The Ultimate Guide to Cloud Security Certifications (Updated For 2025)
Choose Your Cloud Security Cert with this guide
I recently wrote about how to start a career in Cloud Security in 2025 if you are starting from scratch
That is easily the number one question I get asked by professionals on LinkedIn and YouTube
The second most common is “which cloud security certification should I go for ??”
There is honestly no one-size-fits-all answer to this
The right certification depends on what your career goals are PLUS your experience level
But to make this decision easy I have made this guide for you.
In it, I am going to go over the major cloud security certs and which is the right one for you depending on your career level
Cloud Security Certifications — Good or Bad ?
Like them or hate them .. certifications are a necessary part of cybersecurity.
It demonstrates to managers that you are serious about your area and have the necessary baseline of knowledge.
But the question comes, which Cloud Security Certification should you look at?
One key point is that Cloud Security certifications fall into two categories. Platform agnostic and platform-specific
Platform Agnostic: These are Certifications like CCSK and CCSP, which are not bound to any specific platform like Google, Azure, or AWS and instead focus more on technical concepts and creating a solid foundational knowledge of the cloud
Platform Specific: Certifications like AWS security specialty or Azure Security Engineer are specific to a particular platform. These usually assume you know the platform you are trying to secure.
If you have ZERO knowledge of cloud concepts, I would suggest going with a platform agnostic cert before attempting the platform ones.
1. Platform agnostic Certs ( CCSK or CCSP )
The discussion usually boils down to the CCSK or CCSP when discussing platform-agnostic cloud certifications.
Let’s look at each in detail:
CCSK ( Certificate of Cloud Security Knowledge )
Offered by the Cloud Security Alliance (CSA), the CSK gives an excellent in-depth overview of Cloud Security concepts such as Cloud Architecture, Identity and Access Management, Key Management, etc.
The exam can be taken online and has around 60 questions.
It requires you to show knowledge of fundamental cloud security concepts and has NO experience requirements.
CCSP ( Certified Cloud Security Professional )
ISC2 is famous for introducing the gold standard in security certs, which is the CISSP, so everyone was quite excited when they introduced their own cloud security cert.
The CCSP, similar to the CISSP, has become well respected in the industry for demonstrating cloud security expertise and is meant for people with a few years of experience in the field.
It is NOT a beginner level cert and covers the below domains in cloud
Domain 1. Cloud Concepts, Architecture, and Design
Domain 2. Cloud Data Security
Domain 3. Cloud Platform & Infrastructure Security
Domain 4. Cloud Application Security
Domain 5. Cloud Security Operations
Domain 6. Legal, Risk and Compliance
The CCSP benefits from the respect and credibility that ISC2 already has in the industry and the fact that at least one year of that experience should have been in one of the above domains
CCSK or CCSP . Which one to go with?
This one is tough to answer as both are excellent certifications backed by respected organizations.
I have attempted to break it down as per the three criteria below :
Experience: The CCSK does not have an experience requirement, and passing the exam is enough, while CCSP requires five years of experience in the cybersecurity industry, with one of those being in the cloud. The CCSK, therefore, is more suited to those who are at entry level and want to get into cloud security, whereas the CCSP is more geared towards experienced professionals.
Cost: The CCSK exam is much cheaper than the CCSP, which can be pretty expensive, along with those pesky annual payments. Sometimes, companies are happy to reimburse the costs, so check with your employer before proceeding.
Industry Standing: Both are respected certs with good standing in the industry. You cannot go wrong with either of them when validating your cloud security expertise.
I think which you should go with depends on where you are in your career.
If you are a mid to senior-level professional, you should go with the CCSP, while people new to Cloud security should go with the CCSK.
2. Platform-Specific Certs
Let us move on to platform-specific certs, which show experience in a specific cloud provider.
Cloud platforms like Azure, AWS, and GCP can have hundreds of services, and companies with critical workloads in the cloud want assurance that they can navigate them.
A specialized cert will make you stand out in their eyes.
Let’s take a look at what cloud security certification path you can take :
AWS Certified Security — Specialty
AWS is the most popular cloud platform in the world today, and demand for certified AWS professionals is not going down anytime soon.
The AWS Certified Security specialty is an excellent certification to show you your way around the massive number of security services present and how to configure services like AWS GuardDuty, Config, Security Hub, etc. AWS recommends having a few years of experience before taking this test.
If you do not have any experience with AWS, I would recommend first going with the AWS Solutions Architect Associate — Exam, as that gives you an excellent overview of the different AWS services and makes the AWS security specialty exam much more accessible, in my opinion.
Microsoft Azure Security Engineer Associate
For those on the Microsoft Azure platform, the Azure Security Engineer associate validates your expertise in configuring security services and data protection.
You are expected to have a good knowledge of the platform and understand how the different services interact with each other as per the Microsoft guide :
Candidates for this exam should have subject matter expertise implementing Azure security controls that protect identity, access, data, applications, and networks in cloud and hybrid environments as part of an end-to-end infrastructure.
One advantage is that most people are usually familiar with Microsoft Services, so the learning curve is not as steep as those new to AWS or Google Platform.
Professional Google Cloud Security Engineer
Similar to the above two and rounding out the top three providers, the Google Security Engineer proves you can secure design and implement Google Cloud.
The foundational elements are similar to Azure and AWS, with the requirement to know concepts like Identity and Access Management, Data protection, key management, etc.
This is an excellent cert to have, and I recommend having it if you plan to work on the Google Cloud.
It is also a stepping stone to one of the most in-demand certifications, the Google Professional Cloud Architect Cert ( GPCA ).
Although technically not a security cert, this is one of the hottest certifications year after year and one of the toughest.
Choosing The Right Cloud Security Cert
As I mentioned earlier which cert you should go for depends on your experience level and what your long term goals are.
If you are a beginner then it would make zero sense to go for the CCSP as you will not have the experience requirements.
The below roadmap would make more sense
On the other hand if you already have knowledge of Cybersecurity then the CCSK would hold zero value for you.
Getting hands-on with a platform and getting the CCSP should be your long term goal similar to the below:
Remember The Golden Rule
The golden rule when getting any cert is that Skills >>> Certs
Cert can validate your expertise and boost your career but remember they are not the end goal.
The cloud is a highly challenging field, and you will not go far without hands-on experience.
Having lots of certifications will only help during the interview process, but your hard work and experience will make a difference in the long run.
Make sure that, along with the cert, you have the required skills to make your cloud career long-lasting and successful!
Good info!