Microsoft Cloud Red Team Expert (MCRTE) at a glance
- Format: Hands-on, assessed in a live enterprise-scale Microsoft environment
- Focus: full attack chains across Entra ID, M365, Azure, and hybrid Active Directory
- Level: Expert
- Prerequisites: MCRTP-level hands-on Microsoft cloud attack skills
- Delivered via: the Microsoft Cloud Attack and Defense bootcamp, Expert Edition
Microsoft Cloud Red Team Expert (MCRTE) is earned through the Microsoft Cloud Attack and Defense bootcamp, Expert Edition, an instructor-led Pwned Labs program that goes deep on modern attack chains and the detections that catch them, then certifies you hands-on.
Real enterprise intrusions rarely stop at a single tenant or a single cloud. Attackers chain identity, hybrid Active Directory, and multiple workloads into one long campaign. An expert-level cloud red team certification should reflect that scale. The Microsoft Cloud Red Team Expert (MCRTE) is built for practitioners who have the fundamentals and now need to prove they can run a full enterprise attack chain, hands-on, in a live environment.
What the MCRTE certification proves
MCRTE is the expert-level Microsoft cloud red team certification. It builds on the professional-level Microsoft Cloud Red Team Professional (MCRTP). You are assessed inside a live, production-like Microsoft environment with realistic misconfigurations and telemetry, and you have to execute a complete attack chain across Entra ID, Microsoft 365, Azure, and hybrid Active Directory. Passing signals that you can operate at the level a real red team engagement demands, not just complete isolated exercises.
Who this certification is for
MCRTE is for experienced red teamers, senior penetration testers, and cloud security engineers who already understand Microsoft cloud attack tradecraft and want to prove enterprise-scale capability. It is the natural next step after MCRTP. If you have not yet worked hands-on with Entra ID abuse and Microsoft 365 lateral movement, start with MCRTP and the Microsoft Cloud Attack and Defense bootcamp before attempting the expert path.
What the expert path covers
MCRTE emphasizes chaining and scale rather than single techniques. Core areas include:
- Full attack chains that begin at initial access and end at enterprise-wide impact across multiple workloads.
- Advanced Entra ID abuse, application and consent attacks, and conditional access bypass in complex tenants.
- Hybrid identity attacks that bridge on-premises Active Directory and Entra ID in both directions.
- Lateral movement and persistence across Azure subscriptions and Microsoft 365 at organizational scale.
- Operating against layered detection, including Microsoft Entra logs, unified audit logging, and Microsoft Defender, while managing your footprint.
The expert assessment rewards operators who understand not just how a technique works but how to sequence many techniques into a coherent campaign while staying aware of what defenders can see.
MCRTE compared to MCRTP and other certifications
MCRTP proves you can compromise a Microsoft cloud environment. MCRTE proves you can do it at enterprise scale, across a longer and more complex chain, against stronger defenses. Neither resembles the AZ-500, which is a defensive knowledge exam about implementing Azure security controls rather than attacking them. Other offensive exams validate penetration testing fundamentals but do not test the enterprise Microsoft cloud identity attacks MCRTE focuses on. For senior practitioners who need to demonstrate top-tier cloud red team capability, MCRTE is the credential that maps to real engagement difficulty.
How the MCRTE exam works
The certification is assessed in a live, enterprise-scale Microsoft environment, not a simulation. You are given objectives and a time window and must accomplish them through a complete attack chain using real tradecraft against real services with real logging in place. There is no quiz and nothing to memorize. The expert credential is difficult to earn precisely because it mirrors the demands of a genuine enterprise red team operation.
Related labs and the path to expert
If you are building toward MCRTE, continue practicing against live Microsoft cloud scenarios and validate your skills in production-like ranges before the assessment. Browse the full lab catalog at pwnedlabs.io/explore.
Gain career-ready skills
Employers hire for what you can do, not what you can recall. Every objective in this certification maps to a skill you will use on real engagements. By the time you certify, you can:
- Chain initial access through to enterprise-wide impact across multiple workloads
- Execute advanced Entra ID, application, and consent attacks in complex tenants
- Run bidirectional hybrid attacks between on-premises Active Directory and Entra ID
- Establish persistence and move laterally across Azure and Microsoft 365 at scale
- Operate against layered detection while managing your footprint
- Sequence many techniques into a coherent, engagement-grade campaign
These are the capabilities behind senior red teamer, lead cloud penetration tester, and red team operator roles. You can build the foundations first with free hands-on labs at pwnedlabs.io/explore and the MCRTP, then go deep and certify through the Microsoft Cloud Attack and Defense bootcamp, Expert Edition.
Pricing and enrollment
Enrollment includes the full self-paced curriculum, lab access, and certification exam attempts. Current pricing and bundle options are shown below, and full details are on the Microsoft Cloud Attack and Defense bootcamp, Expert Edition page.
Need employer sponsorship? Download the employer funding request letter.
Frequently asked questions
Is MCRTE a hands-on certification?
Yes. MCRTE is assessed in a live, enterprise-scale Microsoft environment with realistic misconfigurations and telemetry. There is no multiple choice component.
What is the difference between MCRTE and MCRTP?
MCRTP is the professional-level certification proving you can compromise a Microsoft cloud environment. MCRTE is the expert-level certification proving you can execute a full enterprise-scale attack chain against stronger defenses.
Should I take MCRTP before MCRTE?
Yes. MCRTP builds the hands-on Entra ID and Microsoft 365 attack skills that MCRTE assumes you already have. Start there if you are new to Microsoft cloud red teaming.
Does MCRTE cover hybrid Active Directory?
Yes. Hybrid identity attacks that bridge on-premises Active Directory and Entra ID are a core part of the expert assessment.
Who should pursue MCRTE?
Experienced red teamers, senior penetration testers, and cloud security engineers who need to prove enterprise-scale Microsoft cloud red team capability.