I’ve been working in Azure security long enough to see the same pattern repeat: companies rush to the cloud, attackers follow, and suddenly everyone wants people who actually know how to lock Azure down properly. That’s exactly why the AZ-500 still matters in 2026.

I passed AZ-500 in 2023, renewed it in 2026, and I’ve mentored dozens of candidates since. Some passed comfortably. Some failed once, adjusted, and crushed it. The difference was never “how smart” they were. It was how they prepared.

Let’s break this down the way I’d explain it to a junior engineer on my team.

Cloud Security Is Booming – Why AZ-500 Still Pays Off Big in 2026

The real threat landscape in Azure today

Azure isn’t getting attacked “sometimes.” It’s under constant pressure. Microsoft’s own security reports show a steady rise in identity-based attacks, misconfigured storage exposure, and lateral movement inside cloud networks. AI-assisted phishing and credential stuffing have only made it worse.

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