With the ongoing shift to cloud computing in the business world, it’s becoming more and more important for experts to have the know-how to keep cloud-based systems and apps secure. This is where the Certified Cloud Security Professional (CCSP) certification becomes crucial. It’s known worldwide and doesn’t favor any specific company. Instead, it shows that someone is really skilled in cloud security and can plan, handle, and protect cloud-based systems effectively.
The CCSP Certified Cloud Security Professional Study Guide is an essential resource for anyone seeking to earn the CCSP certification. It covers all the topics and concepts needed to pass the exam, including cloud computing architecture, data security, compliance, and more. The guide is written by experts in cloud security and provides practical guidance and real-world scenarios to help you understand and apply the concepts covered in the exam.
In this blog, we’ll dive into the CCSP certification and why it’s essential in today’s cloud-based environment. We’ll also discuss the contents of the CCSP Certified Cloud Security Professional Study Guide, its strengths and weaknesses, and how it can help you prepare for the certification exam. By the end of this blog, you’ll have a better understanding of the CCSP certification and the study guide’s value in achieving it.
Glossary for Cloud Security Terminology
- Cloud Computing: Cloud computing means getting computer services like servers, storage, databases, and software through the internet.
- Cloud Security: The protection of data, applications, and infrastructure associated with cloud computing.
- Cloud Service Provider (CSP): A company that provides cloud computing services.
- Data Breach: A security event where important or secret data is seen or shared without permission is called a data breach.
- Encryption: The process of converting information or data into a code to prevent unauthorized access.
- Identity and Access Management (IAM): A system of rules and tools that make sure the correct people can access the appropriate things at the right moments and for the right reasons.
- Multi-factor Authentication (MFA): A security setup that needs two or more ways of proving who you are, each from different types of information, to make sure it’s really you.
- Public Cloud: A cloud computing environment in which services are offered to the general public over the internet.
- Private Cloud: A cloud computing environment that is dedicated to a single organization or customer, providing greater control and security.
- Virtual Private Cloud (VPC): A virtual network environment within a public cloud that provides the user with a private IP address space and greater control over their virtual network.
- Service Level Agreement (SLA): A deal between a service provider and a customer that explains what level of service the customer will get, including things like how often it’s available and how well it performs.
- Vulnerability: A vulnerability is like a weak spot in a system, network, or software that attackers can take advantage of to get in or cause damage without permission.
- Zero Trust: A security model that assumes that all users, devices, and applications are untrusted and must be verified before being granted access to resources.
Preparation resources for CCSP: Certified Cloud Security Professional exam
The International Information System Security Certification Consortium, or (ISC)², offers official exam preparation resources for the CCSP certification exam. Here are a few resources you can use to prepare for the exam:
- CCSP Official Study Guide: This book is the official study guide for the CCSP certification exam. It covers all of the exam objectives and includes practice questions and exam tips. You can purchase the book on Amazon or from the (ISC)² website.
Link: https://www.isc2.org/Certifications/CCSP
- CCSP Official Practice Tests: This book contains over 1000 practice questions and answers to help you prepare for the CCSP exam. It also includes detailed explanations of the correct answers. You can purchase the book on Amazon or from the (ISC)² website.
Link: https://www.isc2.org/Certifications/CCSP
- CCSP Training Seminars: (ISC)² offers training seminars that cover all of the exam objectives and provide hands-on experience with cloud security technologies. You can attend these seminars in person or online.
Link: https://www.isc2.org/Training/Seminar-Training/CCSP
- CCSP Flashcards: These flashcards are designed to help you memorize key concepts and terms for the CCSP exam. You can download the flashcards for free from the (ISC)² website.
Link: https://www.isc2.org/Certifications/CCSP
- CCSP Exam Outline: This document provides an overview of the CCSP exam objectives and the topics that will be covered on the exam. You can download it for free from the (ISC)² website.
Link: https://www.isc2.org/-/media/ISC2/Certifications/Exam-Outlines/CCSP-Exam-Outline.ashx
Note: (ISC)² is the global nonprofit organization that maintains the CCSP certification. These resources are designed by the same organization and are considered official resources for the exam.
Study Guide for Certified Cloud Security Professional (CCSP) Exam
To reach your goal and succeed in your journey, it’s helpful to have preparation materials. All the resources we will talk about will help you build a solid base for the exam. With these resources, you have a better chance of passing the exam with the result you want. If you’re aiming for a perfect score, the CCSP Exam Preparation resources we’re going to mention next are everything you need to pass the exam.
Step 1- Review all the Exam Objectives
Your first step in the preparation guide is to review all the exam objectives. And, to do so, make sure to visit the Official Website of CCSP exam. As this is the most authentic site for obvious reasons. By doing so, you’ll have a clear view of each and every information related to the CCSP exam. So, make sure, to begin with, this step. Further you must download the CCSP Exam Outline available on the official website itself. Downloading the course outline will provide you with the updated exam outline. Familiarising with the course domains is indeed important. This exam covers the following 6 domains
Domain 1: Cloud Concepts, Architecture and Design 17%
Understand Cloud Computing Concepts
- Cloud computing definitions
- Cloud computing roles and responsibilities (e.g., cloud service customer, cloud service provider, cloud service partner, cloud service broker, regulator)
- Key cloud computing characteristics (e.g., on-demand self-service, broad network access, multi-tenancy, rapid elasticity and scalability, resource pooling, measured service)
- Building block technologies (e.g., virtualization, storage, networking, databases, orchestration)
Describe Cloud Reference Architecture
- Cloud Computing Activities
- Cloud Service Capabilities (e.g., application capability types, platform capability types, infrastructure capability types)
- Then, Cloud Service Categories, Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS))
- Cloud deployment models (e.g., public, private, hybrid, community, multi-cloud)
- Cloud shared considerations (e.g., interoperability, portability, reversibility, availability, security, privacy, resiliency, performance, governance, maintenance and versioning, service levels and service-level agreements (SLA), auditability, regulatory, outsourcing)
- Impact of related technologies (e.g., data science, machine learning, artificial intelligence (AI), blockchain, Internet of Things (IoT), containers, quantum computing, edge computing, confidential computing, DevSecOps)
Understand Security Concepts Relevant to Cloud Computing
- Cryptography and key management
- Identity and access control (e.g., user access, privilege access, service access)
- Data and media sanitization (e.g., overwriting, cryptographic erase)
- Network security (e.g., network security groups, traffic inspection, geofencing, zero trust network)
- Virtualization security (e.g., hypervisor security, container security, ephemeral computing, serverless technology)
- Common threats
- Security hygiene (e.g., patching, baselining)
Understand the Design Principles of Secure Cloud Computing
- Cloud secure data lifecycle
- Cloud-based business continuity (BC) and disaster recovery (DR) plan
- Business impact analysis (BIA) (e.g., cost-benefit analysis, return on investment (ROI))
- Functional security requirements (e.g., portability, interoperability, vendor lock-in)
- Security considerations and responsibilities for different cloud categories (e.g., Software as a Service (SaaS), Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS))
- Cloud design patterns (e.g., SANS security principles, Well-Architected Framework, Cloud Security Alliance (CSA) Enterprise Architecture)
- DevOps security
Evaluate Cloud Service Providers
- Verification against criteria (e.g., International Organization for Standardization/International Electrotechnical Commission (ISO/IEC) 27017, Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS))
- System/subsystem product certifications (e.g., Common Criteria (CC), Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) 140-2)
Domain 2: Cloud Data Security 20%
Describe Cloud Data Concepts
- Cloud Data Life Cycle Phases
- Data Dispersion
- Data flows
Design and Implement Cloud Data Storage Architectures
- Storage types (e.g., long-term, ephemeral, raw storage)
- Threats to storage types
Design and Apply Data Security Technologies and Strategies
- Encryption and key management
- Hashing
- Data obfuscation (e.g., masking, anonymization)
- Tokenization
- Data loss prevention (DLP)
- Keys, secrets and certificates management
Implement Data Discovery
- Structured data
- Unstructured data
- Semi-structured data
- Data location
Implement Data Classification
- Data classification policies
- Data mapping
- Data labeling
Design and Implement Information Rights Management (IRM)
- Objectives (e.g., data rights, provisioning, access models)
- Appropriate Tools (e.g., issuing and revocation of certificates)
Plan and Implement Data Retention, Deletion and Archiving Policies
- Data Retention Policies
- Then, Data Deletion Procedures and Mechanisms
- Data Archiving Procedures and Mechanisms
- Legal Hold
Design and Implement Auditability, Traceability and Accountability of Data Events
- Definition of Event Sources and Requirement of Identity Attribution
- Logging, Storage and Analysis of Data Events
- Chain of Custody and Non-repudiation
Domain 3: Cloud Platform & Infrastructure Security 17%
Comprehend Cloud Infrastructure Components
- Physical Environment
- Network and Communications
- Compute
- Virtualization
- Storage
- Management Plane
Design a Secure Data Center
- Logical Design (e.g., tenant partitioning, access control)
- Physical Design (e.g. location, buy or build)
- Environmental design (e.g., Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC), multi-vendor pathway connectivity)
- Design resilient
Analyze Risks Associated with Cloud Infrastructure
- Risk Assessment and Analysis
- Cloud Vulnerabilities, Threats and Attacks
- Risk mitigation strategies
Design and Plan Security Controls
- Physical and environmental protection (e.g., on-premises)
- System, storage and communication protection
- Identification, authentication and authorization in cloud environments
- Audit mechanisms (e.g., log collection, correlation, packet capture)
Plan Disaster Recovery (DR) and Business Continuity (BC)
- Business continuity (BC) / disaster recovery (DR) strategy
- Business requirements (e.g., Recovery Time Objective (RTO), Recovery Point Objective (RPO), recovery service level)
- Creation, implementation and testing of plan
Domain 4: Cloud Application Security 17%
Advocate Training and Awareness for Application Security
- Cloud Development Basics
- Common Pitfalls
- Common Cloud vulnerabilities (e.g., Open Web Application Security Project (OWASP) Top-10, SANS Top-25)
Describe the Secure Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) Process
- Business Requirements
- Phases and methodologies (e.g., design, code, test, maintain, waterfall vs. agile)
Apply the Secure Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC)
- Cloud-specific risks
- Threat modeling (e.g., Spoofing, Tampering, Repudiation, Information Disclosure, Denial of Service, and Elevation of Privilege (STRIDE), Damage, Reproducibility, Exploitability, Affected Users, and Discoverability (DREAD), Architecture, Threats, Attack Surfaces, and Mitigations (ATASM), Process for Attack Simulation and Threat Analysis (PASTA))
- Avoid common vulnerabilities during development
- Secure coding (e.g., Open Web Application Security Project (OWASP) Application Security
- Verification Standard (ASVS), Software Assurance Forum for Excellence in Code (SAFECode))
- Software configuration management and versioning
Apply Cloud Software Assurance and Validation
- Functional and non-functional testing
- Security testing methodologies (e.g., blackbox, whitebox, static, dynamic, Software Composition Analysis (SCA), interactive application security testing (IAST))
- Quality assurance (QA)
- Abuse case testing
Use Verified Secure Software
- Securing application programming interfaces (API)
- Supply-chain management (e.g., vendor assessment)
- Third-party software management (e.g., licensing)
- Validated open-source software
Comprehend the Specifics of Cloud Application Architecture
- Supplemental security components (e.g., web application firewall (WAF), Database Activity Monitoring (DAM), Extensible Markup Language (XML) firewalls, application programming interface (API) gateway)
- Cryptography
- Sandboxing
- Application virtualization and orchestration (e.g., microservices, containers)
Design Appropriate Identity and Access Management (IAM) Solutions
- Federated identity
- Identity providers (IdP)
- Single sign-on (SSO)
- Multi-factor authentication (MFA)
- Cloud access security broker (CASB)
- Secrets management
Domain 5: Cloud Security Operations 16%
Implement and Build Physical and Logical Infrastructure for Cloud Environment »
- Hardware specific security configuration requirements (e.g., hardware security module (HSM) and Trusted Platform Module (TPM))
- Installation and configuration of management tools
- Virtual hardware specific security configuration requirements (e.g., network, storage, memory, central processing unit (CPU), Hypervisor type 1 and 2)
- Installation of guest operating system (OS) virtualization toolsets
Operate Physical and Logical Infrastructure for Cloud Environment
- Access controls for local and remote access (e.g., Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP), secure terminal access, Secure Shell (SSH), console-based access mechanisms, jumpboxes, virtual client)
- Secure network configuration (e.g., virtual local area networks (VLAN), Transport Layer Security (TLS), Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP), Domain Name System Security Extensions (DNSSEC), virtual private network (VPN))
- Network security controls (e.g., firewalls, intrusion detection systems (IDS), intrusion prevention systems (IPS), honeypots, vulnerability assessments, network security groups, bastion host)
- Operating system (OS) hardening through the application of baselines, monitoring and remediation (e.g., Windows, Linux, VMware)
- Patch management
- Infrastructure as Code (IaC) strategy
- Availability of clustered hosts (e.g., distributed resource scheduling, dynamic optimization, storage clusters, maintenance mode, high availability (HA))
- Availability of guest operating system (OS)
- Performance and capacity monitoring (e.g., network, compute, storage, response time)
- Hardware monitoring (e.g., disk, central processing unit (CPU), fan speed, temperature)
- Configuration of host and guest operating system (OS) backup and restore functions
- Management plane (e.g., scheduling, orchestration, maintenance)
Implement operational controls and standards (e.g., Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL), International Organization for Standardization/International Electrotechnical Commission (ISO/IEC) 20000-1)
- Incident management
- Problem management
- Release management
- Deployment management
- Configuration management
- Service level management
- Availability management
- Capacity management
Support Digital Forensics
- Forensic Data Collection Methodologies
- Evidence Management
- Collect, Acquire and Preserve Digital Evidence
Manage Communication with Relevant Parties
- Vendors
- Customers
- Partners
- Regulators
- Other Stakeholders
Manage Security Operations
- Forensic data collection methodologies
- Evidence management
- Collect, acquire, and preserve digital evidence
- Security operations center (SOC)
- Intelligent monitoring of security controls (e.g., firewalls, intrusion detection systems (IDS), intrusion prevention systems (IPS), honeypots, network security groups, artificial intelligence (AI))
- Log capture and analysis (e.g., security information and event management (SIEM), log management)
- Incident management
- Vulnerability assessments
Domain 6: Legal, Risk and Compliance 13%
Articulate Legal Requirements and Unique Risks within the Cloud Environment
- Conflicting international legislation
- Evaluation of legal risks specific to cloud computing
- Legal framework and guidelines
- eDiscovery (e.g., International Organization for Standardization/International Electrotechnical Commission (ISO/IEC) 27050, Cloud Security Alliance (CSA) Guidance)
- Forensics requirements
Understand Privacy Issues
- Difference between contractual and regulated private data (e.g., protected health information (PHI), personally identifiable information (PII))
- Country-specific legislation related to private data (e.g., protected health information (PHI), personally identifiable information (PII))
- Jurisdictional differences in data privacy
- Standard privacy requirements (e.g., International Organization for Standardization/International Electrotechnical Commission (ISO/IEC) 27018, Generally Accepted Privacy Principles (GAPP), General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR))
- Privacy Impact Assessments (PIA)
Understand Audit Process, Methodologies, and Required Adaptations for a Cloud Environment
- Internal and external audit controls
- Impact of audit requirements
- Identify assurance challenges of virtualization and cloud
- Types of audit reports (e.g., Statement on Standards for Attestation Engagements (SSAE), Service Organization Control (SOC), International Standard on Assurance Engagements (ISAE))
- Restrictions of audit scope statements (e.g., Statement on Standards for Attestation Engagements (SSAE), International Standard on Assurance Engagements (ISAE))
- Gap analysis (e.g., control analysis, baselines)
- Audit planning
- Internal information security management system
- Internal information security controls system
- Policies (e.g., organizational, functional, cloud computing)
- Identification and involvement of relevant stakeholders
- Specialized compliance requirements for highly-regulated industries (e.g., North American Electric Reliability Corporation / Critical Infrastructure Protection (NERC / CIP), Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act, Payment Card Industry (PCI))
- Impact of distributed information technology (IT) model (e.g., diverse geographical locations and crossing over legal jurisdictions)
Understand the Implications of Cloud to Enterprise Risk Management
- Assess providers risk management programs (e.g., controls, methodologies, policies, risk profile, risk appetite)
- Difference between data owner/controller vs. data custodian/processor
- Regulatory transparency requirements (e.g., breach notification, Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX), General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR))
- Risk treatment (i.e., avoid, mitigate, transfer, share, acceptance)
- Different risk frameworks
- Metrics for risk management
- Assessment of risk environment (e.g., service, vendor, infrastructure, business)
Understand Outsourcing and Cloud Contract Design
- Business requirements (e.g., service-level agreement (SLA), master service agreement (MSA), statement of work (SOW))
- Vendor management (e.g., vendor assessments, vendor lock-in risks, vendor viability, escrow)
- Contract management (e.g., right to audit, metrics, definitions, termination, litigation, assurance, compliance, access to cloud/data, cyber risk insurance)
- Supply-chain management (e.g., International Organization for Standardization/International Electrotechnical Commission (ISO/IEC) 27036)
Step 2- Official (ISC)2 Learning Guide
The study guide is an official publication of (ISC)2. This guide offers Sybex study tools that help candidates to prepare smarter and faster. Moreover, this CCSP Exam Guide allows them to feel comfortable and confident on the exam day. Sybex study tools include:
- Firstly, Pre-test assessments
- Secondly, Exercises
- Thirdly, Objective maps
- Also, Chapter review questions
In addition, this study guide also offers a Sybex interactive online learning environment that subsumes:
- To begin with, Two complete practice exams
- Then, Hundreds of flashcards
- Also, Access to a PDF glossary
Step 3 – Certified Cloud Security Professional All-in-One Exam Guide
The CCSP Certified Cloud Security Professional All-in-One Exam Guide is authored by Daniel Carter and established by both (ISC)2 and CSA. This self-study guide provides 100% coverage of all the six domains of CCSP exam. Moreover, every subject in this guide is clearly explained and featured accurately.
In addition, the guide offers various other attributes, including:
- Firstly, exam tips and summary at the end of each chapter
- Secondly, CCSP Exam Questions And Answers
- Thirdly, electronic content incorporating 300+ downloadable practice questions
Step 4- (ISC)2 Online Self-Paced Training and Official Flash Cards
Online Self-Paced Training is an alternative to traditional training classroom. In other words, it allows candidates to study on their own convenient schedule with interactive study material. Once you purchase this course, you can access the course content for a period of 120 days.
Similarly, with Official CCSP Flash Cards, CCSP aspirants can study anytime and anywhere for their certification exam. While performing the test, you will get immediate feedback about whether your answer is correct or not. Moreover, it has the ability to flag individual cards for a separate study. The cards are sectioned for each domain to make learning easier. Above all, this learning tool is the latest, unique, and interactive way to test your knowledge about the cloud security subject.
Step 5- Join a Study Group/Online Forum
Online forums and study groups can be a valuable part of your CCSP exam preparation. You can connect with fellow candidates through these forums or online groups to ask questions about topics you find challenging. However, joining these groups is optional; it’s a personal choice. These online communities also help you stay updated with others who are on a similar path as you. Plus, you can freely ask questions when you’re having trouble with a particular topic.
Step 6- Practice Tests
Assessing your preparations is a crucial part of your journey. You can do this by evaluating your own performance. Taking CCSP Mock Exams is essential to gauge your knowledge and pinpoint the areas where you need to improve. Strengthening your weaker areas will increase your chances of passing the exam. Additionally, these tests help you get used to the actual exam conditions. They allow you to practice being accurate and fast. Furthermore, taking multiple practice tests will boost your confidence. Aim to do better with each successive test. Start Practising Now!
