Job Outlook for CCSP Cert Holders

Introduction

In today’s world, gone are the days when businesses and corporations stored everything IT-related on site. This includes the servers, databases, any backups and any sensitive information with regards to company assets and customer information and data. Just about all of this has now moved over to the cloud infrastructure.

We all have heard of the cloud, but just what exactly is it? It can be specifically defined as follows:

“The cloud is not a physical entity, but instead is a vast network of remote servers around the globe which are hooked together and meant to operate as a single ecosystem. These servers are designed to either store and manage data, run applications, or deliver content or a service such as streaming videos, web mail, office productivity software, or social media. Instead of accessing files and data from a local or personal computer, you are accessing them online from any Internet-capable device―the information will be available anywhere you go and anytime you need it.” ( Source )

There are many advantages to using the cloud, including:

Scalability of resources Fixed, affordable monthly pricing All of the maintenance to your cloud infrastructure is carried by the Internet service provider

But just as advantageous and convenient as it is to use the cloud, it too is prone to many cyberattacks and threats. In fact, the cloud itself can be used to leverage security breaches towards other organizations in a botnet-style attack. Thus, highly-trained IT professionals are needed to help safeguard and protect the assets that reside in a cloud-based Infrastructure ― such as those that possess the coveted “Certified Cloud Security Professional” certification, or “CCSP” for short.

In this article, we will review the job prospects for those IT professionals that possess this cert.

Some Details About the CCSP

Before delving into the actual job prospects, it is important to briefly review the scope of the CCSP cert, as it is currently being offered by (ISC) 2 :

It was first introduced in 2015, so it is still a relatively new exam There are already well over 125,000 cybersecurity professionals that have this cert The average salary with people with the CCSP (with substantial experience) is well over $134,000 The CCSP has been named as the #1 cloud cert to have There is a total of 125 multiple choice questions on the exam You have four hours to complete the exam You need to have a minimum score of at least 700/1000 (70%) in order to pass the exam In terms of requirements to take the exam, you must have 5 years of work experience, broken down into: Three years of information security One year in cloud security It costs $549.00 to take the CCSP exam The exam covers the following topics with the assigned weightage:

Topic % Weighed on Exam

Architectural Concepts & Design Requirements 19% Cloud Data Security 20% Cloud Platform & Infrastructure Security 19% Cloud Application Security 15% Operations 15% Legal & Compliance 12%

NOTE: Specific details on the exam can be seen here .

The Overall Job Outlook

The good news is that overall, the prospects for landing a security-related cloud position are very strong and only expected to grow exponentially into the future. The main catalyst for this, of course, is the adoption rate of the cloud, both by individuals and corporate America. Just consider these statistics:

There has been at least a 28% year-over-year (YoY) growth rate of cloud-related job postings across all of the major online recruiting sites, such as Indeed, Dice, Career Builder, Glassdoor, Simply Hired and so forth Spending on the cloud computing infrastructure is expected to grow at least 6.5 times annually through 2020 The demand for cloud-related services will continue to grow at least by 22% per year through 2020 and will have a market cap of $236 billion by then Out of all the cloud platforms (which includes IaaS, SaaS and PaaS), it is expected that the latter will have the highest demand for jobs. For example, the adoption rate of this platform will be at 56% by 2020 versus the adoption rate of 32% it experienced back in 2017

Given that the cloud infrastructure is such a gargantuan platform, there are two key ways in which you can gain employment in this area:

Work Directly for a Cloud Computing Company

The main companies that are hiring in this area include the following:

Amazon Web Services (AWS) The Google Cloud platform Zerto Cloudera FusionOps Microsoft Azure

Of particular interest right is the AWS. Keep in mind that when you get a job with them at first, you could end up very likely having a role like a UX designer, software solutions architect or even being a linux security engineer. But after having gained enough experience in one of these positions and earning your CCSP, you could very quickly land a cloud security role.

Work for a Company That Is Not a Cloud Provider, But Uses the Cloud in Its Daily Business

The number of businesses and corporations that could fit into this category are countless. For instance, this broad category can range all the way from banks to IT companies to even the federal government. You could work directly as a cloud security professional with one of these companies or even have another role in which there is a security interface, such as:

Cloud computing analyst Cloud administrator Cloud architect Cloud engineer But keep in mind that in order to land one of these positions, you should h