› Certifications · compare

Compare certifications

Pick up to 3 certifications and compare them side-by-side on cost, exam format, recertification, salary signal, quality, and domain coverage.

GIAC · professional
GDSA
GIAC Defensible Security Architecture

GIAC Defensible Security Architecture

Official page
Microsoft · professional
SC-100
Microsoft Cybersecurity Architect

The Microsoft Certified: Cybersecurity Architect Expert (SC-100) is Microsoft's highest security certification and targets experienced professionals who design security architectures for hybrid and cloud-native environments based on the Microsoft platform. It requires at least one associate-level security certification (e.g., AZ-500, SC-200, or SC-300) and builds on that knowledge. The certification addresses zero-trust architectures, compliance requirements, identity governance, and infrastructure protection from a strategic perspective. For organizations heavily invested in Microsoft 365 and Azure, SC-100 is valuable proof of expertise; outside the Microsoft ecosystem, its relevance is more limited. The exam will be updated in April 2026.

Official page

Cost

Exam fee
GDSA$979
SC-100$165
Annual maintenance fee
GDSA
SC-100
3-year cost of ownership
GDSA$979
SC-100$165

Exam mechanics

Pass mark
GDSA73% (scaled per attempt)
SC-100700/1000 (scaled)
Retake policy
GDSA$999 fee · 30d wait
SC-100$165 fee · 1d wait
Study time
GDSA100–200 hrs
SC-100100–200 hrs
Validity
GDSA4 yrs
SC-1001 yr
CPE / yr
GDSA9 CPEs
SC-100
Delivery
GDSAmixed
SC-100mixed

Salary signal (US base)

Range
GDSA$130K – $195K
SC-100$145K – $210K
Median
GDSA$155,000
SC-100$170,000
Premium %
GDSA
SC-100
Role context
GDSASecurity architect (defensive), US, 5+ years.
SC-100Cybersecurity architect (Microsoft-stack focus), US, 7+ years.

Quality (4-axis rubric · 0–10)

Schema quality
GDSA8.0
SC-1008.5
Practice evidence
GDSA5.0
SC-1005.5
Maintenance
GDSA7.0
SC-1009.0
Market recognition
GDSA5.5
SC-1008.0
Average
GDSA6.4
SC-1007.8

Recognition & lifecycle

Recognition
GDSAGlobal
SC-100Global
ISO 17024 accredited
GDSA
SC-100
DoD 8140 baseline
GDSA
SC-100
Holders worldwide
GDSA
SC-100
Current version
GDSA2024 SEC530 refresh (2024-04)
SC-100SC-100 (current) (2024-09)

Domain coverage

A25Security Architecture & Engineering
GDSA● core
SC-100● core
A3Zero Trust Architecture
GDSA● core
SC-100● core
A5Cloud Security
GDSA·
SC-100● core

Browse the full catalog or open any one of these on its detail page for full study materials, peer comparisons, and lifecycle notes.