Living in the digital era is awesome. Now that we have an array of smart devices, apps, and other digital tools at our disposal, life has gotten much simpler. Everything is just a click away, isn’t it? The internet has anything, and everything you need, and digital tools only make it easier for us to access that. But everything has a price.
With all the perks that you enjoy (thanks to the digital revolution), you are paying a dear price for it – your personal data. Gone are the days when cyber security was an issue just for business and big corporations. Today, it affects you too (a famous example of this is the Cambridge Analytica scandal).
Why is Cyber Security Important?
Cyber security has become a grave issue now, more so than ever. Companies are taking significant steps to prevent data breaches and to ensure their digital well-being and that of their customers as well. As an increasing number of businesses are realizing the importance of cyber security, they are looking for skilled individuals to fortify their cyber safety – something that is driving aspiring youngsters to take up CCSP (Certified Cloud Security Professional) courses.
What is CCSP Certification?
The Certified Cloud Security Professional (CCSP) certification is designed for IT professionals who have at least five years of working experience in the industry (with a minimum of three years of that experience being in Information Security and one year being in any one of the six domains of CCSP course).
The six domains of CCSP are:
- Cloud Data Security
- Cloud Concepts, Architecture, and Design
- Cloud Platform and Infrastructure Security
- Cloud Application Security
- Cloud Security Operations
- Legal, Risk, and Compliance
The CCSP is a world-renowned credential depicting the highest standard for expertise in Cloud Security. It was created by (ISC)² in collaboration with Cloud Security Alliance. The CCSP certification course is an excellent upskilling option for professionals who wish to explore career opportunities in diverse fields of cyber security (such as IT Network Security, Cloud Computing, Application Security, etc.).
Taking this certification course has numerous advantages:
- The wide range of concepts covered under the six domains of the CCSP course depicts your proficiency and expertise in the different tenets of cyber security.
- You get to stay updated with the latest developments in the field of Cyber Security and also learn about the best industry practices and principles for Cloud Security.
- You gain hands-on working experience with a host of different cloud platforms and technologies.
- After completion of the course, you get the recognition of being an authority and experienced professional in the domains of Cyber and Cloud Security.
How to prepare for CCSP Certification?
To successfully crack the CCSP exam, you must first understand the exam requirements and details. Only then will you be able to plan the studying process accordingly.
- There are 125 multiple-choice questions in the exam.
- The duration of the exam is 4 hours.
- A candidate must score a minimum of 700 points out of 1000 (that is, 70%) in the exam to gain the certification.
Now, coming to the actual preparation process, you need to dedicate at least 300 hours of study time. As for the study material, here are some materials you must get hold of:
You can find this official CCSP training material on the (ISC)2 website. This material contains an electronic version of the Official (ISC)² CCSP student workbook; interactive flashcards; post-assessment practice questions, and 120 day-access (from the day of purchase) to course content and recordings.
This (ISC)2 official study guide contains 334 pages of informative reading content; chapter reviews and exercises; flashcards; two full-fledged practice exams, and a PDF glossary. Apart from being an excellent self-study guide, the exercises and exam questions at the end of each chapter help put your theoretical learning to test.
This PDF version includes topics like advances in cloud, security, and supporting technologies; real-world cloud security practices, and also the latest Cloud Security Alliance research projects. Also, this has a detailed guide on related technologies in the Cloud Computing and Security domains.
You can download ‘The Treacherous 12’ from the CSA website. It gives a detailed account of the top security threats that organizations face today.
The Cloud Controls Matrix helps prospective vendors and cloud customers in determining and evaluating the overall security risk of a cloud provider. Basic knowledge of the Cloud Controls Matrix can be beneficial in the CCSP exam.
OWASP (Open Web Application Security Project) is an open community that allows organizations to identify and work with trustworthy applications. It also enlists the top ten most critical security risks for web applications.
- NIST publications
You should spend some time reading NIST publications, notably:
- NIST SP 800-146 Cloud Computing Synopsis and Recommendations
- NIST SP 800-125 Guide to Security for Full Virtualization Technologies
- NIST SP 800-144 Guidelines on Security and Privacy in Public Cloud Computing
- CCSP flashcards from (ISC)2
This (ISC)2 study tool can be accessed through your smartphone by downloading the Quizlet app for Android and iOS. It allows you to test your knowledge of various industry terms as well as that of the different CCSP domains.
If you diligently cover all these study resources we have mentioned above, your chances of cracking the CCSP exam will increase manifold. However, self-study may not be enough to qualify for the CCSP exam – you need experienced mentors to guide you through the course concepts in a structured manner. This is where the well-curated courses can be your saving grace! Opt for a reliable training program and achieve this valuable credential successfully.
