Cloud security certification from the Cloud Security Alliance

The Cloud Security Alliance’s Certificate of Cloud Security Knowledge (CCSK) is now open for testing.

The industry’s first user certification program for secure cloud computing, the CCSK is designed to ensure that a broad range of professionals with responsibility related to cloud computing have a demonstrated awareness of the security threats and best practices for securing the cloud.

“Critical services are being provided via the cloud, creating an urgent need for cloud security skills among IT professionals,” said Jim Reavis, CSA executive director. “The CCSK is a low cost certification that establishes a robust baseline of cloud security knowledge. Combined with existing professional certifications, it helps provide necessary assurance of user competency in this important area of growth.”

The CSA’s CCSK already has broad industry support from numerous organizations that plan to certify employees, including eBay, ING, Lockheed Martin, Sallie Mae, Zynga, CA, CaseCentral, HCL Technologies, Hubspan, LogLogic, Fiberlink, McAfee, Novell, Ping Identity, Qualys, Solutionary, Symantec, Trend Micro, Veracode, VeriSign, Vordel, WhiteHat Security and Zscaler.

“We have already been leveraging the CSA’s “Security Guidance for Critical Areas in Cloud Computing’ as a best practices manual for our information security staff,” said Dave Cullinane, CISO and VP for eBay. “We plan to make this certification a requirement for our staff, to ensure they have a solid baseline of understanding of the best practices for securing data and applications in the cloud.”

Discounted pricing of $195 for the CCSK exam is available through Dec 31st; regular pricing at $295 begins January 1st.