1/13/2003 -- Microsoft expects to release its latest exam, 70-214: Implementing and Administering Security in a Windows 2000 Environment, this Wednesday, Jan. 15. The exam, an elective for the MCSA and MCSE on Windows 2000 tracks, is aimed at systems administrators who are intimately familiar with the processes for securing networks using Windows 2000 and Active Directory and Windows NT 4.0/2000/XP clients. The exam can be taken at any VUE or Prometric testing center worldwide; registration for this exam is currently open.

Microsoft Press currently offers one self-study title for this exam, which was released earlier this week: MCSA/MCSE Self-Paced Training Kit: Implementing and Administering Security in a Windows 2000 Network, Exam 70-214, by Matthew Strebe (ISBN 0-7356-1878-X). According to the description of this book, "Exam 70-214 is a new exam and a core requirement for the new security specialization for MCSA/MCSE certification." Microsoft has indicated that it may offer some specialist credentials, especially for security; see "Microsoft Considering Desktop, Security Certs," by Becky Nagel, in the News archive. As of this posting, Microsoft hasn't responded to inquiries regarding the certification specialization. [UPDATE 1/16/02, 4 p.m.: According to Microsoft's certification group, which responded to our inquiry after this writing, the "core requirement for the new security specialization..." is a typographical error. The description, expected to be corrected soon on the Microsoft Press Web site, hasn't been removed as of this posting.—Editor.] -M.D, MCPMag.com