Amazon Web Services
AWS Security – Specialty
AWS Certified Security – Specialty (SCS-C02)
AWS's specialty certification validating expertise in securing AWS workloads, covering threat detection, logging, infrastructure security, IAM, and data protection. Valued for cloud security engineer roles.
What's on the exam
SCS-C02 Exam Guide
Threat Detection and Incident Response
14%Incident response plans · GuardDuty and threat detection · Automated remediation · Forensics and investigation · Containment strategies
Security Logging and Monitoring
18%CloudTrail and CloudWatch · Log design and analysis · Monitoring and alerting · AWS Config and Security Hub · Troubleshooting logging
Infrastructure Security
20%Edge and network security · VPC security controls · Compute and endpoint security · WAF, Shield, and Firewall Manager · Secure network architecture
Identity and Access Management
16%IAM authentication and authorization · Federation and identity providers · Resource and policy design · Least-privilege strategies · Troubleshooting access
Data Protection
18%Encryption at rest and in transit · AWS KMS and CloudHSM key management · Secrets management · Data lifecycle and retention · Certificate management
Management and Security Governance
14%Multi-account governance · AWS Organizations and SCPs · Cost and compliance controls · Secure account provisioning · Centralized security management
Frequently asked questions
How much does the AWS Security – Specialty cost?
The AWS Security – Specialty costs $300. Standard exam fee; a 50% discount voucher is issued after passing any AWS exam.
How long is the AWS Security – Specialty and how many questions does it have?
65 items (50 scored) — 170 minutes.
What do you need to pass the AWS Security – Specialty?
750 on a scale of 100–1000.
Can you retake the AWS Security – Specialty?
14-day wait between attempts.
What is the best way to study for the AWS Security – Specialty?
Study the official blueprint, not random material: the exam is weighted by domain (Threat Detection and Incident Response 14%, Security Logging and Monitoring 18%, Infrastructure Security 20%, Identity and Access Management 16%, Data Protection 18%, Management and Security Governance 14%). Spaced-repetition flashcards built domain-by-domain against that blueprint are the most time-efficient way to cover everything the exam tests.
Program in development
We're building a blueprint-complete program for this exam. Meanwhile, explore live programs across 11 exam.
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