SANS Cloud Security Curriculum

SANS believes that the cloud is a transformative technology that will define the technology landscape for many years to come. Given the unmitigated growth of Cloud, we have launched the Cloud Security Curriculum to give you the training and skills you need to become a cloud security expert.

Focus on where the cloud is going, not where it is today. Your organization is going to need someone with hands-on technical experience and cloud security-specific knowledge. You will be prepared not only for your current role, but also for a cutting-edge future in cloud security.

DESCRIPTION OF A SANS CLOUD ACE

CURRENT SANS CLOUD SECURITY CURRICULUM

NEW CLOUD SECURITY COURSES IN 2020

IN DEVELOPMENT FOR 2021

SEC388: Introduction to Cloud Computing and Security
FOR509: Cloud Forensics and Incident Response

Review the entire list of SANS In-development courses here. You may choose to sign up to stay informed on your specific interests.

CLOUD JOB ROLES SIMPLIFIED

In the Cloud, all things are dependent on applications, code, and automation. As such, our curriculum takes a holistic approach to Cloud Security. Courses range in complexity for those new to Cloud as well as those who have been around for the block a few times. If you are a developer, an architect, an engineer, an analyst, or a manger, the SANS Cloud Security Curriculum has training for you. If you are ready for deep, hands-on, highly technical, skill-specific training, we’re there for you. If you’re new to cybersecurity as a whole and want to start a journey in Cloud Security, we have you covered. Working with AWS? Azure? GCP? Multicloud? No problem, we’ve got the training you need.

With the development of the larger curriculum, SANS has conscientiously looked at job roles, training needs within those roles, and how we help students progress along their professional cloud security journey. Download the SANS Cloud Security Curriculum Brochure here.

DevOps Professional – responsible for building applications and systems
Cloud Security Analyst – responsible for enabling defenses and analyzing issues
Cloud Security Engineer- responsible for building security capabilities
Cloud Security Architecture – responsible for designing
Cloud Security Manager – responsible for leading

The flight plan below shows a natural progression for a professional to follow within a specific job role from baseline to advanced, specialized topics.

SANS CLOUD SECURITY CURRICULUM FLIGHT PLAN BY JOB TITLE

To help students find the best starting point, we have defined each level.

Baseline – Courses that impart the baseline skills required of any information security professional involved in Cloud Security, whether active practitioner or manager

Foundational – Courses that provide the basic knowledge to introduce students to a required skill set for the Cloud Security industry as a whole.

Core – Courses that prepare professionals for more focused job functions in Cloud Security, including manager, architect, engineer, analyst, and developer.

Specialization – Courses for critical, advanced skills, or specialized roles in Cloud Security

Management - Courses for leaders, managers, directors developing a cloud security roadmap, plan, procurement models, and ensuring policy and procedure are defined to support cloud

WHY TAKE CLOUD SECURITY TRAINING WITH SANS?

Security-focused – technical training to properly secure services and workloads in the cloud
Holistic, Curated Curriculum – based on various job roles and focus areas
Multicloud Approach – training & comparisons on the Big 3 public cloud providers
Hands-On Labs – extensively focused on “the how” to properly deploy & secure a cloud environment using virtual machines, lab environments, and repeatable exercises
World-Class Instructors – versatile, real-world security practitioners authoring & instructing
Comprehensive Courseware – access to slides, notes, audio files, and labs for future reference
Certification Prep – specialized training that will help you prepare for a GIAC certification attempt

Providing Intensive, Immersion Training That is Immediately Applicable
We are here to help you get your hands dirty in cloud security training with re-deployable labs and a wealth of free training resources. Our curriculum has been developed through an industry consensus process and is a holistic approach to address public cloud. This includes multicloud, and hybrid-cloud scenarios for the enterprise and developing organizations alike. Don’t merely learn the ins-and-outs of one platform, as the future demands in-depth technical abilities coupled with security knowledge for each big cloud service provider.

GIAC CERTIFICATIONS

In addition to courses, we offer three GIAC certifications with plans for more in 2021.

BRAND NEW! GCPN: GIAC Cloud Penetration Tester NOW AVAILABLE for pre-sale in conjunction with affiliated SANS training. GCPN will be available to the public in February 2021. SANS SEC588 Alumni will be eligible to challenge the GCPN exam. Alumni of SEC588 will receive a special offer email with a discount code once the exam goes live in February.

GCSA: GIAC Cloud Security Automation

GCPN: GIAC Cloud Penetration Tester

GWEB: GIAC Certified Web Application Defender

CLOUD SECURITY CYBERTALENT ASSESSMENT

NOW AVAILABLE!

Whether you are looking to hire new employees for cybersecurity positions or creating opportunities for your existing talent, SANS
CyberTalent can help ensure you find the right skills match for the job. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the cost of a bad hire is at least 30 percent of the employee's first-year earnings - for a security analyst, that's $27,000+. You can't afford to get hiring wrong at a time when talent is increasingly difficult to find. SANS CyberTalent Assessments measure the aptitude and skills of cybersecurity professionals, allowing employers to create professional development and retention programs for existing employees or test and rank the skill sets of candidates to fill open positions.

CHALLENGE COINS

Hundreds of SANS Institute students have stepped up to the challenge and conquered. They’ve mastered the concepts and skills, beat out their classmates, and proven their prowess. These are the elite, the recipients of a SANS Challenge Coin, an award given to a select portion of the thousands of students that have taken any of the SANS courses.

The following Cloud Security courses have Challenge Coins, with more to come in 2021!

SEC488: Cloud Security Essentials

SEC522: Defending Web Applications Security Essentials

SEC540: Cloud Security and DevOps Automation

SEC588: Cloud Penetration Testing

MGT516: Managing Security Vulnerabilities: Enterprise and Cloud