Implement Security & Validate Code for Compliance — MOC
MS Learn path: Implement security and validate code bases for compliance · Shift-left security: find issues before they ship.
Map / Canvas
The core idea
Security is embedded throughout the pipeline (DevSecOps / shift-left), not bolted on at release. Code is validated for compliance with automated analysis layered by what it inspects:
- Your code → SAST (source, no execution).
- The running app → DAST (black-box, runtime).
- Components/licenses → SCA + dependency/vuln scanning.
- Credentials → secret scanning.
- Artifacts → code signing for authenticity & integrity.
All findings are enforced by a compliance gate that blocks shipping on violations — making compliance continuous and demonstrated, not audited at the end.
Modules in this path
- Shift-left security (DevSecOps)
- Static & dynamic analysis (SAST & DAST)
- Dependency scanning (SCA & supply chain)
- Compliance & secret management
Concepts (linked from here)
DevSecOps · SAST · DAST · Dependency vuln scanning · dependabot-alerts · github-advanced-security · SCA · Code signing · Compliance gate · Secret scanning · devops-platform-authentication · secretless-pipeline-authentication
Skills measured (exam blueprint)
- Implement security and validate code bases for compliance (DevSecOps, SAST/DAST, dependency & secret scanning, code signing, quality gates).
- Integrate defense against code-vulnerability classes and supply-chain risks into pipelines.
- Design GitHub/Azure DevOps identities, service connections, and secretless automation with least privilege.
Practice
Use the questions to distinguish SAST, DAST, dependency scanning, gate behavior, and secret remediation (revoke/rotate). Add current-tool scenarios as the coverage audit identifies them.
Practice questions
- az400-q-sec-001 — SAST vs DAST (shift-left static analysis)
- az400-q-sec-002 — remediating a leaked secret (revoke/rotate, purge history)
- Q: triage a dependency alert
- Q: respond to an exposed credential
- Q: select runtime security testing
- Q: gate container vulnerabilities
- Q: GitHub App integration identity
- Q: signing certificate in CI
- Q: dependency licensing gate
Cross-module lab
Conceptual checkpoint
Explain the sequence in this path using one workload scenario: identify the boundary being changed, the identity or tool acting on it, the expected evidence, and the failure that would change your decision.
Sources and re-audit
- AZ-400 course overview, checked 2026-08-31.
- AZ-400 study guide, checked 2026-08-31.
Re-audit when the AZ-400 course path, study-guide effective date, or the services and permissions taught here change.