AWS, Microsoft Azure, and many other vendors are transforming today’s business environment with ‘Cloud computing’. AWS, or ‘Amazon Web Services’, is a top cloud service provider that powers startups as well as established businesses with services such storage, computations, databases, networking and analytics. These services allow organizations to achieve their business goals cost-effectively and effectively.
Despite so many customers and vendors entering the cloud market, AWS was named a leader in Gartner’s Magic Quadrant for Cloud Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), for the ninth consecutive year. (Gartner Report, Magic Quadrant for Cloud Infrastructure As a Service, Worldwide (2019).)
AWS has introduced many certifications, and the ‘AWS Security certification’ is one of them. It has gained widespread acceptance. Here are some details about the exam.
Exam validates skills
Here is a list of skills, which can be validated by the exam from the AWS website:
“An understanding of AWS data protection mechanisms and specialized data classifications
Understanding data encryption methods and AWS mechanisms to implement these techniques
Understanding of AWS mechanisms and secure Internet protocols is essential to be able to implement them
A working knowledge of AWS security features and features to ensure a secure production environment
Two or more years of experience in production deployment using AWS security features and services has given you the ability to demonstrate competence
Given a set application requirements, ability to make tradeoffs with regard to security, cost, and deployment complexity
“An understanding of security operations, and risk” (AWS-Certified Security – Specialty).
Experiences you should have before taking the exam
Two years of experience in securing AWS workloads
Minimum 5 years of IT security experience
About the exam
Here are the details:
Format of the examMultiple choice, multiple answersNo. Questions 170 Cost300 USD (40USD for practice exams) Languages offered in English, Japanese, Korean and Simplified Chinese. Delivered by Testing center. Grade750 out of 1000
Domains to examine:
There are five domains to the exam. Below is a list of their weightages.
Domain 1: Incident Response12%Domain2: Logging, Monitoring20%Domain3: Infrastructure Security26%Domain4: Identity and Access Management20%Domain5: Data Protection22. % How to prepare:
Book an exam date between 3 and 4 months in advance (depending on your AWS experience).
Prepare the necessary resources to study for the exam
You should establish a schedule to study for the exam (weekday or weekend). Also, plan for business trips as well as personal trips.
The week before the exam, revise
Take a day off from the exam to relax and get a good night of sleep
You will pass the exam with no problems!
Resources for the exam
There are many resources online, but these resources will help you pass the exam.
AWS Whitepapers and Guides
AWS Security Best Practices: AWS Security Tips: Learn how to protect your data, servers and applications with AWS
AWS Security Best Practices (AWS Whitepaper).
Mastering AWS Security: Create a secure cloud ecosystem
InfoSec Train also offers AWS Certified Security – Specialty Training. Contact us to learn more and pass the exam the first time! !