Certificate of Cloud Security Knowledge (CCSK)
The standard of expertise for cloud security. Now updated to meet today's challenges.
The CCSK certificate is highly regarded as the benchmark for cloud security expertise. It provides a comprehensive and unbiased understanding of how to effectively secure data in the cloud.
Earning the CCSK certificate is the first step in preparing for other cloud certifications. The CCSK will give you the knowledge required to develop a security program that meets international standards. The newly updated certificate will prove your skills in Zero Trust, DevSecOps, Cloud Telemetry and Security Analytics, Artificial Intelligence, and more.
Start your journey towards becoming a recognized cloud security professional by earning your CCSK today.
What are the benefits of earning the CCSK?
Career Advancement
A globally recognized standard, the certificate opens doors to new job opportunities and higher roles, enhancing career trajectory.
Future-Ready Skills
With coverage on AI/GenAI and Zero Trust, the CCSK equips you to tackle both present and upcoming security threats.
Earn a Digital Badge & Certificate
Boost your professional viability by displaying the CCSK digital badge and certificate on your digital profiles and resumes to demonstrate your verified skills.
Engage with our CCSK Community
Connect on our Circle platform with CCSK instructors and fellow students. Gain insights, share experiences, and get your questions answered.
Preparing for the CCSK
Demonstrate a mastery of essential and up-to-date cloud security knowledge with the CCSK.
The CCSK exam is open-book and online. It contains 60 multiple-choice questions selected randomly from a larger pool, and you must complete it in 120 minutes. The minimum passing score is 80%.
Purchase of the Exam and Chatbot costs $445 and provides you with two test attempts, which you will have 2 years to use.
The CCSK v5 covers 12 domains:
Domain 1
Cloud Computing Concepts & Architectures
Domain 2
Cloud Governance
Domain 3
Risk, Audit, & Compliance
Domain 4
Organization Management
Domain 5
Identity & Access Management
Domain 6
Security Monitoring
Domain 7
Infrastructure & Networking
Domain 8
Cloud Workload Security
Domain 9
Data Security
Domain 10
Application Security
Domain 11
Incident Response & Resilience
Domain 12
Related Technologies & Strategies
Who should take the CCSK exam?
CCSK is designed for IT
professionals working in cloud computing. Security
staff and other technical professionals, including
developers, IT operations, audit/compliance professionals,
sales and solution engineers, and product marketers,
benefit from its well-rounded view of cloud security.
Which career paths does the CCSK help prepare for?
CCSK is useful to any career
path where cloud and security overlap. It's similar to
introductory classes in university, providing a broad
overview of cloud security with hooks to dig deeper into
a student's specific coverage area.
What are the prerequisites?
No official work experience or
Study on Your Own
You can study for the exam yourself using our free prep-kit. The kit comes with everything you need to study and prepare for the CCSK exam.
Enroll in Training
Available training formats include:
- Online Self-Paced
- Virtual or In-Person Instructor-Led (lectures-only)
- CCSK Plus | Lectures + Labs (lectures + hands-on exercises)
Instructors offer courses in English but they are willing to provide other language options based on demand. We only offer Online Self-Paced training in English.
Train Your Team
Our team training offerings are designed and proven to:
- Fill your cloud security skills gaps.
- Get all your stakeholders trained, certified, and aligned.
- Meet your organization's staff training needs with exactly what fits your needs and budget.
- Recognize training completion and incentivize staff with certificates for passing the exam.
*Note that CSA Corporate Membership includes discounts on the CCSK and team training credits.
Advancing Cloud Security Guidance with CCSK v5
CCSK v5 has undergone significant updates to align with modern cloud security needs. Enhancements include:
- Consolidated Domain Structure: The content has been reorganized into 12 domains instead of 14, with a more effective grouping of topics.
- Increased and Refined Focus Areas: The certificate now offers increased coverage on Cloud Workloads, emphasizing Serverless/FaaS, along with expanded material on Application Security, CI/CD, DevSecOps, and Automation.
- Strengthening Core Areas: There is extended and improved upon content across Governance, Auditing, Compliance, Organizational Security, IAM, and Incident Response.
The CCSK v5 introduces several new critical elements to its curriculum:
- Artificial Intelligence: AI and Gen AI has replaced the previous Related Technologies chapter, shifting the focus away from topics like IoT and Mobile Data to more central issues in current cloud security.
- Zero Trust Strategy: Zero Trust concepts have been integrated across various domains.
- Data Lakes: Explicit reference to Data Lakes has been added.
Furthermore, the CCSK v5 has reduced coverage of Legal and Regulatory specifics, moving away from detailed discussions on Laws and Regulations. Additionally, Security as a Service (Sec-aaS) has been removed, with cloud security tools now discussed across several domains.
Industry Support
With CCSK certification, professionals who have Cloud Computing responsibilities can demonstrate thorough Cloud security knowledge based on the CSA's catalogue of security best practices.
CTO, Ping Identity
The CSA, in providing a set of goals through the CCSK, is challenging security practitioners to become the cloud thought-leaders we need today and tomorrow to ensure safe and secure cloud environments. In developing the CCSK, CSA is 'setting the bar' for security professionals and providing business executives a means to gauge the opinions and rhetoric associated with security in the cloud.
SVP and Chief Security Officer for Sallie Mae
The CCSK is a benchmark for cloud security expertise. Our team of security architects and analysts has greatly benefited from the comprehensive understanding of cloud security principles and practices that this certification offers. It has enabled us to implement robust security strategies that align with industry best practices.
Director of Security Architecture at Red Hat and President of CSA Triangle Chapter
Obtaining the CCSK certificate was one of the best decisions I've made for my professional growth. Studying for the certificate not only deepened my technical knowledge but also improved my ability to communicate security concepts to non-technical stakeholders. It's a fantastic certificate for anyone serious about cloud security.
CISO at PwC Philippines
The CCSK certificate is a cornerstone for vendor-agnostic cloud security education. It effectively strengthens the fundamentals across essential cloud security domains and plays a critical role in upskilling talent to meet modern security challenges.
CISO and Adjunct Professor at Virtually Testing Foundation
The Cloud Security Alliance Federal Cloud Security Symposium at MITRE in 2009 was a game changer for me as a new CISO at a federal government contractor. I benefited from studying the CSA and ENISA guidance in preparing for the CCSK exam over 10 years ago. At the time, the CSA Security Guidance for Critical Areas of Focus in Cloud Computing was the standard customers used to gauge the security safeguards implemented by cloud providers. Since that time, the depth and breadth of the guidance has increased and matured even further. I highly recommend the CCSK for those looking to improve their knowledge of cloud security best practices.
CISO at Backblaze, Inc (BLZE)
The CCSK has proven to be an invaluable resource for our leadership teams. It ensures that our leaders are well-versed in the latest cloud security trends and technologies, enabling us to make informed decisions and maintain a competitive edge in the market.
Global Field CISO, Lacework
Cloud service utilization is accelerating and will continue to become the norm in delivery of services. As business leaders, we need to accept and understand this. The best way to build optimal teams and implement sufficient controls is to prepare our people for this reality. The CCSK certificate from the Cloud Security Alliance is, by far, the most useful body of knowledge related to cloud service delivery. Every IT team and every cyber security team should be well-stocked with team members who have achieved the CCSK certificate.
4x CISO
