CCSK vs. CCSP

What are peoples thoughts on the CCSK & CCSP (iSC2)? I tried searching jobs on dice but ended up getting hits for Cisco Certified Security Professional instead of Certified Cloud Security Professional. Given the prevalence of the cloud I was wondering if it was a worthy venture or if I should focus on something else.

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dctgibson

This topic should probably be moved to "Cloud Certifications". Even so, if you are referring to popularity, the CCSP is fairly new and has not gained any traction yet. The CCSK is a bit more known in the market as it has been around for a few years, but still not in high demand yet. I'm thinking it's just a matter of time before these certs take off as auditing and compliance for cloud providers and business customers will be a mainstay for decades to come. I took and passed the CCSK exam two days ago and found it to be a bit challenging even though it's an open book test.

The CSA Study Guide and ENISA docs (needed for the CCSK exam) are both good in content and delivery. May be on the dry side for some, but they worked for me. I like the fact that for $345 you get to take the exam twice and for those that feel they need an open book, they can do so.

I signed up for the CCSP online training offered by ISC2 for two reasons - to prepare for the CCSP and to fulfill my 40 CPEs. I'll probably buy the upcoming/updated CCSP book, but I may pass on taking the CCSP exam and stick with my CCSK cert. Feels good to have it and the knowledge that comes along with it. Planning on learning more about cloud security....

g33k3r

Is it possible to move this tread to the cloud forum after the fact?

It appears there isn't a comprehensive guide out there for the CCSP yet. I like the idea that the CCSK has good study material and is an affordable exam. Are there many testing centers out there for the CCSK?

Thank!!

cyberguypr

Isn't CCSK a "take it form your PC" exam?

dctgibson

@cyberguypr....yes, it is.....but it appears a surprising number of test takes fail even though it's open book. Regardless, I found it to be challenging....

dctgibson

g33k3r wrote: »

Are there many testing centers out there for the CCSK?

No testing centers needed as it is online and open book....

TheFORCE

CCSP will gain traction in the near future. It's definitely tougher than the CCSK.

g33k3r

Thanks for the clarification! Does the CSA Guide V3 provide enough information to pass the exam on its own? or do you need additional books?

dctgibson

g33k3r wrote: »

Does the CSA Guide V3 provide enough information to pass the exam on its own? or do you need additional books?

CSA Study Guide and the ENISA doc should be sufficient......

dctgibson

TheFORCE wrote: »

CCSP will gain traction in the near future. It's definitely tougher than the CCSK.

How did you study for the exam? Do you have both certs? Interested cause I'm contemplating the CCSP, but feel it would be redundant......

g33k3r

Regarding the ENISA doc, are you referring to the Cloud Security Guide for SMEs?

g33k3r

Great! Thanks for the clarification.

TheFORCE

dctgibson wrote: »

How did you study for the exam? Do you have both certs? Interested cause I'm contemplating the CCSP, but feel it would be redundant......

I have the CCSP but not the CCSK, I felt it would be an easy exam since it was open book. Plus I didn't want to pay the money for the 2 exams so I went with the CCSP since the maintenance fees and the CPE requirements were waived for the first year. I studied from the official ISC2 CBK for the CCSP plus other materials, NIST documents, CSA guide etc. Look at my past threads for more info, I posted a review about ig when I past it 2 months ago, i was in the top 80, now theres around 250-300.

Dharmaraja

I got CCSK before CCSP exam was available. And the knowledge, materials from CCSK does really help for my CCSP exam. NIST documents & your experience will also play a key role for your success here.

mnashe

Almost a year since this thread was created. In 2017, is there a reason to take CCSK over CCSP?

TheFORCE

mnashe wrote: »

Almost a year since this thread was created. In 2017, is there a reason to take CCSK over CCSP?

No there isnt.

mnashe

TheFORCE wrote: »

No there isnt.

Thanks, I wasn't sure. I'd like to take CCSP after getting certified in AWS

OctalDump

mnashe wrote: »

Almost a year since this thread was created. In 2017, is there a reason to take CCSK over CCSP?

It's online and openbook, and possibly an easier exam. That's the pros. CCSP likely has more respect, and is backed by a more famous source. It's still early days in cloud security, so worth checking your market to see what is in demand.

I have the impression that many taking the CCSP, use the CCSK study materials to prepare in addition to CCSP specific materials. So, if you have the money, why not both?