Microsoft 365 Fundamentals Certification (MS-900) — Full Course Pass the Exam!

Updated: November 18, 2024

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Summary

The video provides a comprehensive overview of the Microsoft 365 fundamentals course for achieving the MS 900 certification, exploring core services, security, compliance, and pricing. It discusses the certification roadmap, study strategies, and the shift from Office 365 to Microsoft 365. Detailed explanations on cloud computing services, Azure deployment models, and key Microsoft 365 features like Viva, Defender, and compliance tools are also covered. It delves into critical security topics includding identity management, compliance, and threat detection, providing insights on Microsoft's commitment to privacy and data protection. Additionally, the video touches on pricing models, subscription plans, and support options available for Microsoft 365 services.


Introduction to Microsoft 365 Fundamentals Course

Introduction to the Microsoft 365 fundamentals course and how it helps in achieving the MS 900 certification. Overview of the course content and free practice exam.

Microsoft 365 Fundamentals Certification Overview

Detailed breakdown of the Microsoft 365 fundamentals certification, including the cloud concepts, core Microsoft 365 services, security, compliance, pricing, and support offerings.

Microsoft 365 Certification Roadmap

Explanation of the certification roadmap after the Microsoft 365 fundamentals, including associate and expert level certifications and various career paths in Microsoft technologies.

Time to Pass the Certification

Generalized timeframes to pass the certification based on experience levels and study intensities, including recommended study durations and types of content involved.

Efforts Required to Pass the Exam

Effort required to pass the exam, including watching lecture videos, hands-on labs, practice exams, and the importance of paid online practice exams.

Microsoft 365 Fundamentals Exam Overview

Details about the exam format, domains, types of questions, scoring, duration, and exam logistics such as in-person or online testing.

Exam Preparation Guide Breakdown

Detailed breakdown of the Microsoft 365 fundamentals exam guide, focusing on core Microsoft 365 services, security compliance, and pricing. Overview of exam objectives and key areas for preparation.

Overview of Cloud Computing

Explanation of cloud computing, its benefits, and the evolution of servers from dedicated to shared hosting to cloud hosting. Overview of the types of cloud computing services.

Common Cloud Services

Explanation of the four most common types of cloud services: infrastructure as a service, platform as a service, software as a service, and database as a service.

Understanding Microsoft and Azure

Overview of Microsoft as a technology corporation and Azure as Microsoft's cloud service provider. Explanation of the Microsoft Azure cloud services.

Benefits of Cloud Computing

Detailed list of benefits of cloud computing, including cost-effectiveness, global reach, security, reliability, scalability, elasticity, and continuous updates.

Types of Cloud Computing and Responsibilities

Explanation of the different types of cloud computing (SaaS, PaaS, IaaS) and the responsibilities of customers and cloud service providers based on the service models.

Azure Deployment Models

Overview of the Azure deployment models, including public cloud, private cloud, hybrid cloud, and a brief explanation of cross-cloud deployment. Comparison of pros and cons for each model.

Total Cost of Ownership Comparison

Comparison of total cost of ownership between on-premises and Azure, discussing the hidden costs, benefits, and cost reduction when moving to the cloud.

Capital vs. Operational Expenditure

Explanation of capital and operational expenditures in cloud computing, including upfront investment in physical infrastructure (CapEx) and ongoing service payments (OpEx).

Cloud Architecture Terminologies

Introduction to key cloud architecture terminologies such as availability, scalability, elasticity, fault tolerance, and disaster recovery. Overview to help understand cloud advantages.

High Availability in Cloud Computing

Detailed explanation of high availability in cloud computing, including redundancy, load balancing, and running workloads across multiple availability zones to ensure service availability.

Load Balancer and High Availability

Explains the concept of a load balancer distributing traffic to multiple servers for high availability.

Scalability

Discusses vertical and horizontal scaling to increase capacity based on demand.

High Elasticity

Describes the ability to adjust capacity based on demand using horizontal scaling.

High Fault Tolerance

Focuses on ensuring no single point of failure through failovers.

High Durability

Highlights the capability to recover from disasters and prevent data loss.

Evolution to Microsoft 365

Traces the transition from Office 365 to Microsoft 365 for enhanced features and benefits.

Windows 365

Introduces Windows 365 as a cloud PC subscription service.

Microsoft 365 Overview

Details the integrated products and services available in Microsoft 365 for productivity and security.

Microsoft 365 Apps

Explains the suite of Microsoft 365 apps for connectivity and productivity.

Work Management with Microsoft 365

Discusses tools like Microsoft Project, Planner, and Bookings for task and appointment management.

Overview of Microsoft Viva

Microsoft Viva is an employee experience platform that integrates communications, insights, knowledge, learning, and resources within everyday work and collaboration. It consists of modules like Viva Connections, Viva Insights, Viva Topics, and Viva Learning.

Viva Connections

Viva Connections keeps the workforce connected by providing a personalized hub for news, communications, tasks, people, and resources in one location. It offers components like a dashboard, feed, and resources experience.

Viva Insights

Viva Insights provides privacy-protected insights and recommendations to enhance organizational productivity and well-being. It categorizes insights into personal insights, manager insights, and organizational insights.

Viva Topics

Viva Topics focuses on knowledge and expertise by using AI to organize information into shared topics, helping users access relevant information quickly within Microsoft 365 apps.

Viva Learning

Viva Learning is a centralized learning hub in Microsoft Teams, aggregating content from various sources to facilitate learning and skill-building. It offers AI aggregation, recommendations, and tracking of training.

Identity and Secure Score

Discusses the importance of identity secure score, Microsoft secure score, compliance score, and endpoints in Microsoft 365 and Azure. Covers Azure ID device manager, mobile device management, and Microsoft Defender for endpoint.

Apps and Data Protection

Focuses on protecting data with sensitivity labels, data classification, data loss prevention, and managing apps to ensure appropriate permissions and real-time analytics.

Data Protection and Infrastructure

Emphasizes encrypting and restricting access to data based on organizational policies, moving from perimeter-based to data-driven protection, and using tools like Azure Information Protection and Microsoft 365 Compliance Center.

Network Security

Highlights the use of telemetry for detecting attacks, automatic blocking of risk behaviors, employing least privilege access principles, and using various tools like Azure Security Center and Azure Firewall for network security.

Network Segmentation

Discusses the importance of ensuring that devices and users are not automatically trusted just because they are on an internal network, limiting access by policy, implementing micro-segmentation, and real-time threat detection using tools like Azure DDOS Protection Service and Azure VPN.

Defense in Depth Strategy

Explains the concept of defense in depth, using a layered security approach to slow down attacks, and the seven layers of security Microsoft advocates for.

Identity and Access Management

Explores Azure Active Directory, its cloud-based identity and access management service, and the different tiers like Free, Office 365 Apps, Premium 1, and Premium 2.

Cloud Identity Models

Differentiates between cloud-only identity and hybrid identity models in Microsoft 365, focusing on maintaining identities in the cloud or on-premises active directory domain services.

Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)

Discusses MFA as a security control requiring a second device for authentication, its support in Microsoft 365 plans, and the use of text messages, phone calls, and the Microsoft Authenticator app for verification.

Conditional Access Policies

Explains conditional access policies specifying conditions for sign-ins evaluation and allowed access based on user accounts, group membership, and other signals like device, location, and application, with common decisions like block access and grant access.

Enabling MFA for Microsoft 365 Users

Guides on enabling MFA for Microsoft 365 users, starting from the Microsoft 365 admin center, installing Microsoft Authenticator, enabling multi-factor authentication for a user, and validating the change through the login process.

Microsoft 365 Defender

Introduces Microsoft 365 Defender as a unified pre and post-breach Enterprise defense suite coordinating responses across endpoints, identities, emails, and applications against sophisticated attacks for integrated protection.

Microsoft 365 Endpoints and Defender

Discusses Microsoft 365 endpoints, including IP addresses and URLs for optimizing performance, and Microsoft Defender for endpoint as an Enterprise security platform to prevent, detect, and investigate threats.

Microsoft Defender for Identity

Explores Microsoft Defender for Identity as a cloud-based security solution leveraging on-premises active directory data to detect threats, compromised identities, and malicious insider actions through monitoring user activities and providing incident information.

Microsoft Defender for Office 365

Covers Microsoft Defender for Office 365's protection against advanced threats in email messages, links, URLs, Microsoft Teams, and SharePoint Online, with features like Safe Attachments, Safe Links, anti-phishing protection, and more in P1 and P2 plans.

Microsoft Defender Portal

Introduces the Microsoft Defender portal within Microsoft 365 Defender, offering security health monitoring, alerts, incident investigation, and secure score assessment with specific details on identities, devices, apps, and security reports.

Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps

Explores Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps as a cloud access security broker handling access to cloud resources in real time, detecting anomalies, protecting sensitive information, ensuring compliance, and assessing risk levels.

Microsoft Secure Score

Explains Microsoft Secure Score as a representation of an organization's security posture and improvement actions, supporting recommendations for Microsoft 365 services such as Exchange Online, Azure AD, and Microsoft Defender.

Microsoft 365 Security Reports

Discusses Microsoft 365 security reports offering general security dashboards on security trends for identities, devices, and apps, organized into categories like risk detection, threats, and health for enhanced security monitoring and control.

Common Threats and Vulnerabilities

Defines vulnerabilities as potential weaknesses in applications and threats as negative actions facilitated by vulnerabilities, leading to unwanted impacts. Discusses the importance of understanding vulnerabilities to identify and mitigate common threats effectively.

Cybercrime and Malware

Explains the concept of cybercrime, including credential theft, malware, and phishing attacks. Describes different types of malware such as viruses, ransomware, and adware and how phishing attacks work.

Microsoft 365 Defender

Introduces Microsoft 365 Defender, a cross-domain threat detection and response solution that helps organizations prevent, detect, investigate, and remediate sophisticated attacks within their Microsoft 365 environments.

Microsoft Sentinel

Discusses Microsoft Sentinel, a Cloud-native security information and event management solution that provides security analytics, threat intelligence, alert detection, incident response, and automation capabilities.

Regulatory Compliance

Explains Regulatory Compliance, covering various levels of compliance, reasons for compliance, compliance controls, and measures such as data access rights, data retention periods, and data processing rules.

Compliance Solutions in Microsoft 365

Details compliance solutions in Microsoft 365, including communication compliance, privacy-resilient workplace, insider risk management, and discovery and response tools within the Compliance Portal.

Service Trust Portal

Explores the Service Trust Portal, providing resources on Microsoft security, privacy, and compliance practices. It includes sections like Compliance Manager, Trust Documents, Industries and Regions, Trust Center, and Resources.

Compliance Concepts

Discusses compliance concepts focusing on data residency, data sovereignty, data privacy, personal data protection, and compliance standards governing data privacy and security.

Microsoft Purview Information Protection

Explores the features within Microsoft Purview Information Protection, including data discovery, classification, protection, prevention of data loss, and data governance capabilities.

Data Classification and Sensitivity Labels

Covers data classification capabilities, sensitive information types, trainable classifiers, content and activity explorers, sensitivity labels, and controls like encryption and content markings.

Label Policies and Retention

Explains label policies and retention, including applying sensitivity labels, justifications for label changes, and controlling user actions based on label policies. Discusses retention labels, policies, and managing the data life cycle.

Records Management and Data Loss Prevention

Explores records management practices, including record life cycle management, labeling content as records, establishing retention policies, and data loss prevention capabilities like DLP policies, activity monitoring, and protection of sensitive information.

Microsoft Purview Compliance Portal

Provides an overview of the Microsoft Purview Compliance Portal, highlighting features like compliance score, audits, alerts, solution catalog, data classification, e-discovery, Insider risk management, and records management within the Compliance Portal.

Microsoft Purview Compliance Manager

Details Microsoft Purview Compliance Manager features within the Compliance Portal, assisting admins in managing compliance requirements, simplifying compliance assessments, and reducing risks based on regional and industry regulations and standards.

Efficient Risk Assessments and Compliance Score

Provides step-by-step improvement actions for admins to meet regulations and standards, along with a compliance score to track overall compliance posture.

Key Elements of Compliance Manager

Explains the four key elements of compliance management: controls (Microsoft managed, customer managed, shared), templates, Improvement actions, and assessments.

Benefits of Compliance Manager

Highlights the benefits of Compliance Manager, including simplifying regulations, providing access to assessments, mapping controls against Improvement actions, and offering step-by-step guidance.

Compliance Score Breakdown

Discusses how the compliance score is calculated, types of actions (improved, Microsoft), points accumulation, and breakdown into categories like protecting information and managing devices.

Insider Risk Management

Explores Microsoft Purview Insider Risk Management, focusing on minimizing internal risks such as leaks, confidentiality violations, and fraud, through transparency, configurability, integration, and actionable insights.

E-Discovery in Microsoft Purview

Details the e-discovery service in Microsoft Purview, covering electronic information used as legal evidence, content search, workflows, and advanced e-discovery for investigations.

Microsoft Purview Auditing Solutions

Explains the auditing solutions in Microsoft Purview, including audit standard for basic auditing and audit premium for advanced auditing with higher bandwidth and crucial events.

Microsoft Priva and Privacy Risk Management

Discusses the importance of privacy by default policy, managing data risks, and meeting privacy goals through Microsoft Priva and Privacy Risk Management, offering visibility into data, policy templates, and subject rights requests automation.

Microsoft's Privacy Principles

Outlines Microsoft's six privacy principles focusing on control, transparency, security, legal protections, no content-based targeting, and benefits to users when collecting data.

Microsoft Purview Overview

Provides an overview of Microsoft Purview components, compliance manager features, compliance score measurement, and key components like compliance manager, audit, e-discovery, information protection, and risk management.

Pricing Models for Microsoft Cloud Services

Explains pricing models for Microsoft cloud services, such as the Cloud Solution Provider program with indirect and direct models, and the Microsoft Enterprise Agreement for organizations with 500+ users.

Billing and Bill Management in Microsoft 365

Details billing accounts, online services program, products and services agreement program, customer agreement, and bill management options in Microsoft 365, including subscription management, payment methods, and service additions.

Billing Profiles in Microsoft 365

Covers billing profiles, payment methods, invoice settings, roles like owner, contributor, reader, and invoice manager in Microsoft 365 for managing and paying invoices.

Microsoft 365 Subscription Plans

Explores Microsoft 365 subscription plans for different segments like home, educational institutions, government, business, and enterprise, detailing features and tiers available in each plan.

Microsoft 365 for Business Subscription Plans

Provides an overview of Microsoft 365 for Business subscription plans, including Apps for Business, Business Basic, Business Standard, and Business Premium, highlighting features and functionalities of each plan.

Microsoft 365 Enterprise Subscription Plans

Describes Microsoft 365 Enterprise subscription plans (E3, E5, F3), offering enterprise-class services with threat protection features and resources for different-sized organizations.

Microsoft 365 Licenses

Explains Microsoft 365 license types, including full USLs, add-on USLs, from SA USLs, and step-up USLs, detailing usage, assignments, and management in the admin center.

Microsoft 365 Service Life Cycle

Outlines the service life cycle phases in Microsoft 365, covering private preview, public preview, general availability, and end of support with a focus on continuous support and product retirement.

Modern Life Cycle Policy

Describes the Modern Life Cycle policy for Microsoft 365, emphasizing staying current with servicing and system requirements, licensing, and Microsoft's support for the products under this policy.

Microsoft 365 Roadmap Portal

Introduces the Microsoft 365 Roadmap Portal, where users can view planned updates, filter features, monitor update phases (in development, rolling out, launched), and access detailed information about each update.

Microsoft 365 Support Options

Discusses various support options available for Microsoft 365 services, including community-based support, proactive support, web chat, email, phone support, pre-sale support, Fast Track, and Premier support.

Creating a Support Request in Microsoft 365

Provides instructions on how to create a support request as an administrator in the Microsoft 365 admin center, including steps to sign in, select support options, and contact support agents for assistance.

Service Level Agreement in Microsoft 365

Explains the concepts of service level agreements (SLAs) in Microsoft 365, covering incident, uptime, downtime, claim, service credit, service level, and uptime agreement, along with details on calculating service credits based on uptime percentage.

Health Status of Microsoft 365 Services

Covers monitoring the health status of Microsoft 365 services, reporting service issues, receiving notifications for unplanned downtime and planned maintenance, and tracking service health using various tools like admin app, Office 365 management pack, and API.

Communicating Feedback to Microsoft for Improvement

Details different channels like community feedback, Windows feedback Hub, Microsoft Tech Community, Microsoft Store, and user voice forums for users to submit feedback, interact with product experiences, and contribute to improving Microsoft products and services.

Creating and Managing Technical Support Cases

Guides users on creating and managing technical support cases in the Microsoft 365 admin center, including providing descriptions of problems, selecting communication methods, adding attachments, setting regional settings, and tracking service requests.


FAQ

Q: What is the difference between Microsoft 365 Fundamentals certification and other associate/expert level certifications?

A: The Microsoft 365 Fundamentals certification focuses on foundational knowledge of cloud concepts, core services, security, compliance, and pricing within Microsoft 365. Associate and expert level certifications delve deeper into specialized areas within the Microsoft technologies ecosystem.

Q: How does cloud computing benefit organizations?

A: Cloud computing offers benefits such as cost-effectiveness, global reach, security, reliability, scalability, elasticity, and continuous updates, enabling organizations to efficiently manage and scale their IT infrastructure.

Q: What are the common types of cloud computing services?

A: The common types of cloud computing services are Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS), Software as a Service (SaaS), and Database as a Service (DBaaS).

Q: What are the key responsibilities of customers and cloud service providers in the cloud computing service models?

A: Customers are responsible for managing applications and data, while cloud service providers are responsible for managing the underlying infrastructure, including servers, storage, and networking.

Q: How does high availability in cloud computing help ensure service availability?

A: High availability in cloud computing is achieved through redundancy, load balancing, running workloads across multiple availability zones, adjusting capacity based on demand through vertical and horizontal scaling, and preventing single points of failure through failovers.

Q: What is Microsoft Viva and how does it enhance employee experience?

A: Microsoft Viva is an employee experience platform that integrates communications, knowledge, learning, and resources within Microsoft 365. It offers modules like Viva Connections, Viva Insights, Viva Topics, and Viva Learning to keep the workforce connected and productive.

Q: How does Microsoft ensure security and compliance in Microsoft 365 and Azure?

A: Microsoft ensures security and compliance in Microsoft 365 and Azure through tools like sensitivity labels, data classification, data loss prevention, encryption, telemetry for detecting attacks, least privilege access, Azure Security Center, Azure Firewall, and Azure Active Directory for identity and access management.

Q: What is the purpose of Microsoft Defender in Microsoft 365?

A: Microsoft Defender in Microsoft 365 is a comprehensive security platform that protects against sophisticated attacks, threats, and vulnerabilities across endpoints, identities, emails, and applications, providing integrated protection and response capabilities.

Q: How does Microsoft Purview help organizations manage compliance and data protection?

A: Microsoft Purview offers features like data discovery, classification, protection, prevention of data loss, and governance capabilities to help organizations manage compliance, data privacy, and mitigate risks effectively.

Q: What are the different Microsoft 365 subscription plans available for businesses and enterprises?

A: Microsoft offers subscription plans like Business Basic, Business Standard, Business Premium, Enterprise E3, Enterprise E5, and Frontline Worker (F3) plans, catering to businesses of different sizes with varying features and tiers.

Q: What are the key components of Microsoft Purview Compliance Management?

A: The key components of Microsoft Purview Compliance Management include control types, templates, improvement actions, and assessments to help organizations manage compliance requirements, reduce risks, and track overall compliance posture.

Q: How can organizations track the health status of Microsoft 365 services and report service issues?

A: Organizations can monitor the health status of Microsoft 365 services, report service issues, receive notifications for downtime, and track service health using tools like the admin app, Office 365 management pack, and API.

Q: What are the different support options available for Microsoft 365 services?

A: Microsoft 365 offers support options including community-based support, web chat, email, phone support, proactive support, Fast Track, and Premier support to assist users with technical issues and service requests.

Q: How does Microsoft calculate the compliance score for organizations in Compliance Manager?

A: Microsoft calculates the compliance score based on actions taken to improve compliance posture, categorizing improvements into Microsoft or organization-managed actions to help organizations track and enhance their compliance status.

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