SEC536: Adversarial AI - Penetration Testing AI Systems
SEC536Offensive Operations, Artificial Intelligence
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SEC549: Cloud Security Architecture
- 5 Days (Instructor-Led)
- 30 Hours (Self-Paced)
- GIAC Cloud Security Architecture and Design (GCAD)
- 30 CPEs
Apply your credits to renew your certifications
- In-Person, Virtual or Self-Paced
Attend a live, instructor-led class at a location near you or remotely, or train on your time over 4 months
- Advanced Skill Level
Course material is geared for cyber security professionals with hands-on experience
- 15 Hands-On Lab(s)
Apply what you learn with hands-on exercises and labs
Meet Your Authors
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Eric Johnson
FellowEric Johnson is a Fellow at the SANS Institute and Principal Security Engineer at Puma Security. He leads hands-on training in SEC540: Cloud Native Security and DevSecOps Automation, co-authors SEC549 and SEC510, and develops open-source tools to help practitioners secure cloud pipelines.
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Important! Bring your own system configured according to these instructions.
A properly configured system is required to fully participate in this course. If you do not carefully read and follow these instructions, you will not be able to fully participate in exercises in your course. Therefore, please arrive with a system meeting all the specified requirements.
Back up your system before class. Better yet, use a system without any sensitive/critical data. SANS is not responsible for your system or data.
Mandatory System Hardware Requirements
- Wireless networking (802.11 standard) is required. There is no wired Internet access in the classroom.
Mandatory Host Configuration And Software Requirements
- Your host operating system must be the latest version of Windows 10, Windows 11, or macOS 10.15.x or newer.
- Fully update your host operating system prior to the class to ensure you have the right drivers and patches installed.
- If you choose to use Linux as your host, you are solely responsible for configuring it to work with the course materials and/or VMs.
SANS will be providing access to the following cloud environments: AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud. Unfortunately, due to some cloud security controls we cannot control, sometimes the login you receive requires two-step verification with an authenticator app or a valid phone number where you can receive text messages (virtual numbers will not work). Please ensure you have and are willing to install an authenticator app (e.g., Microsoft Authenticator) and provide your phone number to the cloud provider should this situation occur.
Your course materials include a "Setup Instructions" document that details important steps you must take before you travel to a live class event or start an online class. It may take 30 minutes or more to complete these instructions.
Our class uses a browser-hosted electronic workbook for delivering the lab instructions. A second monitor and/or a tablet device can be useful for keeping instructions materials visible while you are working in the cloud web consoles and draw.io diagrams.
If you have additional questions about the laptop specifications, please contact customer service.
SEC549 training is recommended for a diverse range of individuals, including:
- Solutions Architects
- Security Auditors
- Cloud Architects
- Security Engineers
- Security Architect
- Cloud Engineers
- DevOps Engineers
- System Administrators
- Operations
- Anyone responsible for:
- Enabling business through secure cloud architecture
- Evaluating and adopting new cloud offerings
- Planning for cloud migrations
- Implementing or managing cloud identity and access management
- Managing a cloud-based virtual network
The GIAC Cloud Security Architecture and Design (GCAD) certification validates a practitioner’s understanding of cloud provider frameworks and design approaches for secure architecture in the cloud. GCAD certification holders have demonstrated knowledge of the strategies and design techniques for topics such as workforce identity, conditional access, network security controls, and centralized logging.
- Identity and access management
- Design and implement Zero-Trust concepts
- Network architecture and design
- Data protection
- Configuring centralized monitoring
- Printed and electronic courseware
- Draw.io architectural diagrams representing secure patterns you can use as reference architecture
- Access to the SEC549 Cloud lab environment and sandbox cloud accounts
The following experience is a prerequisite for SEC549:
- Familiarity with AWS, Azure, and Google Management Consoles and common services in these cloud providers
- Experience or willingness to learn how to use cloud architecture diagram tools such as draw.io
- Ability or willingness to learn to run basic Linux commands for SSH connections, testing network connectivity, and looking up domain names
- Familiarity with or willingness to learn identity federation technologies such as SAML, Open ID Connect (OIDC), and JSON Web Tokens (JWT)
Preparing For SEC549
Students taking SEC549 will have the opportunity to learn many different architecture patterns across the AWS, Azure, and Google clouds. Basic familiarity with cloud concepts like IAM, role-based access control, identity federation, VPC networks, and storage services management is helpful.
Additionally, students will delve into cloud-native tools for securing deployments at the network layer. Having a basic understanding of network concepts such as firewalls, network access control lists and IP addressing is also very helpful.
The SEC549 course is part of the Cloud Security focus area and Cloud Security Architect Journey. The development path aims to equip security professionals with a comprehensive understanding of how to build secure cloud environments, from designing cohesive architecture and securing multicloud environments to aligning cloud design with larger business strategies.
Depending on your current or desired future role, one of these courses is a great next step in your cybersecurity journey:
Cloud security architecture is the practice of designing secure systems in cloud environments that align with business goals. It involves understanding both the organization's needs and the capabilities of cloud services to create secure access patterns, network controls, and processes.
Architects must design solutions that work across Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS), Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS), and Software-as-a-Service (SaaS). Hybrid environments—where cloud and on-premises systems connect—add another layer of complexity.
The goal is to spot design flaws and inefficiencies early, before systems go live, and address them with cloud-native security controls.
SEC549 dives deep into these challenges, equipping students with the skills to build secure, scalable cloud architectures across service models.
The SEC549: Cloud Security Architecture course provides in-depth knowledge and relevant experience in designing secure cloud infrastructures. As cloud adoption continues to rise, organizations need skilled professionals who can build secure, scalable, and compliant cloud architectures. By taking this course, you willl gain expertise in cloud-native security controls, identity management, and threat mitigation strategies—skills that are increasingly in demand in the cybersecurity field.
Key Career Benefits:
- Gain practical experience with cloud security design, from IaaS to SaaS models
- Learn to implement zero-trust principles and effective access management
- Develop the ability to identify and mitigate cloud security risks early
- Master cloud migration and hybrid architecture design
- Increase your employability with expertise in securing multi-cloud environments
- This course positions you as a cloud security expert, empowering you to lead the way in securing critical cloud infrastructures.
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