CCSP: cloud security, data, and operations

Objectives and progression

Initial course with eight lessons and 58 original decisions in fictional projects and services. Internal assessment of 32 decisions in 70 minutes. Covers all six domains at introductory depth; physical controls, jurisdictions, threat models, federation, data rights, and executable labs need further study. CCSP outline effective 2026-08-01. CAT exam of 100–150 items in 180 minutes; passing at 700/1000 on a scale without conversion to percentage correct.

Audience: Architects, security and APS/L3 professionals, technical managers, and cloud service owners.

Prerequisites: Cloud, networking, systems, and security foundations. The CCSP credential normally requires five years IT including three in cybersecurity and one in a CCSP domain. An eligible degree or CCSK may waive up to one year; active CISSP may substitute the full requirement. Without sufficient experience, passing the exam may permit Associate of ISC2 with six years to gain experience. dr.pt grants neither status.

450 estimated study minutes

• Assess the complete service, including dependencies and exit conditions.
• Interpret object state without confusing hiding with deletion.
• Map copies, keys, and access to information enabling reidentification.
• Test management planes, dependencies, and recovery with the operational identity.
• Maintain token trust, resource authorization, and artifact provenance.
• Establish logging scope before drawing activity conclusions.
• Preserve useful material and test changes with clear operational boundaries.
• Turn governance requirements into decisions and verifiable criteria.

Modules

1. Architecture, responsibilities, and portability
2. Versions, retention, and holds
3. Data protection, location, and classification
4. Infrastructure, isolation, and recovery
5. Applications, identities, and delivery
6. Event capture and coverage
7. Cloud incidents, evidence, and changes
8. Assurance, risk, contracts, and exit

Continue learning

Cybersecurity

• CISSP — Certified Information Systems Security Professional
• CompTIA SecurityX
• AWS Certified Security Specialty
• Professional Cloud Security Engineer

References and version

CCSP examination outline effective 2026-08-01; January2026 V2 PDF

• CCSP current examination outline · 2026-09-30
• CCSP official examination outline PDF · 2026-09-30
• CCSP experience requirements · 2026-09-30
• Guidelines for media sanitization · 2026-09-30
• Definition of cloud computing · 2026-09-30
• VPC security groups · 2026-09-30
• Cloud shared responsibility · 2026-09-30
• Zero trust architecture · 2026-09-30
• Contingency planning, RTO and RPO · 2026-09-30
• Cybersecurity Framework 2.0 · 2026-09-30
• Incident response within cybersecurity risk management · 2026-09-30
• Enterprise patch management planning · 2026-09-30
• Secure Software Development Framework 1.1 · 2026-09-30
• KMS key material rotation · 2026-09-30
• KMS key deletion lifecycle · 2026-09-30
• SLSA artifact and provenance verification · 2026-09-30
• Prompt injection risks and controls · 2026-09-30
• S3 delete markers and version listing · 2026-09-30
• S3 Object Lock per-version retention and legal holds · 2026-09-30
• S3 replication scope and exclusions · 2026-09-30
• CloudTrail data events · 2026-09-30
• Cross-account KMS authorization · 2026-09-30
• EBS snapshot consistency · 2026-09-30
• AWS SOC assurance reports · 2026-09-30
• Kubernetes ephemeral volume lifecycle · 2026-09-30
• JWT best current practices · 2026-09-30
• GitHub OIDC in AWS · 2026-09-30
• Security and privacy in public cloud · 2026-09-30
• Confidential computing overview · 2026-09-30
• Application authorization · 2026-09-30
• Cryptographic storage design · 2026-09-30