users within Exchange Online. It also explains how to create groups to support collaboration in SharePoint Online.

Learning Objectives
  • Describe the various types of groups available in Microsoft 365.
  • Create and manage groups using the Microsoft 365 admin center and Windows PowerShell.
  • Create and manage groups in Exchange Online and SharePoint Online.

This module provides instruction on how to add a custom domain to your Microsoft 365 deployment. It also examines the DNS requirements that are necessary to support a new domain.

Learning Objectives
  • Identify the factors that must be considered when adding a custom domain to Microsoft 365.
  • Plan the DNS zones used in a custom domain.
  • Plan the DNS record requirements for a custom domain.
  • Add a custom domain to your Microsoft 365 deployment.

This module examines how clients connect to Microsoft 365. It also provides instruction on how to configure name resolution and Outlook clients, and how to troubleshoot client connectivity.

Learning Objectives
  • Describe how Outlook uses Autodiscover to connect an Outlook client to Exchange Online.
  • Identify the DNS records needed for Outlook and other Office-related clients to automatically locate the services in Microsoft 365 using the Autodiscover process.
  • Describe the connectivity protocols that enable Outlook to connect to Microsoft 365.
  • Identify the tools that can help you troubleshoot connectivity issues in Microsoft 365 deployments.

This module examines the use of roles and role groups in the Microsoft 365 permission model, including role management, best practices when configuring admin roles, delegating roles, and elevating privileges.

Learning Objectives
  • Understand how roles are used in the Microsoft 365 ecosystem.
  • Describe the Azure role-based access control permission model used in Microsoft 365.
  • Identify the key tasks assigned to the common Microsoft 365 admin roles.
  • Identify best practices when configuring admin roles.
  • Delegate admin roles to partners.
  • Implement role groups in Microsoft 365.
  • Manage permissions using administrative units in Microsoft Entra ID.
  • Manage permissions in SharePoint to prevent oversharing of data.
  • Elevate privileges to access admin centers by using Microsoft Entra ID Privileged Identity Management.

This module examines how to monitor your organization's transition to Microsoft 365 using Microsoft 365 tools. It also examines how to develop an incident response plan and request assistance from Microsoft.

Learning Objectives
  • Monitor your organization's Microsoft 365 service health in the Microsoft 365 admin center.
  • Implement Microsoft 365 network connectivity for assessments and insights.
  • Implement Microsoft 365 Backup (Preview) for fast content backup and restoration.
  • Develop an incident response plan to deal with incidents that can occur with your Microsoft 365 service.
  • Request assistance from Microsoft to address technical, presales, billing, and subscription support issues.

This module examines how to implement the Microsoft 365 Apps for enterprise productivity suite in both user-driven and centralized deployments.

Learning Objectives
  • Describe the Microsoft 365 Apps for enterprise functionality.
  • Plan a deployment strategy for Microsoft 365 Apps for enterprise.
  • Complete a user-driven installation of Microsoft 365 Apps for enterprise.
  • Deploy Microsoft 365 Apps for enterprise with Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager.
  • Identify the mechanisms for managing centralized deployments of Microsoft 365 Apps for enterprise.
  • Deploy Microsoft 365 Apps for enterprise with the Office Deployment Toolkit.
  • Describe how to manage Microsoft 365 Apps for enterprise updates.
  • Determine which update channel and application method applies for your organization.
  • Add Microsoft 365 Apps for enterprise to Microsoft Intune.
  • Deploy Microsoft 365 Apps for enterprise security baseline.

This module examines the workplace analytical features of Microsoft Viva Insights, including how it works, and how it generates insights and improves collaboration within an organization.

Learning Objectives
  • Identify how Microsoft Viva Insights can help improve collaboration behaviors in your organization.
  • Describe how the Personal insights app analyzes how you work.
  • Describe how the Team insights app provides visibility into team work habits that might lead to stress and burnout.
  • Describe how the Organization insights app enables managers to see how their work culture affects employee wellbeing.
  • Describe how the Advanced insights app addresses critical questions about resiliency and work culture.

This module examines identity synchronization and explores the authentication and provisioning options that can be used, and the inner-workings of directory synchronization.

Learning Objectives
  • Describe the Microsoft 365 authentication and provisioning options
  • Explain the two identity models in Microsoft 365 - cloud-only identity and hybrid identity
  • Explain the three authentication methods in the hybrid identity model - Password hash synchronization, Pass-through authentication, and federated authentication
  • Describe how Microsoft 365 commonly uses directory synchronization

This module examines all the planning aspects that must be considered when implementing directory synchronization between on-premises Active Directory and Microsoft Entra ID.

Learning Objectives
  • Identify the tasks necessary to configure your Azure Active Directory environment.
  • Plan directory synchronization to synchronize your on-premises Active Directory objects to Azure AD.
  • Identify the features of Microsoft Entra Connect Sync and Microsoft Entra Cloud Sync.
  • Choose which directory synchronization best fits your environment and business needs.

This module examines the Microsoft Entra Connect Sync and Microsoft Entra Cloud Sync installation requirements, the options for installing and configuring the tools, and how to monitor synchronization services using Microsoft Entra Connect Health.

Learning Objectives
  • Configure Microsoft Entra Connect Sync and Microsoft Entra Cloud Sync prerequisites.
  • Set up Microsoft Entra Connect Sync and Microsoft Entra Cloud Sync.
  • Monitor synchronization services using Microsoft Entra Connect Health.

This module examines how to manage user identities when you configure Microsoft Entra Connect Sync, how to manage users and groups in Microsoft 365 with Microsoft Entra Connect Sync, and how to maintain directory synchronization.

Learning Objectives
  • Ensure users synchronize efficiently.
  • Manage groups with directory synchronization.
  • Use Microsoft Entra Connect Sync Security Groups to help maintain directory synchronization.
  • Configure object filters for directory synchronization.
  • Explain how Microsoft Identity Manager helps organizations manage and synchronize user identities across their organizations and hybrid environments.
  • Troubleshoot directory synchronization using various troubleshooting tasks and tools.

This module examines the types of threat vectors and their potential outcomes that organizations must deal with on a daily basis and how users can enable hackers to access targets by unwittingly executing malicious content.

Learning Objectives
  • Describe techniques hackers use to compromise user accounts through email.
  • Describe techniques hackers use to gain control over resources.
  • Describe techniques hackers use to compromise data.
  • Mitigate an account breach.
  • Prevent an elevation of privilege attack.
  • Prevent data exfiltration, data deletion, and data spillage.

This module examines the concepts and principles of the Zero Trust security model, as well as how Microsoft 365 supports it, and how your organization can implement it.

Learning Objectives
  • Describe the Zero Trust approach to security in Microsoft 365.
  • Describe the principles and components of the Zero Trust security model.
  • Describe the five steps to implementing a Zero Trust security model in your organization.
  • Explain Microsoft's story and strategy around Zero Trust networking.

This module examines the various features provided in the Microsoft 365 ecosystem for securing user access, such as Conditional Access policies, multifactor authentication, self-service password management, Smart Lockout policies, and security defaults.

Learning Objectives
  • Manage user passwords.
  • Create Conditional Access policies.
  • Enable security defaults.
  • Describe pass-through authentication.
  • Enable multifactor authentication.
  • Describe self-service password management.
  • Implement Microsoft Entra Smart Lockout.

This module introduces you to several features in Microsoft 365 that can help protect your organization against cyberthreats, detect when a user or computer is compromised, and monitor your organization for suspicious activities.

Learning Objectives
  • Identify the features of Microsoft Defender for Office 365 that enhance email security in a Microsoft 365 deployment
  • Explain how Microsoft Defender for Identity identifies, detects, and investigates advanced threats, compromised identities, and malicious insider actions directed at your organization
  • Explain how Microsoft Defender for Endpoint helps enterprise networks prevent, detect, investigate, and respond to advanced threats
  • Describe how Microsoft 365 Threat Intelligence can be beneficial to your organization's security officers and administrators
  • Describe how Microsoft Cloud App Security enhances visibility and control over your Microsoft 365 tenant through three core areas

This module examines how Microsoft Secure Score helps organizations understand what they've done to reduce the risk to their data and show them what they can do to further reduce that risk.

Learning Objectives
  • Describe the benefits of Secure Score and what kind of services can be analyzed
  • Describe how to collect data using the Secure Score API
  • Describe how to use the tool to identify gaps between your current state and where you would like to be regarding security
  • Identify actions that increase your security by mitigating risks
  • Explain where to look to determine the threats each action mitigates and the impact it has on users

This module examines how Microsoft Entra Privileged Identity Management (PIM) ensures users in your organization have just the right privileges to perform the tasks they need to accomplish.

Learning Objectives
  • Describe how PIM enables you to manage, control, and monitor access to important resources in your organization.
  • Configure the PIM role assignment process for use in your organization.
  • Understand how PIM audit history enables you to see all the user assignments and activations within a given time period for all privileged roles.

This module examines how Azure Identity Protection provides organizations the same protection systems used by Microsoft to secure identities.

Learning Objectives
  • Describe Azure Identity Protection (AIP) and what kind of identities can be protected
  • Enable the three default protection policies in AIP
  • Identify the vulnerabilities and risk events detected by AIP
  • Plan your investigation in protecting cloud-based identities
  • Plan how to protect your Azure Active Directory environment from security breaches

This module examines how Exchange Online Protection (EOP) protects organizations from phishing and spoofing. It also explores how EOP blocks spam, bulk email, and malware before they arrive in users’ mailboxes.

Learning Objectives
  • Describe how Exchange Online Protection analyzes email to provide anti-malware and anti-spam protection.
  • List several mechanisms used by Exchange Online Protection to filter spam and malware.
  • Describe other solutions administrators might implement to provide extra protection against phishing and spoofing.
  • Understand how EOP provides protection against outbound spam.

This module examines how Microsoft Defender for Office 365 extends EOP protection through various tools, including Safe Attachments, Safe Links, spoofed intelligence, spam filtering policies, and the Tenant Allow/Block List.

Learning Objectives
  • Describe how the Safe Attachments feature in Microsoft Defender for Office 365 blocks zero-day malware in email attachments and documents.
  • Describe how the Safe Links feature in Microsoft Defender for Office 365 protects users from malicious URLs embedded in email and documents that point to malicious websites.
  • Create outbound spam filtering policies.
  • Manage email access with the Restrict Access list and the Tenant Allow/Block list.
  • Submit messages, URLs, files, and attachments to Microsoft for analysis.

This module examines how to manage Safe Attachments in your Microsoft 365 tenant by creating and configuring policies and using transport rules to disable a policy from taking effect in certain scenarios.

Learning Objectives
  • Create and modify a Safe Attachments policy using Microsoft Defender XDR
  • Create a Safe Attachments policy by using PowerShell
  • Configure a Safe Attachments policy
  • Describe how a transport rule can disable a Safe Attachments policy
  • Describe the end-user experience when an email attachment is scanned and found to be malicious

This module examines how to manage Safe Links in your tenant by creating and configuring policies and using transport rules to disable a policy from taking effect in certain scenarios.

Learning Objectives
  • Create and modify a Safe Links policy using Microsoft Defender XDR
  • Create a Safe Links policy using PowerShell
  • Configure a Safe Links policy
  • Describe how a transport rule can disable a Safe Links policy
  • Describe the end-user experience when Safe Links identifies a link to a malicious website embedded in email, and a link to a malicious file hosted on a website