Cloud Security Alliance Announces Launch of CCSKv4

Updates to industry leading cloud certificate reflect evolving cloud landscape and the need for qualified security professionals

SEATTLE, WA – December 4, 2017 – The Cloud Security Alliance (CSA), the world’s leading organization dedicated to defining and raising awareness of best practices to help ensure a secure cloud computing environment, today announced the general availability of its latest industry leading Certificate of Cloud Security Knowledge exam, version 4 (CCSK v4). The new exam has been significantly updated to reflect changes in the cloud and security landscape and features new content that aligns with this year’s earlier release of the CSA Security Guidance for Critical Areas of Focus in Cloud Computing 4.0.

“Since its launch, the CCSK has been recognized and widely accepted as the gold standard by a broad coalition of experts and organizations for demonstrating cloud security competency,” said Jim Reavis, CEO, CSA. “With this update, the CCSK is again proving to be the definitive resource for anyone in IT and information security who is looking to declare their understanding of key cloud security issues.”

Version four content represents more clarity, accuracy and better alignment with the recently published Cloud Security Guidance for Critical Areas of Focus in Cloud Computing 4.0 document, to better reflect current operational realities in cloud. Some key updates to note in the new version are reflected in the rebuilding of the introductory, infrastructure, and governance/legal/risk sections. Additionally, the materials covering data security includes an expanded coverage of Cloud Access Security Broker (CASB) technologies and business continuity/disaster recovery. Also, the Related Technologies sections now covers how IoT, mobile, serverless computing, and Big Data technologies are connected to cloud computing. A detailed list of changes between the CCSK v3 and v4 can be found at https://ccsk.cloudsecurityalliance.org/en/faq#changes.

Launched in 2010, the CCSK emerged as the industry’s first benchmark for measuring cloud security skillsets. The body of knowledge is constituted by Guidance for Critical Areas of Focus in Cloud Computing 4.0, the CSA Cloud Control Matrix (CCM) and the European Cyber Security Agency (ENISA) Cloud Computing Risk Assessment report. Information technology and security professionals interested in studying for the CCSK v4 exam can prepare through CSA’s self-study preparation kit or through their network of training partners offering instructor-led and online classes.

Approximately 86 percent of the exam questions will be related to the content of the CSA Security Guidance v4. The CCSK v4 exam is now available for $395. For more information or to take the exam visit: https://cloudsecurityalliance.org/education/ccsk