CSA Updates Cloud Security Certificate, Training

The Cloud Security Alliance (CSA) has released the Certificate of Cloud Security Knowledge (CCSK) v5, the latest version of its vendor-neutral, cloud security training and certificate.

Designed for security analysts, compliance managers, security engineers, architects, and administrators, the CCSK provides training on topics including cloud incident response, application security, and data encryption. Certification is widely regarded as a benchmark for demonstrating cloud security knowledge and skills.

The "program provides a survey of the most important topics cybersecurity professionals will face day in and day out and is complementary to virtually any other education available," the CSA said.

The CCSK v5 is a "substantial update to CCSK v4," according to CSA. It includes in-depth information, recommendations, and best practices to secure cloud architecture, cloud native security, workloads, virtual networking, data protection, DevSecOps, zero trust, and generative artificial intelligence (GenAI). The CCSK also covers serverless/function-as-a-service, application security, continuous integration and continuous delivery (CI/CD), automation, identity and access management, and incident response.

In addition, CSA has published corresponding security guidance material for the CCSK v5. Students also have access to a variety of training modules, the CCSK v5 Prep Kit, an online self-paced option (which can be completed in 10 hours) and instructor-led classes. Security pros have 120 minutes long to take the exam — a half hour more than the older program's 90 minutes. It is expected to cost $445, though the fee is waived for veterans, according to the CSA.

The CCSK v5 includes "vital information" about managing risks, achieving compliance, optimizing organizational cloud security strategies, and understanding the shared responsibility model between the cloud provider and customer. The GenAI tool CCSK Orb is included in CCSK v5, as well.