CCSK Success Stories: From a Network and Security Technical Manager

This is part of a blog series interviewing cybersecurity professionals who have earned their Certificate of Cloud Security Knowledge (CCSK). In these blogs we invite individuals to share some of the challenges they face in managing security for cloud computing and how they were able to leverage knowledge from the CCSK in their current roles. In this blog, we'll be interviewing Long Tran Quoc, Technical Manager (Network & Security), Joint Stock Company for Telecoms and Informatics (CTIN).

1. In your current role at CTIN as Technical Manager (Network & Security), you do a number of tasks. Can you tell us about what your job involves?

My job responsibilities are to:

• Define, implement and manage technical support processes and procedures.
• Manage first and second-line technical support personnel.
• Produce weekly and monthly summary management reports on technical support tickets.
• Ensure the ticketing and documentation process for all support incidents is adhered to.
• Manage on-site support services as required.
• Consult on and implement network and security projects.
• Perform after-sales technical support for Telco (ISP) and Enterprise customers.
• My team also provides technical support for some cloud services that customers implement.

2. Can you share with us some complexities in managing cloud computing projects?

The customer issues include:

• Handling resource and account management.
• Adhering to the law and addressing legal issues. Vietnam's laws are quite strict regarding where data is stored.

3. In managing (outsourced) cloud projects, what are useful tips you could share with IT professionals to avoid common pitfalls?

I think common pitfalls often involve costs incurred and technical support. And the best ways to avoid them are to carefully check the contract/features and services you intend to buy.

4. What made you decide to earn your CCSK? What part of the material from the CCSK has been the most relevant in your work and why?

I took up CCSK to:

• Improve my knowledge about cloud and cloud security. That is very important in Vietnam.
• Perform well in my current job.

The CCSK materials that are most relevant in my work are the Security Guidance and ENISA report; they are also useful for my pre-sale work.

5. What’s the value in a vendor-neutral certificate like the CCSK or CCSP versus getting certified by AWS? In what scenario are the different certificates important?

CCSK is extremely useful to me in my pre-sale role, providing me with the right mindset to address security-related issues, whereas vendor-specific certificates are useful in practical implementation and seeing the CCSK concepts being realized in specific cloud services.

6. Would you encourage your staff and/or colleagues to obtain CCSK or other CSA qualifications? Why?

CCSK is a very useful cloud security certificate for my staff and colleagues. With CCSK, we achieve a solid and robust foundation in cloud computing.

7. What is the best advice you will give to IT professionals in order for them to scale new heights in their careers?

Always learn continuously.