Overview
Cybersecurity professionals and aspirants nowadays have plethora of certificates to choose from and pursue their dream jobs and advance their careers. And cloud security skills and expertise are undisputably one of the most sought-after and fastest growing cybersecurity skills in the world. This is mostly because of the unfettered and continuous migration of organizational data and workloads to the cloud.
In this episode, I will share my experience in conquering the Certified Cloud Security Professional (CCSP) exam in my first attempt. The CCSP is the most reputable and prestigious certifications in the cybersecurity industry in general and cloud security realm in particular. I recommend this credential for cybersecurity practitioners and aspirants to showcase their solid knowledge base, skillsets and experience in the field.
Passing the CCSP exam demonstrates that you have advanced technical skillsets and knowledge to design, manage and secure data, applications, and infrastructure in the cloud. Furthermore, CCSP is the de facto standard and one of the best cloud security certifications in the industry. Especially, professionals and candidates who are given the responsibility of securing the clouds should earn this credential. However, keep in mind that passing the exam is just one milestone of the whole process.
My Background
I am Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP), Certified Cloud Security Professional (CCSP) and Certified Information Security Manager (CISM) and seasoned cybersecurity and IT professional. And I have bachelor’s degree in Information Technology and master’s degree in Software Engineering. And I have 17 years of work experience in the ICT sector and cybersecurity is my to top passion. In this experience sharing post, I will walk you through the study materials I used throughout my preparation, the required mindset and the certification process itself. The purpose of this write up is merely informational to advance the profession and carries no other intentional or unintentional meaning whatsoever. And please refer my electronic CCSP badge for your verification. You may verify my other hard earned top credentials CISSP badge and CISM badge as well.
Please refer my previous articles on how I passed both How I Passed CISSP and How I Passed CISM certificates for detailed understanding of cybersecurity certifications, recommendations and professional growth.
Why CCSP Certificate?
Cloud computing has become a pervasive and dominant computing environment to meet business requirements of organizations since the turn of the millennium. However, like any computing paradigm, cloud computing is not free from security concerns and inherent risks. Moreover, cloud customers raise security concerns and risks that mainly emanate from data residency and sovereignty. These and related cloud platforms security concerns are valid and demand due care, due diligence, and thorough risk assessment before organizations decide to move sensitive workloads to the cloud. Furthermore, earning CCSP will showcase your advanced level of expertise in protecting and safeguarding assets in the clouds.
Tips for Cybersecurity Enthusiasts
For those who are interested and want to join cybersecurity afresh or change their career path, Welcome to the club! And I guarantee you will never regret your smart move to join the community. However, cybersecurity is magnificently a broad field and no one should jumpstart and pursue the advanced level cybersecurity certifications in the field. This will be a cause for information overload and burnout and be an impediment in your nascent and fabulous journey.
Hence, I recommend the enthusiasts to start with the entry-level certifications and ascend exponentially to any level of the trajectory. After that, the cyberspace is the limit and you can move above and beyond the clouds ethically and professionally. However, beware, enthusiasts must always be ethical when climbing the career ladder. Otherwise, they will be dragged down from the ladder and end up behind the bars.
The most sought-after and very important cybersecurity certifications that I recommend for the entry-level personnel include, but not limited to:
Once you gain the required experience, skill, knowledge and familiarization with the field, you can aim to earn CISSP, CCSP, CISM, CISA, OSCP, CEH and other advanced cybersecurity certifications.
Overview of the 6 Domains of CCSP
As of this writing, the CCSP is comprised of six major domains. The domains address core security issues and risks of cloud computing and mitigation strategies, security controls and safeguards. Moreover, security practitioners should deeply understand the domains before sitting for the exam and for work related references. And I have discussed the high-level overview of the domains for your quick reference as follows.
Domain 1: Cloud Concepts, Architecture and Design (17%)
This domain discusses the fundamental and foundational concepts of cloud computing such as cloud computing definition, roles, reference architecture, SLAs, and shared responsibility model. The major building blocks of cloud computing such as virtualization, networking, storage, computing (CPU, memory) and orchestration are discussed in detail. Furthermore, the domain mentions and specifies the cloud deployment models (private, public, community, hybrid, and multi-cloud) and service model categories (IaaS, PaaS, and SaaS). Media sanitization, cryptography and key management, network and virtualization security, cloud data lifecycle, and functional security requirements are given due consideration.
The domain discusses the unique characteristics of cloud computing namely, Broad Network Access, On-demand Self-Service, Resource Pooling and Multitenancy, Rapid Elasticity and Scalability, and Measured / Metered Services. The candidates should have solid understanding of these cloud fundamentals to better understand the remaining domains of the certification.
Domain 2: Cloud Data Security (20%)
Data is the heart of any organization and needs protection commensurate to its level of sensitivity and criticality. This holds true whether the data resides on-premises or off-premises such as on the cloud. And the main objective of any information security program is to preserve the confidentiality, integrity, and availability (CIA) of data regardless of its state. Moreover, data exists in three different states namely, data-at-rest, data-in-transit, and data-in-use. Data security in the cloud is not any different from on-premises locations. And security professionals must safeguard this valuable asset of an organization with cost-effective and appropriate security controls.
This domain discusses cloud data lifecycle, data dispersion, data classification, data discovery, data replication and related topics. Besides, the domain covers data protection techniques in the cloud such as tokenization, anonymization, masking, data loss prevention (DLP) and encryption.
Domain 3: Cloud Platform & Infrastructure Security (17%)
When organizations plan to strategically move their workloads to the cloud, they still need to understand their roles and responsibilities depending on the cloud service model they intend adopt. In alignment with this, the domain gives due consideration to the security of the physical and logical infrastructures and architectures of the cloud. Furthermore, the security professionals are required to deeply understand the shared responsibility model pertaining to cloud security. The domain requires you to comprehend the security requirements of virtualization, hypervisor, storage, compute, connectivity, datacenter, and other building blocks of the cloud to meet business objectives.
Domain 3 discusses the importance of risk assessment and possible mitigation strategies specific to cloud platforms and infrastructures. Multivendor pathway connectivity, business continuity and disaster recovery (BC/DR) implementation and testing, access controls, authentication, authorization, auditing, and log collection are some of the topics this domain gives much emphasis on.
Domain 4: Cloud Application Security (17%)
This domain focuses on exploring the design and architecture of cloud applications. Aspirants should keep in mind that the applications and services that we host in the cloud pertain to certain unique characteristics that we don’t get in the traditional software development practices. Furthermore, the security posture and security assessment of organizations should take this into account and address application risks and security concerns in the cloud. The domain therefore emphasizes on cloud applications testing and validation, threat modeling, software acquisitions and supply chain to keep organizational risks at an acceptable level.
Secure software development lifecycle (SSDLC) phases and API security are some of the major topics this domain discusses in detail. Moreover, the domain addresses supplemental security controls mainly multifactor authentication (MFA), cryptography, firewalls, API gateways, XML firewalls, sandboxing and Cloud Access Security Broker (CASB). Besides, cloud specific risks, threat modeling, secure coding, cloud software assurance and validation, and security testing are some of the top topics the domain covers in detail.
Domain 5: Cloud Security Operations (16%)
The Cloud Security Operations domain deals with security issues related to implementing, building, operating, maintaining, and managing the physical and logical infrastructure components required to run a cloud platform. Domain 5 further discusses hardware specific security solutions such as Trusted Platform Module (TPM) and Hardware Security Module (HSM) pertaining to cloud. Moreover, the domain covers common network security controls such as firewalls, intrusion detection systems / intrusion prevention systems (IDS/IPS), honeypots and honeynets. Besides, the domain briefly touches the phases of software development which are rehttps://merebatigray.com/questions/question/intrusion-detection-and-prevention-systems/quirements, design, development, testing, deployment, operation and maintenance. It also discusses common software development methodologies such as waterfall and agile.
Secure Network Configuration, VLAN, TLS, DHCP, DNS, DNSSEC, VPN, Software-Defined Perimeter (SDP), and patch management are some of the concepts of this domain. Furthermore, the domain discusses operational controls such as change, incident management, continuity management, configuration management, capacity management, deployment management and service level management. And it also touches on international standards such as ITIL and ISO/IEC 20000-1
Domain 6: Legal, Risk and Compliance (13%)
Practicing cybersecurity professionals should heed legal, regulatory and compliance issues and be ethical throughout their career. The domain explains administrative law, common law, case law, regulations, and jurisdictional issues when it comes to cloud environments. The domain describes sensitive information types, mainly, personally identifiable information (PII), protected health information (PHI) and cardholder information. Privacy issues, chain of custody, e-discovery, audit processes, enterprise risk management (ERM), business requirements, vendor management, contract management and supply chain management aspects within the cloud environment are some of the topics discussed in the domain.
My Study Materials
The Official (ISC)2 CCSP CBK Reference
As a matter of fact, official resources should be the main source of reliable information for candidates when it comes to preparing and achieving certification goals. Moreover, the book will make you understand the breadth and depth of the exam. After at least consuming the official resources once, candidates can add and have reading list of their own depending on their learning styles. Nonetheless, I recommend each candidate to read this book at least once before sitting for the exam to put the record straight.
This valuable resource will enable you to understand the basic concepts, architectures and design patterns of the cloud unlike any other resource, especially if you want to write the CCSP exam. Moreover, the book covers data security, platform and infrastructure security, application security, security operations, risks, compliance and regulatory requirements in the cloud. Even if you are an expert in securing the clouds, I recommend you read this masterpiece to perfectly align yourself with the nature of the exam and pass. Furthermore, reading this book will enable you to disciple yourself, and set the thinking tone to pass the exam.
(ISC)2 CCSP Official Study Guide
This official resource is a good companion to the CBK to further solidify your understanding of the six domains covered in the CCSP exam. Unless you are expert in cloud security and have mastered all the concepts in the CBK, you should read this book at least once before you sit for the exam.
The book is well written in an easy-to-understand manner than the official CBK. Hence, reading this resource will enrich your understanding and put you in a rock-solid position to tackle the exam.
I recommend each candidate to read the book to expand their probability of passing the exam. As a rule of thumb, the more resources a candidate consumes the better. Furthermore, candidates with experience of passing other exams such as CISSP and CISM happen to fail due to overconfidence and lack of preparation. From my experience, the questions of the CCSP exam were very tough to round off and you cannot answer them with an existing mindset from other exams. The style of the exam items was unique and absolutely demands CCSP mindset to approach each. You develop the mindset by reading enough CCSP resources before the exam and this book is one of the valuable resources.
(ISC)2 CCSP Official Practice Tests
When it comes to passing tough exams such as CCSP, CISSP and CISM, practicing with questions makes huge difference. Therefore, candidates should sharpen their skills and tactics by taking as many practice tests as possible. This will enable you to understand the nature of the questions in the real exam. To put things into perspective, mind that the exam is never similar to any resource you may find out there. However, the questions in the book are the closet as these are endorsed by the creator of CCSP.
I recommend candidates to start practicing with the questions inscribed in this publication only once. And never read it again and move on to other practice questions from other publications.
CCSP – Cloud for Dummies
This (ISC)2 approved publication is one of the best resources to read besides to the above official resources. Furthermore, the book delves into the entire domain of the CSSP domains and provides candid insight and detailed explanation of the topics in the exam outline.
I highly recommend this book for candidates to read and practice the questions before sitting for the exam. It is well written in an easy to understand manner and natural way and makes the concepts clearer for you.
CCSP All in One
CCSP All-in-One is a great companion to deeply understand the cloud security foundations. And I highly recommend this book to include in your reading list for the exam. The book presents the six domains of the exam with detailed explanations and practice questions.
The publication provides very helpful content to widen your understanding of the domains and crack the exam.
CSA – Security Guidance
The Security Guidance by Cloud Security alliance (CSA) is a great piece of work to understand cloud security. This material helps to you delve into the cloud security concepts and areas with simple to understand manner. I highly recommend this book for aspirants to widen their understanding of the cloud security concepts.
Web Resources and Tips
Cybersecurity knowledge and skillsets are highly transferrable. And the following important resources and tips I recommended for CISSP are still valid for CCSP preparation and career growth. Hence, I highly recommend you to frequent the following web links for inspiration and career advancement.
- Gwen Bettwyis one of the best, highly experienced and influential cybersecurity instructors in the industry and you can count on her guidance to crack the CCSP exam. Moreover, you can refer resources she usually shares in YouTube and Udemy for better preparation.
- Kelly Handerhan is one of the most experienced instructors in cybersecurity. You can rely on her guidance to achieve your CISSPcertification. Moreover, her CISSP video courses on cybrary will very much help you readied yourself for the exam. And you can access her platformfor further information.
- Mike Chapple is one of the leading instructors and authors in cybersecurity. Besides, he is the co-author of the CISSP Official Study Guide. And any aspirant can count on him for guidance and inspiration. Furthermore, candidates can learn from his robust platformandLinkedIn learning.
- Thor Pederson is one of the best and humble instructors in the cybersecurity realm. And he dissects cybersecurity and tirelessly teaches through his platform and his videocourses. Candidates should follow him on Facebook and other platforms for up-to-date information about the exam and cyber security in general.
- Luke Ahmed isprovides reliable teaching on CISSP and CCSP exam through his dependable platform. Besides, he is the author of the best CISSP book titled as “How to Think like a Manager”. And you can rely on his guidance and insights to crack the CISSP and CCSP exams.
- Sari Green in her CISSP videosand web resources dives deep into the concepts covered in the exam. I recommend you to watch all her videos for solid understanding of the CISSP at large. The resources are still very helpful for CCSP preparations.
- Adam Gordon tirelessly works on daily CISSP questions and answers on his LinkedIn and youtubechannels. You have to check his channel and LinkedInfeeds quite often to understand the exam.
Preparation and Exam Mindset
Proper preparation is the best approach to write and pass any exam, and the same holds true with CCSP. Further, exam mindset also plays significant role in the exam and you should approach with winning mindset. I have covered a preparation and mindset issues in my last blog post. And I recommend you to read my How I Passed CISSP article.
The Path to Certification
Passing and earning CCSP credential is a great deal and candidates should make necessary preparations to pass and earn it. Passing the exam is the first step in the certification process. CCSP like CISSP is administered by the same organization, (ISC)2. I have already written an article on the certification process in the How I Pass CISSP article. I recommend candidates to refer the post.
BEST OF LUCK!
Aluta Continua!