The AWS Speciality Certification Security validates advanced technical skills and experience in securing the AWS platform. It is intended for experienced AWS security professionals with at least 2 years of hands-on experience protecting AWS workloads.
To prepare for the certification exam, you need to have expertise in the following key areas:
– AWS security features like IAM, KMS, WAF, Shield, GuardDuty, Inspector, Macie, VPC, CloudTrail, and Config
– Implementing security controls on AWS like encryption, network security, access management, logging, and monitoring
– protecting application workloads on AWS by leveraging AWS security best practices
– Responding to security incidents, threats, and vulnerabilities on AWS
– Knowledge of compliance frameworks like PCI DSS, HIPAA, FedRAMP, and ISO 27001 on AWS
Use AWS training courses, whitepapers, documentation, blogs, and hands-on experience to build your knowledge. Take practice exams to validate your learning. Join AWS community forums and study groups to exchange preparation tips. With diligent preparation using recommended resources, you can demonstrate your expertise by passing the AWS Certified Security Specialist exam. This specialty certification can advance your career as a cloud security professional.
Introduction
AWS offers various certifications to validate expertise across its products and features, helping professionals stand out in the competitive cloud job market. The AWS Speciality Certification Security is designed for experienced AWS security professionals to demonstrate their expertise in safeguarding workloads on the AWS platform.
This advanced certification exam covers a range of security topics, including incident response, logging and monitoring, cybersecurity, identity and entrance management, and data protection. To pass the exam and get certified, you need practical experience and deep expertise in implementing security controls, threat detection, vulnerability management, and compliance on AWS.
Preparing through AWS training courses, whitepapers, blogs, and real-world experience is key. Focus on understanding AWS security features like IAM, KMS, Inspector, GuardDuty, VPC, and CloudTrail. Study security best practices for workloads on AWS. Take practice tests to reinforce your learning. Join AWS community forums and study groups to get exam tips from professionals.
Earning the AWS Speciality Certification Security validates your expertise in safeguarding cloud workloads on AWS. It can boost your career as a cloud security architect, engineer, or manager. If you have the required expertise and experience, invest time in focused preparation using recommended resources to demonstrate your cloud security competencies by passing this specialty exam.
AWS Speciality Certification Security Details
Official name: AWS Certified Security – Specialty
The official name of this advanced certification is AWS Certified Security – Specialty. It is intended for experienced AWS security professionals with at least 2 years of practical experience securing AWS workloads.
To earn this certification, you need to clear the SCS-C02 exam, which validates your ability to effectively demonstrate expertise and abilities related to securing the AWS platform. The exam covers various of security topics across 5 key domains:
– Incident response
– Logging and monitoring
– Infrastructure security
– Identity and entrée management
– Data protection
The exam is designed to have multiple choice and multiple responses, with 65 queries that need to be completed within 170 minutes. To pass the exam, you need to get at least 750 marks out of a total of 1000.
This credential is targeted at individuals performing an AWS security role with 3-5 years of experience in designing and implementing security solutions. It complements the expertise required for job roles like cloud security architect, security operations engineer, and DevSecOps engineer.
The AWS Speciality Certification Security validates your advanced technical expertise in securing cloud workloads on AWS. It can help boost your credibility and career advancement as a trusted cloud security advisor.
Intended for experienced AWS security professionals
The AWS Certified Security – Specialty certification is designed for IT experts who perform security-related roles on AWS with at least 2 years of practical experience securing AWS workloads.
To be able to effectively illustrate the required skills and expertise, you should have previous working experience in designing, deploying, and operating security controls on the AWS platform across various features. This includes implementing security solutions for workloads, data, applications, and infrastructure on AWS using both AWS-managed security services as well as your own tools and controls.
Hands-on expertise is required in areas like entrance management, data encryption, infrastructure protection, logging, monitoring, and incident response on AWS. You should also have experience with security compliance frameworks and industry best practices for workloads on AWS.
The certification is best suited for job roles like cloud security architect, security engineer, security operations engineer, and DevSecOps engineer. It validates your ability to secure cloud workloads on AWS, leveraging various security features and best practices.
If you have the recommended experience securing AWS workloads and want to advance your career, the AWS Speciality Certification Security can help prove your expertise even further. The practical experience prerequisite ensures certified individuals are qualified cloud security specialists.
Validates advanced technical skills and experience in securing the AWS platform
The AWS Certified Security – Specialty certification validates that an individual has advanced technical skills and experience in securing workloads and data on the AWS platform.
To earn this certification, candidates must exhibit expertise across key security domains, including incident response, logging and monitoring, cybersecurity, identity and access management, and data protection. Candidates must have at least 2 years of practical experience securing AWS workloads and implementing security controls and solutions on AWS.
The certification exam tests a candidate’s ability to make trade-off decisions regarding cost, security, and complexity to meet application security requirements on AWS. It validates competency in leveraging AWS security features like IAM, KMS, WAF, Shield, GuardDuty, Macie, and more to provide a secure AWS environment.
By successfully completing this exam, certified individuals can showcase their expertise in securing cloud workloads on AWS using a combination of AWS-managed security features, features, and their own custom solutions and controls. The certification is ideal for job roles like cloud security architect, security engineer, and DevSecOps engineer working in AWS cloud environments.
Overall, the AWS Certified Security – Specialty certification validates great technical skills and practical expertise in implementing robust security across workloads, data, identities, applications, and infrastructure on AWS.
Exam format: Multiple choice and multiple responses, 65 questions, 170 minutes
The AWS Certified Security – Specialty exam is made up of 65 multiple-choice and multiple-response questions that need to be completed within 170 minutes.
Out of the 65 queries, only 50 will be scored, while the remaining 15 are unscored and used to gather data for potential additions to the exam question pool in the future.
During the exam, candidates will not be aware of which questions are scored and which ones are not. I will also ensure that the text is free from any spelling, grammar or punctuation errors. The grade score is 750 out of 1000.
The exam covers content across 6 key domains comprising threat detection/incident response, security logging/monitoring, cybersecurity, identity and entrance management, data protection, and protection governance.
The multiple-choice and multiple-response format requires selecting one or more correct responses from the options provided for each question. There are no penalties or deductions for incorrect answers, so candidates should attempt to answer all questions.
The AWS Certified Security – Specialty exam costs $300 USD to take either at a Pearson VUE testing center or through an online proctored exam. Scheduling early and reviewing the exam guide is recommended to prepare for the latest version of the exam, known as SCS-C02.
Passing score: 750/1000
To achieve the AWS Certified Security – Specialty certification exam, a minimum score of 750 out of 1,000 points is required. This grade score ensures candidates have demonstrated the required expertise, skills, and abilities to be certified at the specialty level in securing AWS workloads.
The exam has 65 multiple-choice and multiple-response questions that must be completed within 170 minutes. Of the 65 questions, 15 are unscored and used for statistical analysis and inclusion in future exams, if suitable.
The remaining 50 questions are scored. Each question is worth a specific number of points, with harder questions being allocated more points. The scoring algorithm evaluates the number of correctly answered questions and calculates your final score against the passing benchmark of 750.
Focus your preparation on thoroughly understanding the 5 exam domains: incident response, logging and monitoring, infrastructure protection, identity and entry management, and data protection. Leverage AWS training, whitepapers, and practical experience to build competency.
Achieving a passing score demonstrates you have the required technical expertise to secure workloads on AWS. Obtaining a certification can confirm your proficiency and open up new doors for career growth. It is also an effective way to enhance your career advancement opportunities. With diligent preparation using recommended resources, you can succeed in this specialty exam.
Key Exam Domains
Incident response (12.5%)
Incident response makes up 12.5% of the AWS Certified Security – Specialty exam, covering skills in investigating protection incidents and implementing appropriate response and remediation.
To pass this domain, you need practical expertise and expertise of AWS security incident response processes, tools, and optimal practices. This contains being able to use AWS services like GuardDuty, Macie, Detective, and Security Hub to detect, analyze, and respond to protection events.
You should understand how to leverage the integration of AWS with security products like firewalls, SIEMs, anti-virus, and ticketing systems for incident response workflows. Expertise is required in areas like forensic analysis, containment of impacted resources, eradicating malware/threats, and recovering from incidents.
Focus your preparation on incident response techniques like implementing appropriate monitoring and controls, developing IR processes/runbooks, conducting forensic investigations, and communicating during events. Hands-on expertise with AWS IR services is key. Validate your learning with practice questions and mock scenarios.
Logging and monitoring (20%)
Logging and monitoring make up 20% of the exam, covering skills in collecting, storing, and analyzing AWS logs for security monitoring, threat detection, and incident response.
To pass this domain, you need practical expertise in solutions like CloudTrail, CloudWatch, S3, Athena, GuardDuty, Macie, and safety Hub for protection logging and monitoring. This comprises:
– Enabling, collecting, and managing logs using CloudTrail, CloudWatch, S3
– Analyzing logs using Athena, EMR, and other tools
– Setting up alarms, metrics, and dashboards in CloudWatch
– Leveraging AWS Config for configuration history and changes
– Using GuardDuty and Macie for threat detection
– Centralizing safety logs and findings with safety Hub
Focus your preparation on implementing robust logging, monitoring, and analytics to detect potential safety issues and meet compliance requirements. Hands-on expertise with relevant AWS services is critical. Validate your skills with practice questions and mock scenarios.
Infrastructure security (26%)
Infrastructure safety makes up 26% of the exam, covering skills in implementing and managing infrastructure protection services on AWS.
To pass this domain, you need practical expertise with AWS infrastructure protection solutions like Amazon VPC, AWS Shield, AWS WAF, Amazon Inspector, AWS Config, AWS Artifact, and Amazon GuardDuty. This includes:
– Designing and deploying a secure VPC with public/private subnets, safety groups, NACLs
– Leveraging AWS WAF and Shield for DDoS protection and web application firewall
– Using Amazon Inspector for assessing vulnerabilities
– Enabling AWS Config to track resource changes
– Generating compliance reports with AWS Artifact
– Monitoring unauthorized API calls with GuardDuty
Focus your preparation on architecting, implementing, managing, and monitoring the security of AWS accounts, networks, systems, and applications. Hands-on knowledge of relevant AWS infrastructure protection solutions is critical. Validate your skills with practice questions and mock scenarios.
Identity and access management (20%)
Identity and access management makes up 20% of the exam, covering skills in managing entry to AWS resources.
To pass this domain, you need practical expertise with AWS IAM and integration with corporate directories, single sign-on, multi-factor authentication, key management services, and more. Key areas include:
– Managing IAM users, groups, roles, policies
– Leveraging identity federation and SSO
– Enforcing MFA for privileged entrance
– Managing permission keys and auditing API calls
– Using KMS for encryption keys
– Integrating AWS with on-premises directories
– Securing EC2 instances and controlling network approach
Focus your preparation on architecting secure entrance to AWS accounts, resources, and infrastructure. Hands-on experience with IAM, federation, SSO, MFA, KMS, VPC safety groups, and NACLs is critical.
Validate your skills to control entry, manage credentials, encrypt data, and integrate AWS with corporate directories and identity systems. Review case studies and practice questions on the key concepts.
Data protection (21.5%)
Data protection makes up 21.5% of the exam, covering skills in properly encrypting and securing data at rest and in transit on AWS.
To pass this domain, you need practical expertise with services like KMS, CloudHSM, S3 encryption, EBS encryption, RDS encryption, and more. Key areas include:
– encoding data at rest using KMS keys, CloudHSM, S3 server-side encryption, EBS encryption
– Encrypting data in transit using SSL/TLS certificates from ACM
– Integrating AWS encryption services with on-premises solutions
– Managing encryption keys in KMS and CloudHSM
– Sharing encrypted data across accounts and VPCs
– Encrypting databases on RDS and Redshift
– Protecting data from unauthorized access using IAM, S3 bucket policies
Focus your preparation on properly encrypting data at all layers and securely managing keys. Hands-on experience with KMS, CloudHSM, S3 encryption, database encryption, and transport encryption is critical. Validate your skills to protect sensitive data through encryption and access controls. Review case studies and practice questions on implementing encryption solutions on AWS.
Preparation Tips
Thorough preparation is key to passing the AWS Certified Security – Specialty exam and earning this advanced certification.
Start by reviewing the exam guide and blueprint to understand the content domains and question formats. Gain at least 2 years of practical experience with securing AWS workloads across services like EC2, VPC, IAM, KMS, CloudTrail, and more. Attend AWS safety training courses and read suggested whitepapers, blogs, and documentation.
Practice what you learn by implementing safety controls and solutions on AWS. Focus on mastering the technologies covered in the exam, especially AWS security services. Leverage cloud safety optimal practices for workloads on AWS.
Take practice tests from credible providers and review your scores to identify knowledge gaps. Create flashcards on key concepts you need to reinforce. Join online study groups and forums to exchange preparation tips with other exam candidates.
Schedule your exam well in advance at an authorized testing center or via online proctoring. Review the exam guide again before your test date. With diligent preparation using recommended resources, you can demonstrate your cloud safety skills by passing the AWS Certified Security – Specialty exam.
Conclusion
Earning the AWS Certified Security – Specialty certification demonstrates you have the required skills, knowledge, and experience to effectively secure workloads in the AWS cloud.
This advanced certification validates competency across key safety domains like threat detection, infrastructure hardening, identity and access management, encryption, and more. It is ideal for IT experts working in cloud safety roles and can help boost your career advancement opportunities.
Follow the preparation guidance outlined in this article to build your cloud safety skills and get ready for the certification exam. Focus on gaining practical expertise with AWS security services through training courses, labs, and real-world implementation. Thoroughly review recommended resources from AWS to cover the exam content domains.
With diligent preparation and dedication, you can pass the AWS Speciality Certification Security exam on your first attempt. Earning this certification proves you can architect, build, manage, and monitor safety controls on AWS. It demonstrates you have the required knowledge and skills to effectively secure workloads and data in the cloud.
If you meet the experience prerequisites and are up for the challenge, invest time in focused preparation using the tips in this guide. Earning this credential can validate your expertise and help advance your career as a trusted cloud safety specialist.
