As cloud services continue to grow, so does the need for certified cloud security professionals. Cloud security professionals ensure that data and applications stored in the cloud are secure and compliant with industry regulations.
Cloud security professionals, such as certified cloud security engineers [C|CSE], demonstrate advanced knowledge and technical skills in designing, managing, and securing cloud applications, data, and infrastructure.
However, without certifications, there would be no way to verify a cloud security professional’s competency in securing and ensuring the availability of cloud assets beforehand.
As it is, cybercriminals are becoming more sophisticated in executing cyberattacks thanks to advanced threat technology. With cybercrime costing organizations $1.79 million per minute (RiskIQ, 2021), becoming a certified cloud security professional is one way to address cyberthreats and digital security breaches associated with the cloud. This article will explain what certified cloud security engineers do, what they earn, and how they learn.
What Does a Certified Cloud Security Professional Do?
A certified cloud security professional is responsible for ensuring the security of data and applications in the cloud. These professionals work with organizations to plan and implement security measures, such as access control and data encryption, to protect against threats. They also monitor cloud environments for security breaches and respond to incidents when they occur.
A Certified Cloud Security Engineer (C|CSE), for instance, should not only have a deep understanding of the following responsibilities but also be highly competent when performing them:
- Designs and implements business continuity, as well as disaster recovery plans
- Performs penetration tests and threat simulations to detect and identify potential threats
- Provides security recommendations on application development and coding, as well as service design
- Understands and implements security for private, multi-tenant, and hybrid cloud environments
- Installs, upgrades, and maintains an organization’s core infrastructure in the cloud computing environment
- Evaluates compliance programs, cloud security standards, and features offered by AWS, Azure, and GCP, and executes security audits
To protect the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of data in the cloud, certified cloud security professionals must be knowledgeable about a variety of security tools and technologies. They must also manage cybersecurity risks and compliance issues effectively.
What Are the Prerequisites for Becoming a Certified Cloud Security Professional?
A certified cloud security professional typically has a background in information security or computer science. For instance, professional cloud security engineers should at least have a degree in computer science, information security, or programming, among related fields.
However, while some organizations seek out cloud security professionals with specific degrees, others are more interested in certification. Still other organizations are looking for a combination of education and experience.
All certified cloud security professionals must be familiar with common security threats and how to protect against them. They should also have experience working with cloud-based systems and applications.
C|CSE training offers cloud security professionals a mix of vendor-specific and vendor-neutral training to create professionals with a well-balanced mix of theoretical and practical skills.
To become certified, candidates must pass an exam that covers topics such as:
- Platform and infrastructure security in the cloud
- Incident detection and response in the cloud
- Application security in the cloud
- Penetration testing in the cloud
- Operation security in the cloud
- Data security in the cloud
It’s recommended that a professional cloud security engineer has at least two years of experience working in a cloud environment.
At the very least, anyone undertaking the C|CSE training and sitting the certification exam should have a basic understanding of network security management. Knowledge of network security concepts, C|ND, or cybersecurity is a prerequisite to understanding the cloud security concepts taught in C|CSE.
What Job Opportunities Are Available for Certified Cloud Security Professionals?
Certified cloud security professionals typically work in organizations that use cloud-based systems and applications. They may also work for cloud service providers or consultancies that specialize in cloud security.
As more organizations migrate their software and storage to the cloud, certified cloud security professionals are becoming increasingly important. That’s due to the rapid adoption of the software as a service (SaaS) model to update organizational infrastructure, increase system stability, and enable hybrid work practices (GlobeNewswire, 2022).
Certifications for cloud engineers demonstrate that a candidate has the knowledge and skills necessary to effectively secure data and applications in the cloud. They can also lead to career advancement and higher salaries.
Some opportunities available for a certified cloud security professional include:
- Infosecurity professional
- Cloud security architect
- Cloud security technical lead
- Cybersecurity engineer or analyst
- Cloud security and compliance specialist
- Cloud administrator, engineer, or analyst
- Certified Network Defender (C|ND) professional
- Network security administrator, engineer, or analyst
What Is the Expected Gross Salary of a Certified Cloud Security Professional?
A certified cloud security professional with the appropriate college degree but no working experience can earn between USD 60,000 and USD 80,000 a year, depending on company size and location. With a few years of working experience, the salary potential jumps to the USD 100,000 range (Prokopets, 2021).
Certified cloud security professionals with ten years or more of working experience typically earn between USD 110,000 and USD 130,000. It’s also possible for certified cloud security professionals with multiple certifications and various administrative duties to earn an annual salary of more than USD 150,000 (Prokopets, 2021).
Certified cloud security professionals can also expect to receive benefits such as health insurance, retirement plans, and paid time off. Additionally, some employers offer bonuses and other incentives.
Which Is the Best Course Available for Learning Cloud Security?
The best course for learning cloud security is one that delivers a mix of vendor-specific and vendor-neutral cloud security concepts. C|CSE is the only course on the market today that offers training in vendor-neutral and vendor-specific concepts.
Vendor-specific security concepts provide the practical skills required to configure specific platforms such as Azure, Amazon Web Services (AWS), and Google Cloud Platform (GCP).
On the other hand, vendor-neutral concepts are those that focus on the general frameworks, practices, technologies, and principles in cloud security. These include risk management, cloud architecture, data security, and incident response. Courses should also provide hands-on experience working with cloud-based systems and applications. Some of the modules an online certified cloud engineer can expect to learn include:
- An introduction to cloud security
- Application and data security in the cloud
- Platform and infrastructure security in the cloud
- Governance, risk management, and compliance in the cloud
- Standards, policies, and legal issues in the cloud
- Private, hybrid, and multi-tenant cloud security
- Incident detection and response in the cloud
- Forensic investigation in the cloud
- Penetration testing in the cloud
- Operation security in the cloud
Certifications for cloud engineers can be earned by completing courses such as the Certified Cloud Security Engineer (C|CSE) certification course by the EC-Council.
Professional cloud security engineers who undertake this certification learn vendor-specific and vendor-neutral cloud security concepts and enjoy hands-on experience with cloud-based systems and applications.
The C|CSE online course certifies cloud engineers who also benefit from an understanding of security orchestration, automation, and response (SOAR). Security operations teams use SOAR to automate incident response in the cloud as well as collect and analyze security incident analysis reports.
Additionally, the EC-Council’s C|CSE certification course equips cloud security professionals with the skills they need to design and implement governance models, frameworks, and regulations. These include HIPAA and PCI DSS.
Certifications Are Crucial
Holding a credible certification is crucial for anyone looking to be an asset to their organization while earning a highly certified cloud security professional salary. That’s because the latest cloud security certification can give an online certified cloud engineer the ability to stay up to date on the latest practices. The upside is that it helps them avoid putting their organizations at risk by using outdated techniques.
Credible certifications also make potential employers confident and comfortable with your credentials and ability to do the job. Ultimately, certifications for cloud engineers ensure cloud security professionals remain in touch with the information security community. This way, certified cloud security professionals always have the resources they need to deal with any type of issue they encounter.
Connect with EC-Council today to start your journey as a certified cloud security professional.
References
GlobeNewswire.com (2022). The global SaaS market is expected to reach a value of USD 720.44 billion by 2028, at a CAGR of 25.89% over the forecast period (2022 – 2028). https://www.globenewswire.com/en/news-release/2022/06/06/2456875/0/en/The-Global-SAAS-Market-is-expected-to-reach-a-value-of-USD-720-44-Billion-by-2028-at-a-CAGR-of-25-89-over-the-forecast-period-2022-2028-SkyQuest-Technology.html
Prokopets, M. (2021). Cloud security engineer salary – what you can expect to make. Nira. https://nira.com/cloud-security-engineer-salary/
RiskIQ (2021). Here’s how much threat activity is in each internet minute. https://www.riskiq.com/blog/external-threat-management/2021-evil-internet-minute
About the Author
Shelby Vankirk is a freelance technical writer and content consultant with over seven years of experience in the publishing industry, specializing in blogging, SEO copywriting, technical writing, and proofreading.
