topic Re: Cloud certifications for building cloud knowledge in Cloud Security

Cloud certifications for building cloud knowledge

Spirnia — Fri, 25 Apr 2025 14:06:37 GMT

I would like to know how the following cloud certifications compare:

- ISC2 CCSP (work requirement/Associate)

- CSA CCSK

- CompTIA Cloud Essentials+

- CompTIA Cloud+

If I would like to build my cloud knowledge, is it better to follow the following path?

Cloud Essentials+ > Cloud+ > CCSK > CCSP

Are there other mainstream vendor-neutral cloud certifications also?

Do they all teach the same core material?

Re: Cloud certifications for building cloud knowledge

emb021 — Fri, 25 Apr 2025 14:59:13 GMT

@Spirnia The CCSK is a certificate, not a certification. Yes, there is a difference.
As CSA teamed up with ISC2 for the CCSP, most have said the CCSP is basically the CCSK + CISSP.

So I would recommend getting the CCSP and not bother with the CCSK. But it does have an experience requirement.

CompTIA now also has the CloudNetX, a higher level cert. I would put it after their Cloud+ cert.

Also, you left out another certificate worth considering: CCAK, which is from ISACA. CSA worked with them for this one. Its Certificate for Cloud Audit Knowledge.

These are the only vendor-neutral cloud certificates/certifications.

Re: Cloud certifications for building cloud knowledge

Spirnia — Fri, 25 Apr 2025 15:02:45 GMT

Very interesting!

Thank you for your input!

Re: Cloud certifications for building cloud knowledge

Kaity — Fri, 25 Apr 2025 15:09:52 GMT

Great callout on the difference between a certification and a certificate!

ISC2 has an Essentials of Cloud Certificate, if you're interested in cloud, but not quite ready for the CCSP. https://www.isc2.org/professional-development/certificates/essentials-of-cloud

It's online and on-demand and made up of 3 courses (Cloud Basics, Moving to the Cloud, Working in the Cloud) so that once you complete all 3 courses and assessments, you will earn the certificate.

It's $480 for members ($600 if you're not a member) and worth 15 CPE credits for the 3 courses.

Re: Cloud certifications for building cloud knowledge

Spirnia — Fri, 25 Apr 2025 15:16:39 GMT

I just looked into the CCSK certificate.

It is administered online and is open book.

I really appreciate you making that distinction of it being a certificate vs a certification.

Re: Cloud certifications for building cloud knowledge

Spirnia — Fri, 25 Apr 2025 15:18:45 GMT

The essentials of cloud is a very good option for me!

Thank you so much!

Re: Cloud certifications for building cloud knowledge

emb021 — Fri, 25 Apr 2025 15:48:05 GMT

@Spirnia "I really appreciate you making that distinction of it being a certificate vs a certification."

I just kind of lose my patience with people on another social media platform who constantly confuse the 2, especially when they get into nonsense regarding certifications. So its a sore point for me.

Its almost as bad as confusing which org offers which cert, and thinking that certs like CISSP are appropriate for those getting into the field.

Calgon take me away!!!

Re: Cloud certifications for building cloud knowledge

Spirnia — Fri, 25 Apr 2025 15:52:30 GMT

I totally understand!

In many of the web pages I looked into, it was placed alongside certifications, with no distinction noted.

I’m glad I posted my question in this community!

Thank you, again!

Re: Cloud certifications for building cloud knowledge

nkeaton — Fri, 25 Apr 2025 16:21:22 GMT

@Spirnia I am glad that you are looking at vendor neutral certifications. It is important to understand standard cloud terminology and concepts which the vendor specific ones do not use. I have 3 of the 4 that you listed. The Cloud Essentials+ is very basic and would not recommend other than reading if want a primer. I had been studying for the CCSK 1.0 certificate when got an offer from CompTIA to sit for their first Cloud+ beta. The only recommendations that it had at the time for studying was the NIST documents which are older now but still very relevant and would always recommend NIST SP 800-125 for anyone trying to learn about virtualization. I believe that I passed it because I had been studying CSA (Cloud Security Alliance) materials for their CCSK. CSA is the respected leader in cloud knowledge. They helped ISC2 develop their CCSP and ISACA their CCAK (cloud auditing) certificate. They are much more about sharing knowledge than the other organizations in my opinion. I agree with most everything that others have said here. I took my CCSP exam first and only because one of our employees had an exam voucher that they were just going to let expire. I thought that I would take the CCSK right after it but found that needed a month to kind of brain dump cybersecurity a bit. The CCSP besides requiring experience is about 50/50 on cybersecurity and cloud concepts and security. The CCSK assumes that know cybersecurity and only concentrates on cloud. Yes, it is open book, and the price includes 2 tokens for 2 chances. It requires 80% to pass which is higher than many of the other exams. From others that have talked to I believe that the CCSK is more recognized in Europe than the US. I only did mine because it was an old goal that got sidetracked by other things in my life. It does not require continuing education or maintenance fees. A person can take it again if want a higher version of it. Mine is 4.0 and will probably not retest for 5.0. I would eventually like to earn a CCAK to round out my cloud certifications and certificates. If you want to know more about cloud, I definitely recommend no cost documents from NIST and CSA. They are readily available online. They are what I used to pass my CCSP and CCSK. Also membership to CSA is no cost and doesn't look bad on a resume. Feel free to ask any questions.

Re: Cloud certifications for building cloud knowledge

nkeaton — Fri, 25 Apr 2025 16:51:24 GMT

@Spirnia I just remembered that CSA has this series ahead of their summit and thought was a good range of topics. If you do not already have a BrightTalk account, make sure to put in your ISC2 member id as part of your profile setup. If you happen to watch an ISC2 webinar, those are automatically applied to your CPEs on your behalf (not subject to audit) which is a fairly painless way to earn them. These you would have to enter manually since are not ISC2 ones. https://www.brighttalk.com/series/7186?fbclid=IwY2xjawJ4mwhleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBicmlkETE1VEJJaGw1eHNJNUhwQmpPAR4Ou4L-feFqSryj-8jomOYojWhYTn4nhlVs2y-kuY4TlHaxszYHDKwcYU47-g_aem_VXzeFsq11ax1u6rnRaVWRA

Re: Cloud certifications for building cloud knowledge

Spirnia — Fri, 25 Apr 2025 19:35:58 GMT

Thank you for your response!

So, I will no longer take either the CompTIA Cloud Essentials+ or the CSA CCSK into my consideration.

I will be looking into the ISC2 certificate and the Bright Talk webinars soon.

I am still going through the CCSP certification official online curriculum for now.

I would like to finish that and see how I do and if I need to go back and study more of the basics, I will.

Re: Cloud certifications for building cloud knowledge

nkeaton — Fri, 25 Apr 2025 20:33:44 GMT

@Spirnia Very welcome. I definitely recommend reading the CSA CCSK materials for cloud. Like I said that is what I used to study for my CCSP since I was pretty well grounded in cybersecurity. You do indirectly maybe bring up a point that I do not know a lot about which is ISC2's certificate program. I looked, and there is their Essentials of Cloud Certificate. It looks like there are 3 courses in that which can be bought as a bundle or separately. It might be best to stay with ISC2 to avoid worrying about CompTIA's maintenance fees and continuing education. I do not know anyone that has done any of their certificates and are somewhat new compared to most of the certifications. It should be a good start to learning for the CCSP as well as believe have read that it is a good way to prepare for it. This is the link: https://www.isc2.org/professional-development/certificates/essentials-of-cloud

Re: Cloud certifications for building cloud knowledge

Spirnia — Fri, 25 Apr 2025 21:58:58 GMT

Yes, I have the document from the CSA.

The only problem I see with the ISC2 introductory certificate is that there are 3 courses and only for about two months’ access. It expires too quickly.

It will have to wait.

I don’t have the additional time right now.

Re: Cloud certifications for building cloud knowledge

nkeaton — Sat, 26 Apr 2025 00:33:32 GMT

@Spirnia Thank you. I did not know that. Is that for the bundle, or do you get that much time for each if purchase separately? I noticed that buying separately does not change the total pricing. I concentrate so much on the certifications and have not really looked at the certificates much as my employer does not recognize them. Since you were brainstorming a little, I just didn’t want to omit that option especially since could be helpful in your future CCSP. I do know that people like Luke’s training, but others also like Ben Malisow’s. I would consider either for practice questions.

Re: Cloud certifications for building cloud knowledge

Spirnia — Sat, 26 Apr 2025 11:24:37 GMT

I checked on that. So, if you purchase the 3 courses individually, you will have 60 days for each individual course. And if you purchase them as a bundle, you will have 60 days to complete the entire certificate.

So, purchasing them individually is better in my situation. Thanks for that!

As far as other study materials…

I am going to be reading the Wiley/Sybex official books (study guide and practice tests)

And I will be viewing videos from LinkedIn, CBT Nuggets, and Prabh Nair (YouTube)

Also considering the Dummies CCSP book.

And of course, the CSA document is on my list too.

Re: Cloud certifications for building cloud knowledge

nkeaton — Sat, 26 Apr 2025 12:16:04 GMT

@Spirnia Thank you for that information. That sounds better for sure and would be interested if pursue as have seen zero feedback on that. I did read the official Sybex book, but the CSA especially and the NIST documents were definitely why I passed. This was the one exam that I did not do a lot of practice questions on which I normally do. Since I saved one of our employee’s exam voucher from expiring, I did not have much time to officially prepare. I recently had a class for our employees and had Ben Malisow teach it. He used to teach for ISC2 and was credited as author on the first official Sybex book. He does have his WannaBe site, and our folks have been using his practice questions to prepare. Luke Ahmed also teaches the CCSP and has practice questions. They are both class acts. I am more about self-study as the best way that I learn. Anyway guess giving you a buffet of choices. Please do what is best for you and the way that you learn. This is my favorite certification for a lot of reasons. It is definitely trending as a technology right now. Thank you for sharing your journey.

Re: Cloud certifications for building cloud knowledge

Spirnia — Sat, 26 Apr 2025 12:27:18 GMT

Will be looking into NIST documentation, Ben Malisow, and Luke Ahmed later on for any deficiencies I may still have in a domain or two.

Thank you for your suggestions!

Re: Cloud certifications for building cloud knowledge

nkeaton — Sat, 26 Apr 2025 12:38:24 GMT

@Spirnia Thank you. Just trying to give you some options to pick from since recognize and appreciate your motivation. I know that I don’t learn like a lot of others. When I set up the CCSP class for our people, I wanted to give them the best that could. I also did an acquisition for Gwen Bettwy’s book that saw recommended by ISC2 and gave them all a copy. Oddly she had Ben review it and gave him a signed copy of the book. It was not available when I took mine, but our folks really like it. She is a class act as well. Because of the recommendation, I did use her CISM book for mine and was definitely a good resource. ISACA documents are not fun to read. Hopefully this helps. I try to give back to the profession.

Re: Cloud certifications for building cloud knowledge

Spirnia — Sat, 26 Apr 2025 12:50:46 GMT

Just purchased Gwen’s Kindle version of CCSP Cloud Guardians: A bulleted look at the critical topics for the ISC2 CCSP Exam.

It is broken down by domain which makes reviewing easy!

Thank you for the recommendation!

Re: Cloud certifications for building cloud knowledge

nkeaton — Sat, 26 Apr 2025 13:12:04 GMT

@Spirnia Thank you for the input; it helps me to help others. I know that really helped our folks and like it. For ISC2 to recommend it is a big deal to me. It was the reason that was aware of it. I have given out about 70 at work. Even those that don’t take the exam like the reference. I have looked at a couple of Gwen’s online modules after I took the exam. She has a nice presentation style.