Design security solutions for applications and data from Coursera

You’ll explore secure cloud application development practices, enforce strong identity controls with Microsoft Entra ID, and leverage Microsoft Defender for Cloud to safeguard workloads. The course also covers encryption at rest and in transit, key management with Azure Key Vault, data residency considerations, and governance strategies using Data Lifecycle Management (DLM).

The course delivers 6–7 hours of targeted video lectures that combine theoretical insights with hands-on demonstrations, demos, and real-world security design scenarios. Organized into two core modules, each includes quizzes and in-video assessments to validate understanding.

Enroll in “Design Security Solutions for Applications and Data” to gain the skills required to design secure, compliant, and resilient application and data protection strategies in Microsoft’s cloud ecosystem.

Who Should Take This Course?

Application Security Engineers & Cloud Developers

Data Protection and Compliance Specialists

Microsoft 365 and Azure Security Administrators

Security Architects preparing for the SC-100 exam

Course Modules:

Microsoft Defender for Cloud to Protect Cloud Applications

Microsoft Cloud Data Protection and Governance

By the end of this specialization, you will:

Master secure application design aligned with Microsoft’s security frameworks

Implement encryption, classification, and governance for sensitive data

Integrate identity-first strategies into application and data security design

Be fully prepared to take and pass the SC-100 certification exam

What's inside

Syllabus

Microsoft Defender for Cloud to Protect Cloud Applications

Welcome to Week 1 of the course! In this module, you’ll explore how to design and protect modern cloud-native applications using Microsoft Defender for Cloud and Entra ID. You’ll start by examining security considerations in cloud application development, followed by secure coding practices and vulnerability management. Then, you’ll learn how identity and access management plays a central role in securing apps with Microsoft Entra ID. Through practical demos, you’ll see how Defender for Cloud enhances application-level security and how data classification and sensitivity labels help manage information access. By the end of this week, you’ll be equipped with essential skills to build secure applications, apply access controls, and classify sensitive data to reduce risk and ensure compliance.

Career center

Learners who complete Design security solutions for applications and data will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

Security Architect

A Security Architect is responsible for designing robust security frameworks and solutions, ensuring an organization's digital assets are protected against evolving threats. This course, "Design Security Solutions for Applications and Data," is intrinsically aligned with the responsibilities of a Security Architect as it focuses on developing expertise to design, implement, and manage secure application and data protection strategies in Microsoft’s cloud ecosystem. Learners will gain proficiency in mastering secure application design aligned with Microsoft’s security frameworks, leveraging Microsoft Defender for Cloud and Entra ID, and implementing encryption and governance for sensitive data. This comprehensive training helps build the foundation required to craft resilient, compliant, and cutting-edge security architectures. Taking this course helps an aspiring Security Architect develop the critical design mindset and technical knowledge essential for creating secure cloud environments.

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Identity & Access Management Engineer

An Identity Access Management Engineer specializes in designing, implementing, and maintaining systems that control who can access what within an organization's digital landscape. This role is a core focus of the "Design Security Solutions for Applications and Data" course, which places strong emphasis on enforcing robust identity controls with Microsoft Entra ID. The course will equip learners to master secure identity foundations, explore core identity concepts like users, roles, and access models (RBAC and ABAC), and implement authentication strategies such as MFA and Conditional Access. Furthermore, it delves into identity governance, including provisioning, deprovisioning, and access reviews, which are all critical tasks for an Identity Access Management Engineer. This course helps learners build the practical skills to protect an organization's digital assets through robust identity and access policies.

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Data Protection Specialist

As a Data Protection Specialist, you focus on safeguarding sensitive information throughout its lifecycle, ensuring privacy, integrity, and availability. The course, "Design Security Solutions for Applications and Data," is directly relevant, explicitly mentioning "Data Protection and Compliance Specialists" among its target audience. It provides in-depth knowledge on implementing encryption at rest and in transit, key management with Azure Key Vault, and developing strong data residency considerations. Learners will also explore data classification, sensitivity labels, and governance strategies using Data Lifecycle Management (DLM). This course helps aspiring Data Protection Specialists develop the technical skills to implement classification, encryption, and governance for sensitive data, ensuring organizational data remains secure and compliant within Microsoft's cloud ecosystem.

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Microsoft Azure Security Administrator

A Microsoft Azure Security Administrator is responsible for implementing, managing, and monitoring security controls, privacy, and compliance within the Microsoft Azure environment. The "Design Security Solutions for Applications and Data" course is specifically tailored for this role, as "Microsoft 365 and Azure Security Administrators" are among its key audience. The course delivers practical expertise in protecting modern cloud-native applications using Microsoft Defender for Cloud and Entra ID. Learners will gain skills in applying access controls and classifying sensitive data to reduce risk and ensure compliance, building robust identity and access policies, and understanding security considerations in cloud application development. This course helps Azure Security Administrators to effectively manage and enhance the security posture of Microsoft cloud resources.

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Cloud Security Engineer

A Cloud Security Engineer focuses on designing, building, and maintaining secure cloud environments and infrastructure. The "Design Security Solutions for Applications and Data" course is highly pertinent for this role, as it is expressly designed to equip individuals with the expertise to design, implement, and manage secure application and data protection strategies in Microsoft’s cloud ecosystem. This includes exploring secure cloud application development practices, enforcing strong identity controls with Microsoft Entra ID, and leveraging Microsoft Defender for Cloud to safeguard workloads. Learners will also understand encryption, key management, and data lifecycle governance within Azure. This course helps learners build the necessary skills to engineer secure, compliant, and resilient cloud solutions crucial for a Cloud Security Engineer.

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Application Security Engineer

An Application Security Engineer is dedicated to integrating security into the software development lifecycle, ensuring applications are resilient against cyber threats. This course, "Design Security Solutions for Applications and Data," is explicitly designed for "Application Security Engineers." It focuses on secure cloud application development practices, secure coding practices, and vulnerability management. Learners will explore application-level security with Microsoft Defender for Cloud and learn how identity and access management with Microsoft Entra ID plays a central role in securing apps. This course helps the Application Security Engineer to master secure application design aligned with Microsoft’s security frameworks, enabling them to build and protect modern cloud-native applications effectively and reduce risk.

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Cybersecurity Consultant

A Cybersecurity Consultant advises organizations on security strategy, risk management, and the implementation of security solutions. The "Design Security Solutions for Applications and Data" course can be highly beneficial for a Cybersecurity Consultant, offering specialized knowledge in designing, implementing, and managing secure application and data protection strategies within the Microsoft cloud ecosystem. Learners will explore secure cloud application development practices, enforce strong identity controls with Microsoft Entra ID, and leverage Microsoft Defender for Cloud. The course also covers encryption, key management, data residency, and governance strategies. This focused expertise can help a Cybersecurity Consultant to provide expert guidance and deliver practical, effective security solutions tailored to modern cloud environments for their clients.

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Cloud Compliance Analyst

A Cloud Compliance Analyst ensures that cloud environments and data processing activities adhere to relevant regulations, industry standards, and internal policies. The "Design Security Solutions for Applications and Data" course is highly relevant for this role, as it delves deeply into crucial compliance aspects. Learners will explore data residency considerations, governance strategies using Data Lifecycle Management (DLM), and data classification with sensitivity labels. The course also emphasizes secure access controls and identity-first strategies with Microsoft Entra ID to manage information access and ensure auditable user access. These specific areas help a Cloud Compliance Analyst to understand how to implement and verify the technical controls necessary for maintaining a compliant and secure cloud footprint within the Microsoft ecosystem.

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Cloud Solutions Architect

A Cloud Solutions Architect designs and oversees the implementation of an organization's cloud computing strategy, encompassing infrastructure, platforms, and applications. While the role is broad, expertise in security architecture is paramount. The "Design Security Solutions for Applications and Data" course directly supports the security aspects of this role, equipping learners with the expertise to design secure application and data protection strategies in Microsoft's cloud ecosystem. It covers secure cloud application development, strong identity controls with Microsoft Entra ID, and leveraging Microsoft Defender for Cloud to safeguard workloads. This course can help a Cloud Solutions Architect integrate robust security by design into their cloud solutions, ensuring resilience and compliance from the outset, which is a critical differentiator for successful cloud deployments.

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DevSecOps Engineer

A DevSecOps Engineer integrates security practices into every phase of the software development and operations lifecycle. The "Design Security Solutions for Applications and Data" course is particularly helpful for this role, as it focuses on secure cloud application development practices and vulnerability management. Learners will explore security considerations in cloud application development and understand how identity and access management with Microsoft Entra ID contributes to securing applications. The course helps DevSecOps Engineers build essential skills to integrate security controls early, apply access controls, and understand data classification to reduce risk in cloud-native applications. This enables the DevSecOps Engineer to automate security and ensure applications are built securely from inception through deployment and operation.

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Vulnerability Management Specialist

A Vulnerability Management Specialist identifies, assesses, and prioritizes security weaknesses in systems and applications, then oversees their remediation. The "Design Security Solutions for Applications and Data" course is highly relevant for this specialist. It directly addresses "vulnerability management" and "secure coding practices" as crucial security considerations in cloud application development. Learners will explore how to protect modern cloud-native applications using Microsoft Defender for Cloud, which includes capabilities for identifying and managing threats. The course helps a Vulnerability Management Specialist to understand the attack surface of cloud applications and data within the Microsoft ecosystem, enabling them to effectively identify, classify, and mitigate vulnerabilities to enhance the overall security posture.

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Data Privacy Officer

As a Data Privacy Officer, you are responsible for ensuring an organization's adherence to data protection laws and regulations, and for managing privacy risks. The "Design Security Solutions for Applications and Data" course can be highly beneficial for a Data Privacy Officer, offering technical insights into how data is protected and governed in cloud environments. It covers encryption, data residency considerations, data classification, sensitivity labels, and governance strategies using Data Lifecycle Management (DLM). While this role often has a legal and policy focus, grasping these technical implementations is crucial for ensuring compliance. This course helps provide context for a Data Privacy Officer to communicate with technical teams and ensure robust privacy controls are in place. This role typically requires an advanced degree or specific legal certifications.

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Information Security Officer

An Information Security Officer holds a strategic leadership role, overseeing an organization's entire information security program, including policy development, risk assessment, and incident response. The "Design Security Solutions for Applications and Data" course provides foundational knowledge that supports the strategic decisions made by an Information Security Officer. It covers designing secure application and data protection strategies in Microsoft’s cloud ecosystem, secure cloud application development, identity controls with Microsoft Entra ID, and data governance. This comprehensive understanding helps an Information Security Officer to guide security strategy, assess the effectiveness of controls, and ensure compliance for cloud-based applications and data. This role typically requires an advanced degree and significant professional experience.

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Enterprise Architect Security Focus

An Enterprise Architect with a security focus designs an organization's overall technology blueprint, integrating security principles throughout the enterprise architecture. The "Design Security Solutions for Applications and Data" course can be very helpful for this strategic role. It equips learners with expertise in designing secure application and data protection strategies for the Microsoft cloud ecosystem. This includes mastering secure application design, implementing encryption and governance for sensitive data, and integrating identity-first strategies. This course helps an Enterprise Architect Security Focus to ensure that security is embedded by design in all cloud-native and hybrid environments, allowing them to create a coherent, secure, and resilient enterprise-wide architecture that leverages specific Microsoft security frameworks and tools. This role often requires an advanced degree.

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Security Operations Center Analyst

A Security Operations Center Analyst monitors security systems, detects threats, and responds to incidents. The "Design Security Solutions for Applications and Data" course can be helpful for a Security Operations Center Analyst, providing a deeper understanding of how cloud applications and data are intended to be secured. Knowledge gained from the course includes secure cloud application development, the use of Microsoft Defender for Cloud to protect workloads, and the role of Microsoft Entra ID in identity and access management. Understanding these design principles and control implementations helps an analyst to better interpret security alerts, identify anomalous behavior, and effectively investigate incidents related to cloud security, applications, and data within the Microsoft ecosystem.

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