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Certificate of Cloud Auditing Knowledge

The industry's first global cloud auditing credential.

Certificate of Cloud Auditing Knowledge

The Certificate of Cloud Auditing Knowledge (CCAK) is the first credential available for industry professionals to demonstrate their expertise in the essential principles of auditing cloud computing systems. The CCAK credential and training program fills the gap in the market for technical education for cloud IT auditing.

This credential leverages CSA’s cloud expertise and ISACA’s traditional audit expertise, combining our know-how and expertise to develop and deliver the best possible solution for cloud auditing education. CCAK benefits both CSA and ISACA members and certification holders as it builds on the body of knowledge covered in CSA’s Certificate of Cloud Security Knowledge (CCSK) and complement’s ISACA’s ANSI accredited certifications such as CISA, CISM, CRISC and CGEIT.

How is this certification program different from other IT audit certification programs?

An audited organization using cloud computing will have a very different approach to satisfying control objectives. A cloud tenant will certainly not have the same administrative access as in a legacy IT system and will employ a wide range of security controls that will be foreign to an audit and assurance professional that is grounded in traditional IT audit practices.

Credentials the CCAK Complements

The CCAK complements and enhances the skills and knowledge in the following credentials:

Who should earn the CCAK?

How to Prepare for the CCAK Exam

The CCAK is an online, proctored exam that contains 76 multiple choice questions. The exam is two hours and the passing score is 70%. Purchasing the exam provides you with one test attempt, which you will have one year to use.
There are no prerequisites to take the CCAK exam. Prior experience in IT audit, security, risk or cloud computing is essential to pass the CCAK exam. CCAK complements and enhances the knowledge of CCSK certificate holders.
Learn how these two certificates complement each other.
Option 1

Study on Your Own

Official Study Guide

The official study guide is broken into nine chapters containing all the information you will be tested on in the exam.

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CCAK Questions and Answers Collection

After reading the study guide, you can test your knowledge with this database of over 200 sample exam questions. Each question includes a brief explanation of the answer choices, allowing you to fully understand the rationale behind each correct—and incorrect—answer.

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See if you qualify for a discount

CSA Corporate Members receive discounts on all CCAK materials. Contact us for member pricing.

Option 2

Enroll in Training

Delve into cloud auditing by enrolling in a training program. You will cover the topics you need to know for the exam, as well as receive a more detailed explanation and examples for how to apply that knowledge in your job. The CCAK training will not only ensure that you understand the material, but also provide you with the opportunity to ask clarifying questions and develop a fuller understanding of the material.

Class Formats:

See if you qualify for a discount

CSA Corporate Members receive discounts on all CCAK materials. Contact us for member pricing.

Ready to Take the Exam?

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See if you qualify for a discount

CSA Corporate Members receive discounts on all CCAK materials. Contact us for member pricing.

What will you learn when you earn the CCAK?

  • Assessment: Understand the difference in assessing and auditing cloud environments versus traditional IT infrastructure & services.
  • Evaluation: Discover how to use cloud security assessment methods and techniques to evaluate a cloud service prior to and during the provision of the service.
  • Governance: Learn how existing governance policies and frameworks are affected by the introduction of cloud into the ecosystem.
  • Compliance: Understand the unique requirements of compliance in the cloud due to shared responsibility between cloud providers andcustomers.
  • Internal Security: Learn how to use a cloud-specific security controls framework to ensure security within your organization.
  • Continuous Monitoring: Architect in a way that allows you to measure control effectiveness through metrics and ultimately leads to continuous monitoring.

Earn the CCSK before pursuing the CCAK.

There are no prerequisites to take the CCAK exam. However, since the CCAK assumes you have a working knowledge of cloud security best practices, we advise that you earn the Certificate of Cloud Security Knowledge (CCSK) before pursuing the CCAK. That said, the CCSK is not a prerequisite to the CCAK and individuals can earn their CCAK without earning the CCSK first.

The CCAK and CCSK are complementary certificates:

  • The CCSK provides the knowledge that enables an expert to secure cloud systems. It demonstrates the necessary understanding of cloud terminology, security and governance.
  • The CCAK then expands on that knowledge, by focusing on how to assess that a cloud system has been set up securely according to the best practices covered in the CCSK.

Additional Study Materials

The following resources are frequently referenced in the CCAK study guide and training materials. You can download all of the CSA materials referenced in the CCAK exam below.

Download Related Materials

CCM Auditing Guidelines
Cloud Controls Matrix (CCM)
Consensus Assessments Initiative Questionnaire (CAIQ)
Security, Trust, Assurance & Risk (STAR)
Top Threats to Cloud Computing Deep Dive

Earn a CCAK Digital Badge

CCSK holders can showcase their credentials through a CCAK digital badge.

To learn more about become CCAK certified and claiming a CCAK badge, visit ISACA.

CCAK holders can showcase their accomplishments through a CCAK digital badge. Interested in learning more about the path to becoming a CCAK certified and how to claim your digital badge?

Explore the details on ISACA's website →

Industry Support

Supporting Organizations

The International Systems Security Association (ISSA) , a nonprofit organization for the cyber professional community has also agreed to collaborate on the CCAK with the goal of both supporting and strengthening the cybersecurity profession.

Find out if you or your team are eligible for a discount.

CSA values the contributions of its global community and offers many ways to qualify for discounts on CCAK preparation materials, training and the exam. Complete the form below to learn more about how you might qualify for special pricing.

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