Becoming a Certified Cloud Security Professional or CCSP is nowadays considered the apex in the cloud security profession. Employees with CCSP certification earn $150,400 on average in North America. But the path to this certification is no cakewalk! Moreover, putting aside the technical prowess required to pass the certification exam, there are still many criteria that a professional has to fulfill post-certification to maintain its validity. And lastly, there are certain prerequisites of education and work experience or a combination of both that the aspirant has to fulfill even to appear for the certification exam. So, the most commonly asked question is how long it actually takes to get CCSP certified. This article will discuss the duration of CCSP certification preparation and the necessary steps to be taken to earn and keep your CCSP Certification.

CCSP Duration

The time taken to get your Certified Cloud Security Professional depends on a variety of factors, such as your educational background and your job experience. Let us look in detail into the prerequisite criteria to attempt the CCSP certification exam. If you have sufficient educational and professional experience in the specified IT domains, with adequate learning support, you could crack the exam in as short as 3 months. That’s right, with the mentorship of a reputed and affiliated learning partner like Simplilearn, you could earn the globally renowned CCSP certificate in just 90 days!

Steps to get CCSP Certified

The following steps must be followed, or requirements must be met for you to become certified as a CCSP.

1. Earn the requisite work experience

(ISC)2 requires you to acquire the following experience before you are eligible to take the CCSP exam in order to earn your certification:

• A minimum of five years of paid work experience in the information technology (IT) field 
• A minimum of three years of paid work experience in the IT field 
• A minimum of one year in one or more of the CCSP’s domains 
• After passing the CCSP exam, you have six years to get the five years of experience you need by working full-time, part-time, or through a paid or unpaid internship in the industry.

If you don’t meet these requirements at the time you want to earn a CCSP certification, you can instead become an official associate of (ISC)2. While working toward a CCSP certification, you can also earn the Certificate of Cloud Security Knowledge (CCSK) designation, which is equivalent to working for at least one year in one of the six security domains that (ISC)2 specializes in.

2. Agree to the (ISC)² code of ethics

You are eligible to begin the process of taking the CCSP exam once you meet the minimum experience requirements. This requires adhering to the (ISC)2 code of ethics, which stipulates that one should act honorably and in good faith, protect the public good through cloud security protocols, and work to expand the role of IT security professionals. In order to ensure that all professionals adhere to a specific code of conduct and reduce the likelihood of nefarious activity, all members strive to follow this code in their professional roles.

3. Pass the CCSP test

• You are able to begin preparing for the CCSP test once you have agreed to the (ISC)2 code of ethics. You can register for the test at any time by creating an account and selecting a testing location once you believe you are adequately prepared. The knowledge tested comes from the six security domains that (ISC)2 specializes in.
• Cloud data security or cloud concepts Architecture and design Legal risk and compliance Cloud security operations Cloud application security Cloud platform and infrastructure security

4. Receive an (ISC)² endorsement

Complete an online (ISC)2 endorsement application after passing the CCSP test. This application is signed and endorsed by a professional who is certified by (ISC)2. This individual is able to attest to your professional expertise, skills, and reputation in the field. The organization may approve your application if you do not personally know an (ISC) 2-certified professional. Within nine months of passing the CCSP exam, enroll in the endorsement.

5. Pay the annual maintenance fee

Pay the annual maintenance fee to complete the certification process after the (ISC)2 accepts your endorsement application. You are not required to pay this fee if you are a member of the organization and already hold an (ISC)2 certification. You will be officially certified as a CCSP once you pay the maintenance fee.