The GIAC Cloud Security Architecture and Design (GCAD) certification is a highly valuable credential that validates a practitioner’s understanding of cloud provider frameworks and design approaches for secure architecture in the cloud.
The GCAD covers the strategies and design techniques for topics such as workforce identity, conditional access, network security controls, and centralized logging. Earning the GCAD helps security architects and engineers validate their expertise in designing and securing enterprise cloud environments.
Overview
As organizations rely more heavily on multi-cloud and hybrid environments, the need for security professionals capable of designing robust, scalable, and secure cloud architectures is critical.
The GIAC Cloud Security Architecture and Design (GCAD) certification demonstrates proficiency in architecting and designing security controls across all major cloud domains.
The GCAD focuses on establishing a strong security posture from the ground up, covering fundamental principles like Zero Trust, advanced identity management, and comprehensive data protection strategies.
Exam Format
- Questions : 75 multiple-choice
- Exam duration : 2 hours
- Passing score : 63%
Topics Covered
The GCAD exam covers a wide range of topics, focusing on architectural design principles and the implementation of key security services across cloud providers.
Identity and Access Management (IAM)
Workforce and Customer Identity
- Federated Access and SSO: Understanding Identity Federation, including SSO operation, SAML, and cloud identity services.
- Cloud Identity: Familiarity with fundamental cloud identity management (IAM), including IAM roles and trust policies.
- Architecting Cross-Cloud Identity: Knowledge of cross-cloud identity solutions, including Service Principles and Open ID Connect.
- Customer Identity and Access Management (CIAM): Implementing solutions for managing customer identities.
Zero Trust and Conditional Access
- Implementing Zero Trust: Understanding Zero Trust architecture concepts, including EUC tickets and micro-segmentation.
- Conditional Access Policies: Demonstrating understanding of implementing cloud-based conditional access policies to enforce granular control.
Network Architecture and Design
Large-Scale Network Management
- Hierarchical Cloud Structures: Understanding cloud architecture principles, including Foundational OU design and resource hierarchies.
- Managing Cloud Networks at Scale: Managing large cloud-based networks using shared VPCs and cloud-based firewalls.
Security Controls and Segmentation
- Centralizing Shared Network Services: Methods of centralizing shared cloud network services via VPC gateways and interface endpoints.
- Network Firewalls and Traffic Inspection: Familiarity with various cloud-based load balancing and traffic inspection architectures.
- Cloud Network Micro Segmentation: Methods of implementing network micro-segmentation in the cloud.
Data Protection and Key Management
Data Security Frameworks
- Data Security: Understanding data security frameworks, best practices, and disaster recovery planning.
- Defending Data in the Cloud: Understanding how to defend cloud-based data repositories using ACLs, encryption, and monitoring.
- Data Classification and Resource Tagging: Familiarity with data classification conventions and resource tagging methodology for governance.
Key Management
- Key Management Architecture: Familiarity with various digital key management system (KMS) architectures and best practices.
Comprehensive Logging and Monitoring
Centralized Observability
- Comprehensive Logging and Aggregation: Familiarity with cloud-native approaches to log staging and aggregation.
- Orchestrating Log Integrations: Understanding of cloud-native log forwarding to better enable alerting and incident response activities.
- Incident Response in the Cloud: Enabling SOC teams with cloud-native data for effective response.
How to Prepare for the Exam
The best way to prepare for the GCAD exam is to thoroughly study the architectural concepts, focusing on design patterns and cross-cloud implementation details. Hands-on experience with identity systems (like Azure AD, AWS IAM), network controls (VPCs, firewalls, endpoints), and logging services (CloudWatch, CloudTrail, Azure Monitor) is essential.
If you are curious about taking the GCAD exam, you can take a demo of the SEC549 course on the SANS website.
Resources
Books
- Security Architecture for Hybrid Cloud (2024) by Mark Buckwell, Stefaan Van Daele, and Carsten Horst
- Practical Cloud Security: A Guide for Secure Design and Deployment (2023) by Chris Dotson
- Zero Trust Networks, 2nd Edition (2024) by Razi Rais, Christina Morillo, Evan Gilman, and Doug Barth
Courses
- SEC549: Cloud Security Architecture by SANS Institute
- Google Cloud Security Engineer (Professional Certificate) by Google Cloud
- Azure Security Engineer Associate (AZ-500) Learning Path
- AWS Certified Security – Specialty (SCS-C01) Learning Path
Frameworks and Whitepapers
- Cloud Security Alliance Cloud Controls Matrix (CCM)
- NIST SP 800-207: Zero Trust Architecture
- Microsoft Zero Trust Guidance Center
- AWS Well-Architected Framework (Security Pillar)