Official (ISC)2® CCSP Training and Certification Prep (with Exam Voucher)

Level: Intermediate
Course #: 1213
Tuition $3,095

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About CCSP

(ISC)² developed the Certified Cloud Security Professional (CCSP) credential to ensure that cloud security professionals have the required knowledge, skills, and abilities in cloud security design, implementation, architecture, operations, controls, and compliance with regulatory frameworks. A CCSP applies information security expertise to a cloud computing environment and demonstrates competence in cloud security architecture, design, operations, and service orchestration. This professional competence is measured against a globally recognized body of knowledge.

The topics included in the CCSP Common Body of Knowledge (CBK) ensure its relevancy across all disciplines in the field of cloud security. Successful candidates are competent in the following 6 domains:

• Cloud Concepts, Architecture and Design

• Cloud Data Security

• Cloud Platform & Infrastructure Security

• Cloud Application Security

• Cloud Security Operations

• Legal, Risk and Compliance

Experience Requirements

Candidates must have a minimum of 5 years cumulative paid work experience in information technology,

of which 3 years must be in information security and 1 year in 1 or more of the 6 domains of the CCSP CBK.

Earning CSA’s CCSK certificate can be substituted for 1 year of experience in 1 or more of the 6 domains of the CCSP CBK. Earning (ISC)²’s CISSP credential can be substituted for the entire CCSP experience requirement.

A candidate that doesn’t have the required experience to become a CCSP may become an Associate of (ISC)² by successfully passing the CCSP examination. The Associate of (ISC)² will then have 6 years to earn the 5 years required experience. 

Accreditation

CCSP under ANSI review for compliance with the stringent requirements of ANSI/ISO/IEC Standard 17024.

Job Task Analysis (JTA)

(ISC)² has an obligation to its membership to maintain the relevancy of the CCSP. Conducted at regular intervals, the Job Task Analysis (JTA) is a methodical and critical process of determining the tasks that are performed by security professionals who are engaged in the profession defined by the CCSP. The results of the JTA are used to update the examination. This process ensures that candidates are tested on the topic areas relevant to the roles and responsibilities of today’s practicing information security professionals focusing on cloud technologies.

CCSP Examination Information

Length of exam Number of items Item format Passing grade

Exam availability Testing center

3 hours

125

Multiple choice

700 out of 1000 points English

Pearson VUE Testing Center

Domains		Weight
1. Cloud Concepts, Architecture and Design		17%
2. Cloud Data Security		19%
3. Cloud Platform & Infrastructure Security		17%
4. Cloud Application Security		17%
5. Cloud Security Operations		17%
6. Legal, Risk and Compliance		13%
	Total:	100%

Cloud Concepts, Architecture and Design

Understand Cloud Computing Concepts

Cloud Computing Definitions

Cloud Computing Roles (e.g., cloud service customer, cloud service provider, cloud service partner, cloud service broker)

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)

Cloud Service Categories (e.g., Software as a Service (SaaS), Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS))

Cloud Deployment Models (e.g., public, private, hybrid, community)

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)

Impact of Related Technologies (e.g., machine learning, artificial intelligence, blockchain, Internet of Things (IoT), containers, quantum computing)

Cryptography and Key Management

Access Control

Data and Media Sanitization (e.g., overwriting, cryptographic erase)

Network Security (e.g., network security groups)

Virtualization Security (e.g., hypervisor security, container security)

Common Threats

Cloud Data Security

Describe Cloud Data Concepts

Cloud Data Life Cycle Phases

Data Dispersion

Design and Implement Cloud Data Storage Architectures

Storage Types (e.g. long term, ephemeral, raw-disk)

Threats to Storage Types

Design and Apply Data Security Technologies and Strategies

Encryption and Key Management

Hashing

Masking

Tokenization

Data Loss Prevention (DLP)

Data Obfuscation

Data De-identification (e.g., anonymization)

Plan and Implement Data Retention, Deletion and Archiving Policies

Data Retention Policies

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

Cloud Platform and Infrastructure Security

Comprehend Cloud Infrastructure Components

Physical Environment

Network and Communications

Compute

Design a Secure Data Center

Virtualization

Storage

Management Plane

Risk Assessment and Analysis

Cloud Vulnerabilities, Threats and Attacks

Virtualization Risks

Counter-measure Strategies

Design and Plan Security Controls

Physical and Environmental Protection (e.g., on-premise)

System and Communication Protection

Virtualization Systems Protection

Identification, Authentication and Authorization in Cloud Infrastructure

Audit Mechanisms (e.g., log collection, packet capture)

Risks Related to the Cloud Environment

Business Requirements (e.g., Recovery Time Objective (RTO), Recovery Point Objective (RPO), Recovery Service Level (RSL))

Business Continuity/Disaster Recovery Strategy

Creation, Implementation and Testing of Plan

Cloud Application Security

Advocate Training and Awareness for Application Security

Cloud Development Basics

Common Pitfalls

Common Cloud Vulnerabilities

Describe the Secure Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) Process

Business Requirements

Phases and Methodologies

Apply the Secure Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC)

Avoid Common Vulnerabilities During Development

Cloud-specific Risks

Quality Assurance

Threat Modeling

Software Configuration Management and Versioning

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

Design Appropriate Identity and Access Management (IAM) Solutions

Federated Identity

Identity Providers

Single Sign-On (SSO)

Multi-factor Authentication

Cloud Access Security Broker (CASB)

Domain 5:

Cloud Security Operations

Implement and Build Physical and Logical Infrastructure for Cloud Environment

Hardware Specific Security Configuration Requirements (e.g., Basic Input Output System (BIOS), settings for virtualization and Trusted Platform Module (TPM), storage controllers, network controllers)

Installation and Configuration of Virtualization Management Tools

Virtual Hardware Specific Security Configuration Requirements (e.g., network, storage, memory, Central Processing Unit (CPU))

Installation of Guest Operating System (OS) Virtualization Toolsets

Operate Physical and Logical Infrastructure for Cloud Environment

Configure Access Control for Local and Remote Access (e.g., Secure Keyboard Video Mouse (KVM), console-based access mechanisms, Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP))

Secure Network Configuration (e.g., Virtual Local Area Networks (VLAN), Transport Layer Security (TLS), Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP), Domain Name System (DNS), Virtual Private Network (VPN))

Operating System (OS) Hardening Through the Application of Baselines (e.g., Windows, Linux, VMware)

Availability of Stand-Alone Hosts

Availability of Clustered Hosts (e.g., Distributed Resource Scheduling (DRS), Dynamic Optimization (DO), storage clusters, maintenance mode, High Availability)

Availability of Guest Operating System (OS)

Access Controls for Remote Access (e.g., Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP), Secure Terminal Access, Secure Shell (SSH))

Operating System (OS) Baseline Compliance Monitoring and Remediation

Patch Management

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

Network Security Controls (e.g., firewalls, Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS), Intrusion Prevention Systems (IPS), honeypots, vulnerability assessments, network security groups)

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)

Change Management

Continuity Management

Information Security Management

Continual Service Improvement Management

Incident Management

Problem Management

Support Digital Forensics

Forensic Data Collection Methodologies

Evidence Management

Collect, Acquire and Preserve Digital Evidence

Manage Communication with Relevant Parties

Vendors

Customers

Partners

Release Management

Deployment Management

Configuration Management

Service level Management

Availability Management

Capacity Management

Regulators

Other Stakeholders

Manage Security Operations

Security Operations Center (SOC)

Monitoring of Security Controls (e.g., firewalls, Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS), Intrusion Prevention Systems (IPS), honeypots, vulnerability assessments, network security groups)

Log Capture and Analysis (e.g., Security Information and Event Management (SIEM), log management)

Incident Management

Domain 6:

Legal, Risk and Compliance

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

Understand Privacy Issues

eDiscovery (e.g., International Organization for Standardization/International Electrotechnical Commission (ISO/IEC) 27050, Cloud Security Alliance (CSA) Guidance)

Forensics Requirements

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

Audit Planning

Internal Information Security Management

System (ISMS)

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), Payment Card Industry (PCI))

Impact of Distributed Information Technology (IT) Model (e.g., diverse geographical locations and crossing over legal jurisdictions)

Understand Implications of Cloud to Enterprise Risk Management

Assess Providers Risk Management Programs (e.g., controls, methodologies, policies)

Difference Between Data Owner/Controller vs. Data Custodian/Processor (e.g., risk profile, risk appetite, responsibility)

Regulatory Transparency Requirements (e.g., breach notification, Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX), General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR))

Risk Treatment (i.e., avoid, modify, share, retain)

Different Risk Frameworks

Metrics for Risk Management

Assessment of Risk Environment (e.g., service, vendor, infrastructure)

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