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."
The
CKS exam will be available for enrollment in November. More information about
the exam and topics to be covered in it is available here. Those who intend to pursue
the CKS but do not already hold a CKA certification may learn more about that
exam here.