CCSP - Certified Cloud Security Professional

Overview

Duration: 5.0 days

(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.

Objectives

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

Content

Domain 1: Cloud Concepts, Architecture and Design

1.1 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)

1.2 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)

1.3 Understand Security Concepts Relevant to Cloud 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 Threat

1.4 Understand Design Principles of Secure Cloud Computing

» Cloud Secure Data Lifecycle
» Cloud based Disaster Recovery (DR) and Business Continuity (BC) planning
» Cost Benefit Analysis
» Functional Security Requirements (e.g., portability, interoperability, vendor lock-in)
» Security Considerations for Different Cloud Categories (e.g., Software as a Service (SaaS), Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS))

1.5 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

2.1 Describe Cloud Data Concepts

» Cloud Data Life Cycle Phases
» Data Dispersion

2.2 Design and Implement Cloud Data Storage Architectures

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

2.3 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)

2.4 Implement Data Discovery

» Structured Data
» Unstructured Data

2.5 Implement Data Classification

» Mapping
» Labeling
» Sensitive data (e.g., Protected Health Information (PHI), Personally Identifiable Information (PII),card holder data)

2.6 Design and Implement Information Rights Management (IRM)

» Objectives (e.g., data rights, provisioning, access models)
» Appropriate Tools (e.g., issuing and revocation of certificates) 

2.7 Plan and Implement Data Retention, Deletion and Archiving Policies

» Data Retention Policies
» Data Deletion Procedures and Mechanisms
» Data Archiving Procedures and Mechanisms
» Legal Hold

2.8 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 and Infrastructure Security

3.1 Comprehend Cloud Infrastructure Components

» Physical Environment
» Network and Communications
» Compute
» Virtualization
» Storage
» Management Plane 

3.2 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 pathwayconnectivity)

3.3 Analyze Risks Associated with Cloud Infrastructure

» Risk Assessment and Analysis
» Cloud Vulnerabilities, Threats and Attacks
» Virtualization Risks
» Counter-measure Strategies

3.4 Design and Plan Security Controls

» Physical and Environmental Protection (e.g.,on-premise)
» System and Communication Protection
» Virtualization Systems Protection
» Identification, Authentication and Authorizationin Cloud Infrastructure
» Audit Mechanisms (e.g., log collection, packetcapture)

3.5 Plan Disaster Recovery (DR) and Business Continuity (BC) 

» Risks Related to the Cloud Environment
» Business Requirements (e.g., RecoveryTime Objective (RTO), Recovery PointObjective (RPO), Recovery Service Level(RSL))
» Business Continuity/Disaster RecoveryStrategy
» Creation, Implementation and Testingof Plan

Domain 4:Cloud Application

Security4.1 Advocate Training and Awareness for Application Security

» Cloud Development Basics
» Common Pitfalls
» Common Cloud Vulnerabilities

4.2 Describe the Secure Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) Process

» Business Requirements
» Phases and Methodologies

4.3 Apply the Secure Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC)

» Avoid Common Vulnerabilities DuringDevelopment
» Cloud-specific Risks
» Quality Assurance
» Threat Modeling
» Software Configuration Management andVersioning

4.4 Apply Cloud Software Assurance and Validation

» Functional Testing
» Security Testing Methodologies

4.5 Use Verified Secure Software

» Approved Application Programming Interfaces (API)
» Supply-chain Management
» Third Party Software Management
» Validated Open Source Software

4.6 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

4.7 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

5.1 Implement and Build Physical and Logical Infrastructure for Cloud Environment

» Hardware Specific Security Configuration Requirements (e.g., Basic Input Output System (BIOS), settings forvirtualization 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, CentralProcessing Unit (CPU))
» Installation of Guest Operating System (OS) Virtualization Toolsets

5.2 Operate Physical and Logical Infrastructure for Cloud Environment

» Configure Access Control for Local and RemoteAccess (e.g., Secure Keyboard Video Mouse(KVM), console-based access mechanisms,Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP))
» Secure Network Configuration (e.g., Virtual LocalArea Networks (VLAN), Transport Layer Security(TLS), Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol(DHCP), Domain Name System (DNS), VirtualPrivate Network (VPN))
» Operating System (OS) Hardening Through theApplication of Baselines (e.g., Windows, Linux,VMware)
» Availability of Stand-Alone Hosts
» Availability of Clustered Hosts (e.g., DistributedResource Scheduling (DRS), DynamicOptimization (DO), storage clusters, maintenancemode, High Availability)
» Availability of Guest Operating System (OS)

5.3 Manage Physical and Logical Infrastructure for Cloud Environment 

» Access Controls for Remote Access (e.g., RemoteDesktop Protocol (RDP), Secure Terminal Access,Secure Shell (SSH))
» Operating System (OS) Baseline ComplianceMonitoring and Remediation
» Patch Management
» Performance and Capacity Monitoring (e.g.,network, compute, storage, response time)
» Hardware Monitoring (e.g., Disk, CentralProcessing Unit (CPU), fan speed, temperature)
» Configuration of Host and Guest OperatingSystem (OS) Backup and Restore Functions
» Network Security Controls (e.g., firewalls,Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS), IntrusionPrevention Systems (IPS), honeypots,vulnerability assessments, network securitygroups)
» Management Plane (e.g., scheduling,orchestration, maintenance)

5.4 Implement Operational Controls and Standards (e.g., Information TechnologyInfrastructure Library (ITIL), International Organization for Standardization/InternationalElectrotechnical Commission (ISO/IEC) 20000-1)

» Change Management
» Continuity Management
» Information Security Management
» Continual Service Improvement Management
» Incident Management
» Problem Management
» Release Management
» Deployment Management
» Configuration Management
» Service level Management
» Availability Management
» Capacity Management 

5.5 Support Digital Forensics

» Forensic Data Collection Methodologies
» Evidence Management
» Collect, Acquire and Preserve Digital Evidence

5.6 Manage Communication with Relevant Parties

» Vendors
» Customers
» Partners
» Regulators
» Other Stakeholders

5.7 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 securitygroups)
» Log Capture and Analysis (e.g., SecurityInformation and Event Management (SIEM), logmanagement)
» Incident Management

Domain 6:Legal, Risk and Compliance

6.1 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

6.2 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), PersonallyIdentifiable Information (PII))
» Jurisdictional Differences in Data Privacy
» Standard Privacy Requirements (e.g., International Organization for Standardization/InternationalElectrotechnical Commission (ISO/IEC) 27018, Generally Accepted Privacy Principles (GAPP), General DataProtection Regulation (GDPR))

6.3 Understand Audit Process, Methodologies, and Required Adaptations for aCloud Environment

» Internal and External Audit Controls
» Impact of Audit Requirements
» Identify Assurance Challenges of Virtualizationand Cloud
» Types of Audit Reports (e.g., Statementon Standards for Attestation Engagements(SSAE), Service Organization Control(SOC), International Standard on AssuranceEngagements (ISAE))
» Restrictions of Audit Scope Statements (e.g.,Statement on Standards for AttestationEngagements (SSAE), International Standard onAssurance Engagements (ISAE))
» Gap Analysis
» Audit Planning
» Internal Information Security ManagementSystem (ISMS)
» Internal Information Security Controls System
» Policies (e.g., organizational, functional, cloudcomputing)
» Identification and Involvement of RelevantStakeholders
» Specialized Compliance Requirements forHighly-Regulated Industries (e.g., NorthAmerican Electric Reliability Corporation/Critical Infrastructure Protection (NERC/CIP),Health Insurance Portability and AccountabilityAct (HIPAA), Payment Card Industry (PCI))
» Impact of Distributed Information Technology(IT) Model (e.g., diverse geographical locationsand crossing over legal jurisdictions)

6.4 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, riskappetite, 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)

6.5 Understand Outsourcing and Cloud Contract Design

» Business Requirements (e.g., Service Level Agreement (SLA), Master Service Agreement (MSA), Statementof Work (SOW))
» Vendor Management
» 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/InternationalElectrotechnical Commission (ISO/IEC) 27036) 

Audience

• Enterprise Architect
• Security Administrator
• Systems Engineer
• Security Architect
• Security Consultant
• security engineer
• Security Manager
• Systems Architect

Prerequisites

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. You can learn more about CCSP experience requirements and how to account for part-time work and internships at www.isc2.org/Certifications/CCSP/experience-requirements.

Certification

CCSP - Certified Cloud Security Professional