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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:

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Domain 1

Cloud Computing Concepts & Architectures

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Domain 2

Cloud Governance

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Domain 3

Risk, Audit, & Compliance

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Domain 4

Organization Management

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Domain 5

Identity & Access Management

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Domain 6

Security Monitoring

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Domain 7

Infrastructure & Networking

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Domain 8

Cloud Workload Security

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Domain 9

Data Security

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Domain 10

Application Security

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Domain 11

Incident Response & Resilience

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Domain 12

Related Technologies & Strategies

Free Prep Kit

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 courses 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 orqualification is required. However, it's helpful forto have at least a basic understanding offundamentals such as firewalls, secure development,, and identity and access management.

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.

Free Prep Kit

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.

Contact Us

Advancing Cloud Security Guidance with CCSK v5

What enhancements have been made to the 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.
What are the new additions to the CCSK v5 curriculum?

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.

How does the CCSK v5 set the standard for industry certificates?

The CCSK v5 certificate is at the forefront of cloud security education, incorporating the latest advancements in AI, Zero Trust, and topics such as Data Lakes and Cloud Telemetry. It uniquely balanced foundational knowledge with in-depth exploration of specialized topics, emphasizing the practical application of security principles in real-world scenarios. This comprehensive curriculum equips professionals with actionable skills, enabling them to effectively address modern challenges in complex cloud environments and set new standards in the industry.

CCSK Community Highlights

Earn a commision & promote the CCSK

Partner with us to promote the CCSK! By supporting this initiative, you'll position your organization as a leader in cloud security best practices while also earning additional revenue.

Get Involved
Acknowledgements

Meet the dedicated cloud security professionals who were instrumental in developing the CCSK v5, ensuring the highest quality in course content.

View contributors

Industry Support

Related Resources

Certificate of Competence in Zero Trust (CCZT)

The industry's first authoritative Zero Trust certificate. Gain strategic insights and practical skills necessary to implement Zero Trust architectures effectively.

Cloud Security Infrastructure Training

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CSA Research

Access a collection of research, white papers, and articles to stay informed on the latest industry developments.

Events & Webinars

Explore upcoming and past events and webinars to connect with experts, enhance your knowledge, and explore the latest trends.