Microsoft Certified: Security Operations Analyst Associate (SC-200)

Often paired with SC-100 (Cybersecurity Architect Expert) for senior security engineer profile. SC-900 → SC-200 → SC-100 the standard MS security pathway. Free annual renewal via MS Learn.

Compared to Splunk certs (vendor-specific) or CySA+ (vendor-neutral), SC-200 most directly applies to Microsoft-shop SOCs running Sentinel as primary SIEM. Sentinel market share growth makes the cert increasingly relevant.

KQL (Kusto Query Language) mastery is the make-or-break skill — heavily tested. Free MS Learn KQL playgrounds + Sentinel-specific labs essential. John Savill SC-200 master class on YouTube standard prep.

Security Operations Analyst — Microsoft's SOC-track cert. Heavy on Sentinel, Defender XDR, KQL queries, IR runbooks. Strong HR signal for Microsoft-shop SOC analyst / threat hunter roles.