The SCS-C02 certification is a top-level AWS security certification that focuses on the design and implementation of enterprise-level security-in-depth protection systems.

1. Introduction to the SCS-C02 certification

AWS Certified Security Specialty (SCS-C02) is the top expert level certification in the security field within the AWS certification system, focusing on verifying practitioners' end-to-end practical capabilities in designing, building, implementing, and operating enterprise level deep security protection systems based on AWS services. It is the "gold standard" for measuring the core competencies of AWS security experts.

After enterprises go to the cloud, security risks shift from "boundary protection" to "cloud native full chain protection," which requires solving complex problems such as identity and permission abuse, data leakage, non-compliance, and difficult threat detection.

The core of SCS-C02 certification is to cultivate "enterprise level security architects and risk management experts in the AWS ecosystem," who are not simply users of security tools, but can plan security architecture from the "strategic level," implement deep defense from the "technical level," ensure compliance and risk control from the "governance level," and ultimately achieve the security goals of "Confidentiality, Integrity, and Availability" in the AWS environment.

When designing a security system for the AWS environment of financial enterprises, SCS-C02 certificate holders will establish a deep defense system of "identity security—network security—data security—threat protection—compliance governance," minimizing permissions, auditable operations, end-to-end data encryption, second level threat detection and automated response, while meeting industry compliance requirements such as PCI DSS and GDPR.

2. The Competitive Edge of SCS-C02 Certification

SCS-C02 is the only official AWS security expert certification, with a very low proportion of global holders, making it a "must-have" for companies to recruit "AWS security experts." When recruiting for large companies, fintech companies, and AWS partners, they are often listed as the core screening criteria, which is the core symbol that distinguishes ordinary security personnel from experts.

SCS-C02 certification focuses on "enterprise level complex scenarios," which can prove the ability to independently solve AWS security core pain points, advanced threat detection and response, and directly lead the construction of enterprise AWS security system, becoming the technical core backbone.

Holders of SCS-C02 certification can join the AWS Global Security Community to access official security best practice documents, threat intelligence, and compliance solutions; prioritize participation in high-end events such as AWS re: Invent Security Session and Security Technology Summit, connect with experts and high-end project opportunities in the same field, and have broad career development opportunities.

3. Overview of the SCS-C02 Certification

For professionals who are committed to becoming cloud security experts and responsible for designing and maintaining the overall security posture of AWS environments, AWS Certified Security Specialty (SCS-C02) certification is an authoritative credential representing advanced professional competence.

The AWS Certified Security—Specialty certification focuses on the full process and defense in depth security system of the AWS cloud platform, aiming to systematically verify whether you have comprehensive advanced protection capabilities from identity, data, network to threat detection and compliance governance.

As the first line of defense for security, identity and access management require proficiency in IAM advanced policy design, including attribute based access control and permission boundaries. You must master the use of Organizations and SCP for centralized permission governance in a multi account environment, and achieve continuous permission auditing and optimization through means such as IAM Access Analyzer.

The network security and boundary protection module requires you to build a secure network foundation. You need to be able to design isolated VPC architectures and proficiently use security groups, network ACLs, and VPC endpoint nodes. Furthermore, you must master the deployment of WAF, Shield Advanced, and Network Firewall to build a multi-layered advanced threat protection system.

The core of security lies in protecting data. You need to be able to plan end-to-end encryption schemes and proficient in using AWS KMS for full lifecycle key management. At the same time, it is necessary to master the use of Amazon Macie for automatic discovery and classification of sensitive data to achieve effective data leakage prevention.

Threat detection and event response are key to achieving proactive and secure operations. You need to be able to integrate GuardDuty, Inspector, and Security Hub to build a unified threat detection platform, and be proficient in writing automated response scripts through EventBridge and Lambda to achieve rapid discovery and disposal of security incidents.

To ensure that the environment continues to comply with regulations, you need to master the translation of compliance frameworks such as PCI DSS and GDPR into specific AWS security configurations, and use AWS Config and Organizations SCP to implement continuous compliance checks and governance, generating necessary compliance evidence.

Infrastructure and container security are essential for protecting modern computing workloads. You need to master the security reinforcement of EC2 instances, including using Secrets Manager to manage secrets and configure automatic patches, as well as being able to implement network policies and security benchmark configurations for Amazon EKS container clusters.

4. What are the requirements to be an AWS Certified Security Specialty?

(1) Qualification prerequisites:

Before obtaining SCS-C02 certification, you must first pass an AWS Assistant level certification. We recommend that you have at least 2 years of practical experience in AWS and be proficient in the security configuration of core services.

We recommend that you have at least 1 year of experience in enterprise level security architecture design or security operations; Be familiar with at least one compliance framework and prepare for the exam while understanding the best practices of cloud native security. 

(2) Training and examinations:

SCS-C02 has a total of approximately 65 questions, including multiple-choice questions and scenario analysis questions for designing security solutions based on complex business scenarios.

The SCS-C02 exam lasts for 170 minutes, including 10 minutes of pre-exam instructions and a 5-minute survey questionnaire. The maximum score for the exam is 1000 points, with a passing score of 750 or above. The exam fee is approximately $300. 

(3) Qualification maintenance:

The SCS-C02 certificate is valid for 3 years and must be renewed by passing the "renewal exam" or obtaining other AWS expert level certifications within the validity period

5. Comparable Certifications to AWS Certified Security Specialty Certification

• Certified Cloud Security Professional (CCSP)
• Certified Cloud Security Knowledge (CCSK)
• Google Professional Cloud Security Engineer
• Microsoft Certified: Azure Security Engineer Associate