Advanced certification from CNCF and The Linux Foundation will build on industry-leading Certified Kubernetes Administrator.
The Linux Foundation, the nonprofit organization enabling mass innovation through open source, and Cloud Native Computing Foundation® (CNCF®), which builds sustainable ecosystems for cloud-native software, today announced a new certification, the Certified Kubernetes Security Specialist (CKS) is in development. The certification is expected to be generally available before the KubeCon North America event this November.
CKS will consist of a performance-based certification exam testing competence across a broad range of best practices for securing container-based applications and Kubernetes platforms during build, deployment, and runtime. Candidates for CKS must hold a current Certified Kubernetes Administrator (CKA) certification to demonstrate they possess sufficient Kubernetes expertise before sitting for the CKS.
The new certification is being developed to enable cloud-native professionals to demonstrate their security skills to current and potential employers. The certification exam will test domains and competencies including:
- Cluster Setup
- Cluster Hardening
- System Hardening
- Minimize Microservice Vulnerabilities
- Supply Chain Security
- Monitoring, Logging, and Runtime Security
“Not only has cloud conquered the world, but adoption of containers and other cloud-native technologies is also accelerating,” said Clyde Seepersad, SVP, and general manager of training & certification at The Linux Foundation. “As this trend continues, organizations’ concerns over the security of their application containers are growing. Individuals with experience securing containers are already in high demand, and as that demand increases, it is necessary to have a way to verifiably confirm candidates for these job roles have the skills to succeed. The Certified Kubernetes Security Specialist exam will help grow the pool of qualified talent, while also providing employers with confidence that their teams are able to handle the challenges of securing these technologies.”
“As the use of Kubernetes in production soars, it is critical that those who are managing it understand how to do so securely,” said Priyanka Sharma, general manager, Cloud Native Computing Foundation. “The Certified Kubernetes Security Specialist exam will be a valuable add on to the CKA certification for those who want to broaden their working Kubernetes knowledge to include ever-important security best practices.”
