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Quick answer
It is worth it for beginners aiming at a security analyst role in organisations that run on Microsoft: the Microsoft Cybersecurity Analyst Professional Certificate teaches their tools, and we rate it 3.6 out of 5. Its nine courses run from computers and networking through Azure Active Directory, Microsoft Defender, penetration testing and compliance to a capstone and SC-900 preparation, at 190 hours by Coursera's course cards, with no prior experience required. SC-900 is a separate Microsoft exam. For a vendor-neutral route, weigh the Google Cybersecurity Certificate.
- Recommended for
- beginners aiming at a security analyst role in organisations that run on Microsoft
- Credential
- Microsoft Professional Certificate via Coursera — SC-900 is a separate Microsoft exam
- Skip it if
- your target employers don't use Microsoft's security tools, or you already hold a security certification
- Our assessment
- Strong — the reasoning is under the button below
Check price & enrol on Coursera →
Why we score it 3.6 / 5
Microsoft's nine-course programme for beginners: computers, operating systems and security, networking and cloud computing, threat vectors and mitigation, identity and access, Microsoft Defender, security tools, management and compliance, a capstone and preparation for Microsoft's SC-900 exam, at 190 hours by Coursera's course cards. We value a capstone, coverage of Microsoft's own security tools and a route towards SC-900. What holds the score down is currency and cost: the page shows no update date or price of its own, and the SC-900 exam is booked separately with Microsoft.
3.6 / 5 learning score — our reading of the published curriculum4.0 / 5 credential score — our reading of who issues it
Curriculum currency 3.4 · Completion realism 3.6 · Skill value 3.9 · Employer recognition 4.0 · Cost & value 3.0 — the score is the average of these five, each out of five.
Scored with AI assistance against our published rubric, from what the provider publishes; the editor is responsible for the rubric and for every published score. What our scores can and cannot tell you.
Provider facts for this entry were last checked on 2026-11-04.
This review covers what the Microsoft Cybersecurity Analyst Certificate teaches in each of its nine courses, what it costs and asks of you, how it compares with the other beginner security programmes we review, and who should take something else.
What is the Microsoft Cybersecurity Analyst Certificate?
It is a Coursera Professional Certificate made by Microsoft, which is listed as its instructor. Coursera's page says no prior experience is required, and its FAQ says you need no background knowledge. It ends in a shareable certificate from Microsoft.
What sets it apart is its vendor. Most of the programme is taught through Microsoft's own security products: Azure, Azure Active Directory (Azure AD) for identity and access, Microsoft Defender, and Microsoft's compliance tools. It closes with a course of preparation and practice for Microsoft's SC-900 exam; the page says passing SC-900 earns the Microsoft Security, Compliance, and Identity Fundamentals certification, which is booked separately with Microsoft.
On 4 November 2026 the page showed 147,690 learners already enrolled and an average of 4.7 stars from 3,073 reviews, an average across its courses rather than a rating of the certificate as a whole. The page shows no date for its latest update.
What do the nine courses cover?
The nine courses in the programme, in the order Microsoft and Coursera list them:
- Introduction to Computers and Operating Systems and Security
- Introduction to Networking and Cloud Computing
- Cybersecurity Threat Vectors and Mitigation
- Cybersecurity Identity and Access Solutions using Azure AD
- Cybersecurity Solutions and Microsoft Defender
- Cybersecurity Tools and Technologies
- Cybersecurity Management and Compliance
- Advanced Cybersecurity Concepts and Capstone Project
- Microsoft SC-900 Exam Preparation and Practice
The page recommends taking the courses in order, because the final course contains a practice exam on everything before it.
- Foundations (courses 1 and 2). The parts of a computer and how they work with an operating system, the security landscape, then setting up cloud computing environments, virtual machines, network infrastructure and monitoring.
- Threats and identity (courses 3 and 4). Types of attack and vulnerability, encryption algorithms and their trade-offs, risk assessment and defence models; then authentication, two-step verification, single sign-on and Azure AD.
- Microsoft's security tools (courses 5 and 6). Cloud security policies, Microsoft Defender for Cloud, SIEM and security orchestration (SOAR); then security testing in a cloud environment, including running a penetration test and writing a test plan.
- Compliance and the capstone (courses 7 and 8). Records management, information security standards and policies, cloud adoption and regulatory compliance frameworks; then managing risk and a final capstone in which you write your own security proposal for a business network.
- SC-900 (course 9). Microsoft SC-900 Exam Preparation and Practice covers security, compliance and identity concepts and Microsoft's solutions, with a mock exam set up in a similar style to SC-900. It has the longest course card in the programme.
Courses 1 and 9 each carry an optional introduction to generative AI, which the page marks as new; that is the extent of the AI content. The page says each course includes a project that simulates a real-world scenario. What it does not say is whether any course asks you to write code: the skill tags include Windows PowerShell and the command line, but there is no programming course.
How long does it take, and what does it cost?
Time. The Microsoft Cybersecurity Analyst Certificate runs to 190 hours by Coursera's course cards, across nine courses, the longest of the three beginner security programmes compared here. Coursera's headline gives a pace instead, six months at 10 hours a week.
Cost. The page states no price of its own. Coursera shows the price for your country when you enrol, and the programme is included in Coursera Plus. Coursera's FAQ says the Microsoft certification and its fee are not included in the programme's cost.
If the fee is the barrier. Coursera's financial aid is a discount, not a free pass: you apply course by course from each course's page, Coursera says a decision can take up to 16 days, and starting a free trial cancels a pending application, so choose one route. Our Coursera financial aid guide walks through it.
Credential. What you earn is Microsoft's Professional Certificate on Coursera. SC-900 is a separate exam that you register for through Microsoft Learn and pay for with Microsoft; passing it earns the Microsoft Security, Compliance, and Identity Fundamentals certification. The page also says the programme is ACE approved and FIBAA recommended, for up to 9 degree credits and up to 7 ECTS credits; whether a college accepts them is up to that college.
Check the price & enrol on Coursera →Where this price comes from
We list the cost as Coursera Plus subscription (priced per country). Source: Coursera programme page, read 2026-11-04: no price is stated on the page; it reads "Included with Coursera Plus", and the price is set by country at enrolment. Where we give a figure, the source says when we read it on the provider's page. We re-read prices by hand and publish no figure we cannot source — where a provider prices regionally, we say so rather than quote a number that is wrong for most readers.
Pros and cons
✓ What we liked
- Teaches Microsoft’s own security tools: Azure AD, Microsoft Defender and compliance tooling
- A project in each course and a final capstone proposal for a business network
- Ends in SC-900 preparation with a mock exam in the exam’s style
- No prior experience required, and included in Coursera Plus
✕ What to keep in mind
- The longest of the three security routes compared here: 190 hours by Coursera’s course cards
- Tied to Microsoft’s stack; less useful where employers use other tools
- The page states no price of its own and no update date
- SC-900 is a fundamentals exam, booked and paid for separately with Microsoft
Who should take it, and who should skip it?
Take it if the organisations you want to work for run on Microsoft and Azure; if you want to learn identity and access management in Azure AD and Microsoft Defender rather than in general terms; or if you plan to sit SC-900 and want structured preparation for it.
Skip it if your target employers don't use Microsoft's security tools, or you already hold a security certification. Skip it, too, if you want vendor-neutral grounding or a Python course: the Google Cybersecurity Certificate teaches both in fewer hours.
How it compares with other beginner security programmes
Google Cybersecurity. The Google Cybersecurity Professional Certificate, which we rate 4.0 out of 5, runs to 132 hours by Coursera's course cards. It is vendor-neutral, teaches Linux, SQL and Python, and practises in SIEM and intrusion detection tools; the page ties it to preparation for CompTIA's Security+ rather than a Microsoft exam. Microsoft's goes deeper into one vendor's identity and cloud security tools.
IBM Cybersecurity Analyst. The IBM Cybersecurity Analyst Professional Certificate, which we rate 3.7 out of 5, runs to 175 hours by Coursera's course cards across fourteen courses. It is broader, with forensics, compliance, case studies and a dedicated generative AI course, and points at CompTIA's exams. Pick Microsoft's if the job in front of you is in a Microsoft shop; pick IBM's for breadth.
Does the certificate get you a job?
On its own, rarely. The certificate shows an employer that you know Microsoft's security tools, which matters in organisations that run on them, but entry-level security hiring turns on what you can show. SC-900 is a fundamentals exam; it adds a Microsoft credential, but it is not the certification every security advert asks for.
Use the capstone, then add one project of your own: a write-up of how you would set up conditional access and multi-factor authentication for a small organisation, or a test environment you built and secured, with notes on what you would monitor. Our guide to AI certifications for cybersecurity covers what to add once you are in the field.
Is the Microsoft Cybersecurity Analyst Certificate worth it?
If the job you want is in a Microsoft shop, this is a sound way in. We rate it 3.6 out of 5. It gives a beginner a project in every course, a capstone proposal for a business network and hands-on time in Azure Active Directory and Microsoft Defender, and it finishes with SC-900 practice. It loses marks because Coursera's page gives neither a price of its own nor a date for its latest update, and because SC-900 still has to be registered for and paid for with Microsoft.
If you are not sure which tools your future employer uses, start with the vendor-neutral Google Cybersecurity Certificate, the higher-scored of the two. If you want breadth, the IBM Cybersecurity Analyst programme covers more of the field.
Ready to start?
Sold on Coursera at the price for your country, on its own or as part of Coursera Plus, whose pricing page compares the plans.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Microsoft Cybersecurity Analyst Certificate worth it?
Yes, if you are a beginner aiming at a security role in an organisation that runs on Microsoft. We rate it 3.6 out of 5: it teaches Azure AD, Microsoft Defender and Microsoft's compliance tools, with a project in each course, a capstone and SC-900 preparation.
It is less worth it if your target employers use other vendors' tools, or if you already hold a security certification. For a vendor-neutral start, Google's Cybersecurity Certificate is the alternative.
Whatever you choose, pair the certificate with one project of your own; it does more for an application than a second certificate.
How long does the Microsoft Cybersecurity Analyst Certificate take?
It runs to 190 hours by Coursera's course cards, across nine courses. Coursera's headline gives a pace rather than a length, six months at 10 hours a week.
The longest course is the last, SC-900 preparation and practice. Someone who already knows networking or Azure will move through the early courses faster than their cards suggest.
The page recommends taking the courses in order, because the final course contains a practice exam on everything before it, so leave the SC-900 course until the rest is done.
How much does the Microsoft Cybersecurity Analyst Certificate cost?
The page states no price of its own. Coursera shows the price for your country when you enrol, and the programme is included in Coursera Plus. Any free trial Coursera shows you at enrolment is time to look around the courses, not a free certificate.
The SC-900 exam is not included: Coursera's FAQ says the certification and its fee are not part of the programme's cost, and you register through Microsoft separately.
If the fee is the barrier, Coursera's financial aid is a discount you apply for one course at a time; our Coursera financial aid guide sets out the steps.
Does the Microsoft Cybersecurity Analyst Certificate prepare you for SC-900?
Yes, by its own description: the last course is Microsoft SC-900 Exam Preparation and Practice, with a mock exam set up in a similar style to the exam. The page says passing SC-900 earns the Microsoft Security, Compliance, and Identity Fundamentals certification.
The exam is separate: you register for it through Microsoft Learn and pay for it with Microsoft. SC-900 is a fundamentals exam, so treat it as a first Microsoft credential rather than the end of the road.
Is the Microsoft Cybersecurity Analyst Certificate enough to get a job?
Rarely on its own. Coursera's page says the programme has been mapped to key job skills required in cybersecurity analyst roles, but it names no employer network or hiring route for completers. What it gives you is evidence that you know Microsoft's security tools, which counts most with employers that run on them.
Add SC-900 if a Microsoft credential matters for the roles you want, and one project of your own: a test environment in Azure that you secured and documented, with notes on what you would monitor and why. That shows an employer what you can do, not only what you studied.
Do you need coding for the Microsoft Cybersecurity Analyst Certificate?
Coursera's page does not say, and none of the nine courses is a programming course. Its FAQ says you don't need any background knowledge to take the programme.
The page's skill tags do include Windows PowerShell and the command-line interface, so expect some work at a command line, though the page does not say how much. If you want programming taught as a subject, the Google Cybersecurity Certificate has a Python course of its own.