Security Guidance for Critical Areas of Focus in Cloud Computing v5
Released: 07/15/2024
Updated: 08/26/2025
Cloud computing has firmly cemented its place as the foundation of the information security industry. The Cloud Security Alliance’s Security Guidance v5 is professionals' go-to resource for understanding modern cloud components and cloud security best practices. Balancing foundational knowledge with in-depth exploration of specialized topics across 12 domains, this essential document equips professionals with actionable skills and enables them to effectively address modern cloud security challenges.
This fifth version is built on previous iterations of the Security Guidance and is enhanced with a decade’s worth of insights about the skills needed to be successful in today's complex environments. Additions include the latest developments in Zero Trust, Generative AI, CI/CD, Security Monitoring and Operations, Resilience, Cloud Telemetry and Security Analytics, and Data Lakes. Version 5 also has reduced coverage of Laws and Regulations and has removed the Security-as-a-Service domain.
Note that Security Guidance is no longer the primary study material for the Certificate of Cloud Security Knowledge (CCSK). Access the CCSK v5 Study Guide here. Security Guidance v5 provides a more comprehensive understanding of the 12 domains, but is not required to pass the CCSK v5 exam.
Cloud Security Domains Covered:
- Cloud Computing Concepts and Architectures
- Cloud Governance
- Risk, Audit, and Compliance
- Organization Management
- Identity and Access Management
- Security Monitoring
- Infrastructure and Networking
- Cloud Workload Security
- Data Security
- Application Security
- Incident Response and Resilience
- Related Technologies and Strategies
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