What is the CCSP?
The CCSP is a globally recognised certification from (ISC)², focused on cloud security. It covers key domains including:
- Cloud Concepts, Architecture and Design
- Cloud Data Security
- Cloud Platform & Infrastructure Security
- Cloud Application Security
- Cloud Security Operations
- Legal, Risk and Compliance (Certified Cloud Security Professional Training & Certification Course – BJSL Training Ltd)
To qualify, you generally need relevant experience (e.g. 5 years of IT work, with at least 3 years in information security and 1 year in a domain of the CCSP CBK) (Certified Cloud Security Professional Training & Certification Course – BJSL Training Ltd).
Why the CCSP matters (especially in the UK)
The UK is increasing its adoption of cloud computing across both private and public sectors, with corresponding regulatory demands (GDPR, DPA, sector-specific compliance, etc.). This trend is generating demand for people who can secure cloud environments, ensure compliance, and manage risk.
Some of the reasons CCSP is valuable:
- Global recognition + vendor-neutral: Unlike certifications tied to a particular cloud provider (AWS, Azure, etc.), CCSP gives you skills applicable across different platforms. That’s useful if your employer uses or might use multi-cloud strategies. (Qiita)
- Regulatory, legal, risk alignment: Cloud security isn’t just about the technical bits; legal, compliance, and risk are increasingly important. CCSP covers those domains. In regulated industries—financial services, health, public sector—that’s a big plus.
- Skill shortage & high demand: There is a shortage of professionals with deep cloud security skills, which makes CCSP holders more desirable to employers. (CEO Today)
- Better salaries / roles: Data suggests CCSP certification helps unlock higher-paying roles, more senior positions, and stronger negotiating power. (IT Jobs Watch)
Evidence: Salaries, Job Market & Trends in the UK
Here are some specific numbers and trends to illustrate what difference CCSP can make (or is already making).
| Context | What the Data Shows |
|---|---|
| Salary range | According to IT Jobs Watch, jobs in the UK listing “CCSP” show median salaries around £65,000–£80,000 depending on region, seniority. (IT Jobs Watch) |
| Upper end roles | The 75th percentile in some of those jobs reaches £95,000+ for senior or architect-level cloud security roles. (IT Jobs Watch) |
| Outside London | Even excluding London, CCSP-qualified roles are giving salaries often in the £55,000-£80,000 bracket, depending on region and responsibilities. (IT Jobs Watch) |
| Jobs & postings | There are real roles advertised that reference CCSP explicitly. For example, “Cloud Security Architect, UK Security Operations” jobs where CCSP is listed among required or preferred certifications. Some of those roles advertise salaries of £75,000+. (Indeed) |
How CCSP Can Advance Your Career: Real Paths & Examples
Here are some concrete ways someone in the UK could see career advancement after CCSP—and approximate examples:
| Starting Point | Next Roles / Milestones After CCSP | Example Scenario |
|---|---|---|
| Cloud/IT Security Engineer (mid-level) | Senior Cloud Security Engineer / Cloud Security Architect | A person working as a Cloud or Security Engineer gains CCSP, then leads on designing secure cloud infrastructure, becomes the go-to person for cloud risk reviews. Gets bumped up from ~£60-70k to ~£80-90k+. |
| Compliance/Risk / Governance Role | Cloud Security Consultant / Risk Lead / Security Manager | Someone in risk/compliance gets CCSP to gain technical credibility, enabling transition into roles that bridge technical and policy gaps. May move to roles advisory on cloud migrations or regulatory compliance. |
| Auditor / DevOps with smaller cloud exposure | Hybrid Roles: DevSecOps or Cloud Security Operations | CCSP gives credibility to shoulder more responsibilities in securing cloud pipeline or operations. For example, being part of a team migrating apps to cloud; with CCSP you could lead tasks around identity and access management, data protection in cloud. |
| Already in senior infosec leadership (CISO or equivalent) | Enhanced strategic influence, advisory + higher pay | Even in leadership, having CCSP adds credibility with boards and external stakeholders (auditors, regulators), helps in negotiating budgets, leading cloud-security strategy. |
Potential Challenges & What to Be Aware Of
To make the most of the CCSP, you should also be mindful of:
- Experience requirement: It’s not “junior friendly” in terms of eligibility—you’ll need relevant hands-on and security experience. If you don’t yet meet the experience, you may need to start with other certifications or roles first. (Certified Cloud Security Professional Training & Certification Course – BJSL Training Ltd)
- Keeping up with trends: Cloud is fast-moving: new services, threats, compliance issues (data localisation, cross-border data flows, etc.). Certification helps but ongoing learning is essential.
- Competition & differentiation: Many certifications exist; CCSP helps, but pairing it with practical experience, hands-on skills, possibly cloud-provider specific certs (AWS, Azure, GCP) can further strengthen your profile.
- Cost & effort: Training, exam fees, time in studying – must weigh this against potential return. Want to budget time and perhaps get employer support.
Case Study / Hypothetical Case
To bring this alive, here’s a hypothetical but realistic case.
“Sarah’s Career Path”
- Sarah works at a mid-sized financial services firm in London as an IT Security Engineer. She has about three years working on infrastructure security, but limited cloud exposure (some AWS).
- She decides to get CCSP. She studies via a UK training provider, BJSL Training, passes the exam, meets the experience endorsement.
- After CCSP, she starts being involved in cloud migration projects. She helps design secure cloud architectures, works with risk/compliance teams to ensure GDPR/data localization compliance in cloud.
- Because of this, she is promoted to Cloud Security Architect. Her salary jumps from ~£65,000 to ~£85,000. Her job title now includes responsibility for shaping cloud security strategy, managing vendor risk, and overseeing audits.
- Over time, she becomes a thought leader in her company’s cloud governance, participates in external speaking, maybe mentors juniors.
This kind of jump is plausible based on the data we see on similar roles. (See the job postings with £75,000+ for CCSP roles in London etc.) (Indeed)
Summary: Is It Worth It?
On balance, the CCSP tends to pay off in the UK IF:
- You already have relevant security / IT experience (or are close to getting it).
- You want to move into cloud-security, compliance, or leadership roles.
- You are committed to continuous learning.
- You can use the credential to differentiate yourself in competitive job markets (London & tech hubs, or in regulated sectors).
For many, the cost (in time, money) is offset by higher earning potential, more senior roles, and being better equipped to handle increasingly important cloud security demands.
Use our easy to use training pages to get what you need. contact us with any issues – contactus@bjsl.uk
