Certified Cloud-Native Security ExpertTM
Secure Kubernetes before hackers exploit it. 94% of organizations faced Kubernetes cluster breaches, costing $4.2M on average. Learn to hack, defend, implement Kubernetes Security to eliminate misconfigurations, optimize RBAC, and build zero-trust networks. Become a Kubernetes Security Expert within 60 days.
Over 5,000+
Learners Certified
Self-paced learning
Browser based lab access
24/7 Instructor support
Self-paced learning mode
Browser based lab access
24/7 Instructor support
Self-paced learning mode
Browser based lab access
24/7 Instructor support
Trusted by top companies across industries, empowering thousands of professionals worldwide. Join the ranks of security leaders
CCNSE Cloud Native Certification in security Prerequisites
- Course participants should have knowledge of running basic Linux commands like ls, cd, mkdir, etc.,
- Basic knowledge in container technology and k8s helps but is not needed.
- Understanding of OWASP Top 10 vulnerabilities
Chapter 1: Introduction to Cloud-Native Concepts and its Security
- Course Introduction (About the course, syllabus, and how to approach it)
- About Certification and how to approach it
- Lab Environment
- Lifetime course support (Mattermost)
- Overview of the Cloud Native Technologies
- The 4C’s of Cloud-Native Security
- Cloud
- Clusters
- Containers
- Code (SCA, SAST, DAST) – DevSecOps
- Security and Threat Model of Cloud-Native technologies
- Overview of Cloud Security
- Overview of Container Security (Container Vulnerability, Supply Chain Attack, Least Privilege)
- Overview of Kubernetes Security
- Overview of Microservices Security
- Hands-on Exercise:
- Learn how to use our browser-based lab environment
Chapter 2: Introduction to Microservices Architecture
- The need for microservices
- Monolith vs Microservices
- Technical and Business pros and cons of Microservices
- Tools of the trade
- Source code management
- CI/CD tools
- Artefact management
- Cloud Platform
- Infrastructure as code
- Monitoring and logging tools
- Collaboration tools
- REST APIs
- What is an API
- API Security
- Introduction to OWASP API Top 10
- Software Component Analysis of API
- Static Application Security Testing of API
- Dynamic Application Security Testing of API
- Hands-on Exercises:
- Working With GitLab CI/CD
- Advanced GitLab CI/CD
- Continuous Deployment Using GitLab
What you’ll learn from the Certified Cloud Native Security Expert?
Identify and exploit Kubernetes vulnerabilities through hands-on attack scenarios, including supply chain attacks, credential theft, and privileged container escapes that mirror real-world security breaches.
Implement robust authentication and authorization using RBAC, certificate-based authentication, and integration with external identity providers like Keycloak to prevent unauthorized cluster access.
Secure Kubernetes networks using Network Policies, Service Meshes (Istio, Linkerd), and Zero Trust principles to protect sensitive data while ensuring proper service-to-service communication.
Safeguard secrets and sensitive data using HashiCorp Vault, Sealed Secrets, and encryption-at-rest techniques to prevent data exposure in cloud-native environments.
Deploy and configure Admission Controllers, OPA Gatekeeper, and Pod Security Standards to enforce security policies and prevent misconfigured workloads from deploying to production clusters.
Detect and respond to Kubernetes threats using runtime security tools like Falco, advanced monitoring with Wazuh, and threat hunting through audit logs to maintain continuous security posture.
Chapter 3: Containers and Container Security
- What is a container?
- Container vs Virtualization
- Container Advantages
- Container Disadvantages
- Docker Architecture and its components
- Command Line Interface(CLI)
- Engine (Daemon, API)
- Runtime (containerd, shim, runc)
- Basics of container technology and its challenges
- Container fundamentals
- Namespaces
- Cgroup
- Capabilities
- Ways to interact with container ecosystem
- Container security issues
- Container Defenses
- Hands-on Exercises:
- Working With Docker Command
- Create Docker Image Using Dockerfile
- Malicious Container Image
- Build a Secure, Miniature Image With Distroless To Minimize Attack Footprint
- How To Use Container Registry
- Attacking Misconfigured Docker Registry
- Signing Container Images for Trust
- Securing Container Using Seccomp
- Exploiting Containerized Application
- Docker Privilege Escalation
Chapter 4: Introduction to Kubernetes
- Introduction to Kubernetes
- Kubernetes Use Cases
- Kubernetes Architecture (Core Components)
- Cluster, Nodes, and Pods
- API Server
- Controller Manager
- Etcd
- kube-scheduler
- kubelet
- Kube-proxy
- Container Runtime
- Bootstrapping the Kubernetes cluster
- Kubernetes Package Manager
- Understanding Helm Workflow
- Creating Helm Charts
- Hands-On Exercises:
- Bootstrapping the Kubernetes Cluster Using kubeadm
- Kubernetes Basics Component
- Working With Kubernetes
- Kubernetes Secrets
- Kubernetes Service Accounts
- Kubernetes Storage
- Kubernetes Networking Using Calico
Chapter 5: Hacking Kubernetes Cluster
- Kubernetes Attack Surface and Threat Matrix
- Common Kubernetes security issues
- Differences in k8s installations (support for PSP vs no PSP)
- Hands-On Exercises:
- Kubernetes Reconnaissance Through Port Scanning
- Hacking Kubernetes Using Kubernetes Dashboard
- Reconnaissance Using kube-hunter
- Crashing Kubernetes cluster
- Exploiting Kubelet API
- Exploiting Privileged Containers
- Compromising Kubernetes Secrets
- Supply Chain Attack Using Poisoned Image
- Supply Chain Attack Using Malicious Helm Chart
- Sniffing Kubernetes Network Traffic
Chapter 6: Kubernetes Authentication and Authorization
- Fundamentals of Kubernetes Authentication and Authorization
- Authentication mechanisms in Kubernetes
- Authentication with Client Certificates
- Authentication with Bearer Tokens
- HTTP Basic Authentication
- Remote Authentication
- Authorization mechanisms in Kubernetes
- Node Authorization
- Attribute Based Access Control (ABAC)
- Role-Based Access Control (RBAC
- Hands-On Exercises:
- Creating Kubernetes Users Using Certificates
- Kubernetes Authentication Using Keycloak
- Find Misconfigured RBAC Using KubiScan
- Static Analysis of the Access Control Using Krane
Chapter 7: Kubernetes Admission Controllers
- Fundamentals of Admission Controllers
- Static Admission Controllers
- LimitRanger
- DefaultStorageClass
- AlwaysPullImages
- Dynamic Admission Controllers
- Introduction to Custom Admission Controllers
- Working with Custom Admission WebHooks
- Authenticating API Servers
- Open Policy Agent (OPA) and Rego Policies
- Using OPA with Kubernetes
- OPA Gatekeeper
- OPA Kube-mgmt vs OPA Gatekeeper
- Pod Security Context
- Pod Security Policies
- Pod Security Admission
- Pod Security Standards
- Policy Modes
- Applying Policies
- Different Options to Write Custom Policies for K8s
- Hands-On Exercises:
- Enforcing Custom Resource Limits With LimitRanger
- Enforcing Images Are Always Pulled With Authorization
- Enforced Trusted Images Using OPA Gatekeeper
Chapter 8: Kubernetes Data Security
- Kubernetes Data Storage mechanisms
- Image Layers
- Container Mounts and Volumes
- Distributed Volumes in Kubernetes
- Persistent Volumes on Cloud
- Dynamically Provisioning Cloud Storage for Workloads
- Managing secrets in traditional infrastructure
- Managing secrets in containers at Scale
- Exploring Secret Storage Options
- Kubernetes Secrets Object
- Encrypted Configurations
- Managing Encryption Keys in External KMS
- Encrypting Secret Objects in Version Control Systems
- Mozilla SOPS for Secret OPerationS
- Introducing Secrets Store CSI Drivers
- Environment Variables and Volume Mounts
- Injecting Secrets with Hashicorp Vault
- Sanning for Secrets Exposure
- Hands-On Exercises:
- Encrypting Kubernetes Secrets at Rest
- Storing Secrets Securely Using HashiCorp Vault
- Managing Secrets Using Sealed Secrets
- Kubernetes Image Scanning Using Trivy
Chapter 9: Kubernetes Network Security
- Introduction to Kubernetes Networking
- Kubernetes Networking Architecture
- Challenges with Kubernetes Networking
- Network Policies in Kubernetes
- Network Policy and Its Characteristics
- Anatomy of a Network Policy
- Fallacies of Distributed Computing
- Service Mesh Architecture
- Exploring Linkerd
- Zero Trust with Consul Connect
- Service Identities with Istio
- Hands-On Exercises:
- Writing Network Policies in Kubernetes
- Kubernetes Ingress Using NGINX Ingress
- Implementing a Service Mesh and mTLS With Istio
- Implementing a Service Mesh With Linkerd
- Enforce Zero Trust Networking Using Consul Connec
Chapter 10: Defending Kubernetes Cluster
- Compliance and Governance
- Kubernetes Compliance with Kubebench
- Kubernetes Compliance with Inspec
- Threat Modeling for Kubernetes
- Static Analysis of Kubernetes clusters
- Building Secure Container Images
- Dynamic and Runtime Security Analysis
- Security Monitoring
- Hands-On Exercises:
- Principle of Least Privileges Using Role-Based Access Control
- Kubernetes Static Analysis
- Performing Static Analysis of Manifest Files in CI/CD Pipeline
- Defining Kubernetes Resource Quotas
- Kubernetes Compliance Using CIS Benchmarks
- Securing Kubernetes Workloads Using gVisor
- Security Monitoring of Kubernetes Cluster Using Wazuh
- Kubernetes Threat Detection Using Falco
- Threat Hunting With Kubernetes Audit Logs
Cloud-Native Security Certification Process
- After completing the course, you can schedule the CCNSE exam on your preferred date.
- Process of achieving Practical DevSecOps CCNSE Certification can be found here.
Benefits of enrolling in the
Practical DevSecOps Courses
Master today’s security challenges with our updated curriculum and hands-on labs, preparing you for real-world threats.
Browser-based lab
Access all tools and exercises directly in your browser. Enjoy a practical, hassle-free learning experience - no downloads or installations needed!
Explore commands with our new AI-Powered 'Explain to me' feature
Gain detailed insights into any command with our AI-powered feature, designed to enhance your understanding and accelerate your learning.
Master cutting-edge tools
Enhance your security skills through hands-on experience with the latest industry tools in our labs. Get equipped for real-world applications and stay ahead of industry changes.
Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
What are the prerequisites required before enrolling in the Certified Cloud-Native Security Expert Course?
Basic Linux command knowledge is essential before starting this course. While not mandatory, having experience with container technology and Kubernetes will give you an advantage. Familiarity with OWASP Top 10 vulnerabilities is also beneficial.
What’s included in the Certified Cloud-Native Security Expert course package?
Your enrollment includes 3-year access to all video content, 60 days of hands-on browser-based labs, a comprehensive PDF manual, 40+ Guided exercises, 24/7 support and one certification exam attempt.
Does the Certified Cloud-Native Security Expert Course Start Immediately after enrollment?
No, The course doesn’t begin automatically after purchase. Instead, you’ll have the flexibility to choose your preferred start date, and your course access will be activated from your selected date.
E.g. you can start 2 to 3 months later as well.
Does the Certified Cloud-Native Security Expert come with CPE points?
Yes, upon completion of the Kubernetes Security course, you’ll earn 36 CPE points.
What is the Exam Format for the Certified Cloud-Native Security Expert?
The exam follows a practical format, where you’ll tackle 5 real-world challenges within a 6-hour window. You’ll then have an additional 24 hours to prepare and submit your detailed report for evaluation. For more information, visit this link.
Should I go to an exam center, or is the exam online?
Yes, it is an online exam. You can take the exam from the comfort of your home or office.
How long is the Certified Cloud-Native Security Expert certification valid?
The Kubernetes Security certification is a lifetime credential that never expires. Once you earn it, it remains valid throughout your entire career with no renewal requirements.
Why choose the Certified Cloud-Native Security Expert course from Practical DevSecOps?
Unlike theoretical courses, this vendor-neutral certification provides hands-on experience tackling real-world cloud-native security challenges. With 24/7 support via Mattermost and browser-based labs, This course will help you become job ready to secure Cloud-Native environments for large enterprises.
What you’ll learn:
- Hack and defend Kubernetes clusters through realistic attack scenarios and implement proper countermeasures.
- Secure cloud-native applications with proper authentication, authorization, and admission control mechanisms.
- Implement network security using policies, service meshes, and zero-trust principles.
- Protect sensitive data with advanced secrets management and detect threats using runtime security tools.
Hear from our learners
Explore the global impact of our Cloud-Native Security Expert Certification through our learners’ testimonials.
After two months of studying and a grueling 12-hour exam last Saturday, I'm happy to share I can now call myself a Certified DevSecOps Professional!
Would recommend the course to anyone that wants to really get hands-on and technical with tooling such as SCA, SAST, DAST, IaC and CaC.
I received good news over the Thanksgiving week: I passed my Certified Container Security Expert exam! This is exam is provided by the Practical DevSecOps training group, which I highly recommend for hands-on skills in the DevSecOps field. The practical labs and 6 hour exam covers a number of security strategies and tools, including: Harbor, Cosign, Trivy, Grype, Snyk, Dockle, Seccomp and many more! The training is FIRST CLASS!
I am happy to share that I have lately gained the Practical DevSecOps Professional Certification (CDP).
Thanks to the Practical DevSecOps team, for both excellent material and a lot of great practical labs.
The certification finished off with a challenging 12 hours practical exam and extensive report writing.
I'm excited to share that I have successfully obtained the CCNSE certification!
This accomplishment has provided me with advanced abilities to effectively secure microservices, containers and Kubernetes environments.
I now possess comprehensive expertise in handling attacks, implementing defenses, and ensuring compliance within these complex systems.
I would like to give big thanks to the very responsive team at Practical DevSecOps.
After two months of studying and a grueling 12-hour Practical exam, I'm happy to share that I can now call myself a Certified DevSecOps Professional!
Warmly recommend this excellent course for technical architects, or engineers who want to gain hands-on skills on how to embed security across modern SDLC.
The labs covered running below mentioned security tools using Docker and building E2E DevOps pipeline with integrated security automation using GitLab, Jenkins, CircleCI, and GitHub Actions.
SCA, SAST, DAST, Infra as Code/hardening (IaC), Compliance as Code(CaC), Vulnerability mgmt
Thanks Practical DevSecOps
This was a great course with practical training for how to embed automated security scanning into a CI/CD pipeline, plus hardening and compliance checks using an everything-as-code approach. Finishing off with a challenging 12 hour practical exam and extensive report writing requirement and assessment to gain the Certified DevSecOps Professional (CDP) certificate. Thanks to Mohammed A. Imran and Raj Shekar of Practical DevSecOps.
After very challenging 12-hours hands-on exam and preparing extensive exam report I am now Certified DevSecOps Professional (CDP)!
The quality of the course material was surprisingly good and the lab environment is better than any other that I've come across. And in the AppSec field, I have seen quite a few of them. If you want to learn about application security, CI/CD pipelines, Docker, IaC, CaC, SAST, DAST, SCA and these other crazy but very cool acronyms and buzzwords, you would be very wise to join this course.
Whoa! After completing 139 lab exercises and intensive 12 hour exam in 1,5 months, I am finally a Certified DevSecOps Professional too. 🎉
Warmly recommend this excellent course for technical Product Owners, architects or engineers who want to gain hands-on skills on how to embed security across modern SDLC.
The labs covered running below mentioned security tools using Docker and building E2E DevOps pipeline with integrated security automation using GitLab, Jenkins, CircleCI and GitHub Actions.
SCA: Safety, pip-audit, RetireJS, dependency-check, Snyk, npm audit, auditjs, bundler-audit SAST: Trufflehog, detect-secrets, Bandit, Gosec, semgrep, hadolint, FindSecBugs, njsscan, pylint, Brakeman, SonarQube DAST: nikto, nmap, SSLyze, ZAP, Dastardly Infra as Code/hardening: Ansible, AnsibleVault, TFLint, Checkov, Terrascan, tfsec, Snyk Compliance as Code: Inspec for CIS Benchmark, ASVS, Docker compliance Vulnerability mgmt using DefectDojo
I am happy to share that I have lately gained the Practical DevSecOps Professional Certification (CDP).
Thanks to the Practical DevSecOps team, for both excellent material and a lot of great practical labs.
The certification finished off with a challenging 12 hours practical exam and extensive report writing.
I recently took the Certified DevSecOps Professional (CDP) certification from Practical DevSecOps. I would recommend the course for anybody that is interested in DevSecOps. The course material was well-written and presented. The labs were very helpful for real-world applications, and the test was a fun challenge.
Future-Proof Your Career with Kubernetes Security Training
Unlock your potential with Kubernetes Security Certification ! Our Certified Cloud Native Security Expert Course equips you with job-ready skills. Conquer the 6-hour exam with confidence and open doors to exciting opportunities and Challenges.
Unmatched practical focus
70% hands-on labs for Master real-world scenario’s.
Expert-crafted curriculum
Get real-world insights from the experienced Security Experts.
Practical exam
Take a 6-hour examination to show what you have learned.
24/7 expert support
Unbeatable guidance throughout your learning journey.