{"id":4665,"date":"2025-09-04T11:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-09-04T11:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cybersecurityinfocus.com\/?p=4665"},"modified":"2025-09-04T11:00:00","modified_gmt":"2025-09-04T11:00:00","slug":"ccsp-certification-exam-cost-requirements-training-salary","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cybersecurityinfocus.com\/?p=4665","title":{"rendered":"CCSP certification: Exam, cost, requirements, training, salary"},"content":{"rendered":"
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CCSP certification<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Certified Cloud Security Professional (CCSP<\/a>) is a cloud-focused security certification for experienced security pros responsible for applying best practices to cloud security architecture and design. CCSP is offered by the International Information System Security Certification Consortium (ISC2), a nonprofit focused on training and certifying cybersecurity professionals.<\/p>\n

CCSP was rolled out at RSA in 2015 and has grown in popularity ever since, as enterprises increasingly move storage, infrastructure, and applications to the cloud. According to ISC2,\u00a0CCSP certification demonstrates that \u201cyou have the advanced technical skills and knowledge to design, manage, and secure data, applications, and infrastructure in the cloud using best practices, policies, and procedures.\u201d<\/p>\n

According to ISC2, CCSP is best for roles such as cloud architect, cloud engineer, cloud administrator, cloud security analyst, and auditors of cloud services, among others.<\/p>\n

CCSP vs. CISSP<\/strong><\/h2>\n

ISC2 also offers the Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP)<\/a> certification aimed at upper-level security pros with industry experience.<\/em>\u00a0The biggest difference between these two certifications is that the CISSP exam draws from a much broader and more general pool of security knowledge, as it is meant to show that you can design, implement, and manage a cybersecurity program at the enterprise level. CCSP, by contrast, is entirely cloud-focused. It covers less ground than CISSP \u2014 and indeed, the CISSP exam is twice as long as CCSP\u2019s. But CCSP is also more in-depth on cloud topics.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs more organizations migrate to hybrid and multi-cloud environments, CCSP demonstrates that a professional understands the nuances of securing data and infrastructure in the cloud,\u201d says Ankit Gupta<\/a>, Senior Security Engineer at Exeter Finance. \u201cI prefer CISSP when hiring, with CCSP as a strong differentiator for cloud-heavy roles. Both remain highly relevant in today\u2019s market, and they give candidates a noticeable edge.\u201d<\/p>\n

A\u00a0thread on the ISC2\u00a0community forums<\/a>\u00a0offers insight into how IT professionals who have taken both exams approach the question of which is harder \u2014 and in what order you should take the two exams, if interested in both.<\/p>\n

CCSP exam<\/strong><\/h2>\n

The CCSP exam<\/a> is a four-hour test taken on a computer terminal at a local Pearson VUE test center. The test consists of 150 multiple-choice questions. Effective August 1, 2024, the CCSP exam will change to 125 questions over a three-hour period. You need to score at least a 700 out of 1,000 points to pass the exam.<\/p>\n

The CCSP exam draws its questions from ISC2\u2019s common body of knowledge (CBK<\/a>) for cloud security professionals \u2014 a \u201cpeer-developed compendium of what a competent professional in their respective field must know, including the skills, techniques, and practices that are routinely employed.\u201d The CCSP CBK is in turn broken down into\u00a0six domains, which are weighted on the exam as follows:<\/p>\n

Cloud concepts, architecture, and design: 17%<\/p>\n

Cloud data security: 20%<\/p>\n

Cloud platform and infrastructure security:17%<\/p>\n

Cloud application security: 17%<\/p>\n

Cloud security operations: 16%<\/p>\n

Legal, risk and, compliance: 13%<\/p>\n

The questions are multiple-choice, but you may encounter \u201cscenario-based\u201d questions, where you have to answer several multiple-choice questions about an example scenario.<\/p>\n

The CCSP exam is available in English, Chinese, Japanese, and German. You can find\u00a0more details on ISC2\u2019s website<\/a>.<\/p>\n

CCSP exam cost<\/strong><\/h2>\n

The CCSP exam costs<\/a> \u20ac555 in EMEA, \u00a3479 in the UK, and $599 in the US, Americas, and all other regions, including Asia Pacific.<\/p>\n

This is a not an insignificant outlay of cash \u2014 and it\u2019s important to keep in mind that this isn\u2019t the only cost involved in CCSP certification. There are more requirements (and associated payments) as well, including training costs should you choose to sign up for courses.<\/p>\n

CCSP requirements<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Passing the CCSP exam is only one step of the CCSP certification process. Because this isn\u2019t a certification for those at the beginning of their careers, candidates must also demonstrate industry career experience.<\/p>\n

In a nutshell, to get CCSP certified, you must have:<\/p>\n

At least five years of paid work experience in IT<\/p>\n

At least three years of which must be in information security<\/p>\n

And at least one year of which must be in one or more of the six CCSP CBK domains listed above<\/p>\n

ISC2\u2019s website\u00a0has more details<\/a>, including ways alternate experience such as part-time or unpaid work can be counted towards these requirements. If you already have the Cloud Security Alliance\u2019s\u00a0Certificate of Cloud Security Knowledge<\/a>, ISC2\u00a0considers that equivalent to a year of professional experience. ISC2\u2019s CISSP certification has its own extensive professional experience requirements, and if you already have that cert, that experience also qualifies you for CCSP (more on CISSP here<\/a>).<\/p>\n

\u201cCCSP is a good certification for architecture candidates or senior-level design engineers looking to rise into higher-level design roles focused on compliance across cloud platforms,\u201d says Bryce Johnson<\/a>, Senior Recruiting Manager at The Judge Group. \u201cIt\u2019s also a good barometer for candidate aptitude around nonspecific cloud platforms, and is valuable for organizations with a \u2018cloud first\u2019 mindset.\u201d<\/p>\n

ISC2\u00a0requires endorsement<\/a>\u00a0from another ISC2-certified professional who attests to your work experience, although you can make arrangement with ISC2\u00a0to provide an endorser if you don\u2019t know anyone who can serve the role. Even if you don\u2019t have all the experience needed to achieve certification, you can still take the CCSP exam. If you pass, you can receive\u00a0Associate of ISC2\u00a0status<\/a>, with access to ISC2\u00a0training resources as you work towards your ultimate certification goal, which you have six years to achieve.<\/p>\n

Additional CCSP certification costs<\/strong><\/h2>\n

In addition to the cost of the exam, candidates aiming to be fully certified must pay ISC2\u00a0$135 in\u00a0Annual Maintenance Fees<\/a>. (For Associates, these fees are only $50 a year.) Because these fees are for membership in the organization, they are the same no matter how many ISC2\u00a0certs you\u2019re maintaining. You\u2019ll also need to fulfill\u00a0continuing education requirements<\/a>, which may have associated costs as well.<\/p>\n

CCSP training<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Even if you think you\u2019re cloud security savvy, you\u2019re still going to want study resources to help you prepare. ISC2\u00a0provides its own official material for this purpose, including a\u00a0study guide<\/a>\u00a0and a collection of\u00a0practice tests<\/a>, as well as flash cards and a study app<\/a>.<\/p>\n

There are third-party books available as well. Daniel Carter\u2019s CCSP Certified Cloud Security Professional All-in-One Exam Guide<\/a><\/em> is considered the gold standard. You also might want to check out Gwen Bettwy\u2019s\u00a0CCSP Cloud Guardians<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n

If you want to go beyond books, there are a variety of fully featured and interactive training courses available. ISC2\u00a0offers an\u00a0online self-paced training course<\/a>\u00a0that costs $920 in addition to the exam fee. ISC2 also offers classroom-based training<\/a> and online instructor-led training<\/a>, prices available on request.<\/p>\n

The Infosec Institute offers\u00a0a CCSP boot camp<\/a>\u00a0that comes with an exam pass guarantee (basically, if you fail the exam after taking their training course, they\u2019ll\u00a0pay for you to take it again<\/a>). Simplilearn also offers an online boot camp for CCSP<\/a> discounted to $2,200 (35% off) as of this writing. As is the case with most certs, there are plenty more training courses out there, and some candidates choose to supplement self-study with the various piecemeal video instructions available from outlets such as Udemy and Cybrary.<\/p>\n

CCSP salary<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Earning the CCSP signals both that you have demonstrated domain knowledge and that you possess relevant experience to help enterprises security assets in the cloud. It also provides an opportunity to earn more.<\/p>\n

How much more isn\u2019t an easy question to answer. Obviously, it\u2019s in the best interest of ISC2\u00a0to tell you that you a CCSP will boost your earning power. The org\u2019s website references data from its latest ISC2 Cybersecurity Workforce Study<\/a> that suggests that CCSP holders make good money, with average salaries of<\/a>:<\/p>\n

Globally: $114,211<\/p>\n

North America: $148,009<\/p>\n

Europe: $111,665<\/p>\n

Asia Pacific: $83,017<\/p>\n

Middle East and Africa: $51,959<\/p>\n

Of course, it\u2019s very difficult to tell whether this is a matter of correlation or causation. After all, in order to achieve CCSP certification, you need to have five or more years of industry experience under your belt, and that alone will boost your value in the job market. You should be wary of anyone who tries to guarantee you that a certification will provide a specific salary boost. That said, in an in-demand domain like cloud security, a certification can only make you stand out more \u2014 and CCSP and ISC2\u00a0are well respected in the industry.<\/p>\n

Other outlets<\/a> offer average pay ranges between $116,000 and $137,000 for US CCSP holders. According to the most recent Foote Partners \u201cIT Skills Demand and Pay Trends Report,\u201d IT professionals with CCSP certifications are earning a 11% premium over similar experienced IT pros who do not hold the cert.<\/p>\n

\u201cCCSP can help you stand out during your application for any security job, as these certs demonstrate a hold over cybersecurity principles and best practices,\u201d says Amy Mortlock<\/a>, Vice President of Marketing at ShadowDragon. \u201cThis gives employers confidence in your skills. I\u2019ve often seen candidates with these credentials getting interviews faster, and they can help you get roles with better pay and better responsibilities.\u201d<\/p>\n

More on security certifications:<\/h2>\n

5 certifications that can boost a cybersecurity leader\u2019s career<\/a><\/p>\n

12 hottest IT security certs for higher pay today<\/a><\/p>\n

8 top cloud security certifications<\/a><\/p>\n

AI governance and cybersecurity certifications: Are they worth it?<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

CCSP certification Certified Cloud Security Professional (CCSP) is a cloud-focused security certification for experienced security pros responsible for applying best practices to cloud security architecture and design. CCSP is offered by the International Information System Security Certification Consortium (ISC2), a nonprofit focused on training and certifying cybersecurity professionals. CCSP was rolled out at RSA in […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":4582,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4665","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-education"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cybersecurityinfocus.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4665"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cybersecurityinfocus.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cybersecurityinfocus.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cybersecurityinfocus.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=4665"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/cybersecurityinfocus.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4665\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cybersecurityinfocus.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/4582"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cybersecurityinfocus.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=4665"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cybersecurityinfocus.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=4665"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cybersecurityinfocus.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=4665"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}