☁️ Google Professional Cloud Security Engineer (expert level)

🧠 1. Certification Name and Issuing Body

  • Full name: Google Professional Cloud Security Engineer

  • Issuing organization: Google Cloud (GCP)

  • Reputation and global recognition: Highly regarded for validating expert-level security skills specific to Google Cloud Platform (GCP), with strong industry recognition in enterprise and regulated environments

📚 2. Curriculum and Skills Covered

  • Covered domains:

    1. Configuring access within a cloud solution environment

    2. Configuring network security

    3. Ensuring data protection

    4. Managing operations within a cloud solution environment

    5. Ensuring compliance

  • Depth of content: Advanced – mix of theoretical security frameworks and practical implementation in GCP

  • Technologies and tools included:

    • Google Cloud IAM, VPC Service Controls, Cloud KMS, DLP API, Security Command Center, Chronicle, Forseti, SCC

    • Integration with SIEM, CASB, threat modeling, encryption in-transit/at-rest

  • Relevance in the current job market: Very high – essential for organizations using or migrating to Google Cloud

  • Mapping to frameworks: NIST SP 800-53, ISO 27001, Google’s shared responsibility model, MITRE ATT&CK

🧩 3. Prerequisites and Recommended Level

  • Prior experience required:

    • Recommended: 3+ years industry experience, including 1+ year managing solutions on GCP

  • Expected skill level: Advanced

  • Recommended knowledge: Cloud security principles, GCP services, scripting (e.g., Python, Shell), IAM, compliance, and DevSecOps practices

🧪 4. Exam Format and Difficulty

  • Exam format:

    • Multiple choice and multiple select

    • Length: 2 hours

    • Proctored: Online or in-person testing centers

    • Passing score: Not publicly disclosed (Google uses scaled scoring)

  • Languages: English, Japanese

  • Difficulty: High – designed for experienced cloud professionals securing GCP workloads in production

💰 5. Cost and Renewal

  • Exam cost: $200 USD

  • Recertification: Every 2 years

  • CPEs required: No formal CPE requirement

  • Renewal method: Reattempt latest version of the certification exam

💼 6. Industry Recognition and Job Roles

  • Global demand: Strong and growing due to Google Cloud’s increasing enterprise adoption

  • Recognized by: GCP partners, fintech, healthcare, and tech companies with Google Cloud stacks

  • Typical job roles:

    • Cloud Security Engineer (GCP)

    • Security Operations Engineer

    • Cloud Compliance Officer

    • GCP DevSecOps Engineer

    • Threat Detection Specialist in GCP

💵 7. Salary Expectations

  • Europe: €85,000 – €125,000/year (average: €100,000)

  • USA: $130,000 – $165,000/year (average: $145,000)