Weeks 1–8: Cloud Fundamentals & Basic Security Concepts

Week 1: Introduction to Cloud Computing & Basic Concepts

1. Day 1–3: Overview of Cloud Computing (Deployment Models, Cloud Types)

o Read: "Cloud Computing: Concepts, Technology & Architecture"
o Videos: Cloud computing basics (YouTube)
2. Day 4–6: Introduction to Cloud Providers (AWS, Azure, GCP)
o Read: Basic documentation from AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud
o Labs: Explore cloud platforms (sign up for AWS Free Tier, Azure Free
Account)
3. Day 7–8: Cloud Security Basics
o Read: "Cloud Security and Privacy"
o Videos: Introduction to Cloud Security (YouTube)

Week 2: Networking & Cryptography Basics

1. Day 9–11: Networking Fundamentals (TCP/IP, DNS, VPN, Load Balancing)

o Read: "Networking All-in-One For Dummies"
o Labs: Set up basic network configurations in the cloud (AWS VPC, Azure
VNet)
2. Day 12–14: Introduction to Cryptography
o Read: "Cryptography and Network Security"
o Labs: Encrypt data with cloud services (AWS KMS, Azure Key Vault)

Week 3: Cloud Identity & Access Management (IAM)

1. Day 15–17: Cloud IAM Concepts (Roles, Policies, Permissions)

o Read: AWS IAM, Azure AD, GCP IAM documentation
o Labs: Set up IAM policies and permissions
2. Day 18–20: Authentication and Authorization Mechanisms
o Read: "OAuth 2.0 and OpenID Connect"
o Labs: Implement OAuth in AWS Cognito or Azure AD B2C
3. Day 21: Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) in Cloud
o Read: Cloud MFA best practices (AWS, Azure, GCP)
o Labs: Set up MFA in AWS/Azure

Week 4: Introduction to Threats & Cloud Security Monitoring

1. Day 22–24: Cloud Threat Landscape (DDoS, APTs, Insider Threats)

o Read: Cloud Security Threat Intelligence reports (AWS, Azure, GCP)
o Labs: Set up threat monitoring with AWS GuardDuty, Azure Sentinel, GCP
Security Command Center
2. Day 25–27: Security Monitoring Tools
o Read: Overview of SIEM tools (Splunk, Cloud-native monitoring)
o Labs: Set up CloudWatch, Azure Monitor
3. Day 28: Incident Response in the Cloud
o Read: AWS/Azure Incident Response guides
o Labs: Simulate an incident response scenario
Weeks 5–12: Cloud Security Frameworks, Compliance & Risk Management

Week 5: Cloud Security Frameworks & Standards

1. Day 29–31: NIST, CIS, ISO 27001 Frameworks

o Read: NIST Cybersecurity Framework, Cloud Security Alliance (CSA) CCM
o Labs: Align a cloud architecture with NIST guidelines
2. Day 32–34: Compliance in the Cloud (GDPR, HIPAA, PCI-DSS)
o Read: Compliance documentation for AWS, Azure, GCP
o Labs: Implement a compliant solution for a cloud application

Week 6: Risk Management & Cloud Governance

1. Day 35–37: Cloud Risk Management Concepts

o Read: "Risk Management Framework for Information Systems" (NIST SP 800-
53)
o Labs: Perform risk assessments on cloud workloads
2. Day 38–40: Cloud Governance and Policy Management
o Read: AWS Organizations, Azure Management Groups, GCP Resource
Manager
o Labs: Set up cloud policies and governance for an organization
3. Day 41–42: Cloud Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery
o Read: Cloud DR strategies, AWS Well-Architected Framework
o Labs: Set up a disaster recovery strategy in the cloud

Week 7: Security in Cloud Network Architectures

1. Day 43–45: Network Security in Cloud Environments

o Read: AWS VPC Security, Azure Network Security, GCP VPC Security
o Labs: Secure a VPC, implement firewalls, and configure subnets
2. Day 46–48: Advanced Network Security Tools (IDS, IPS, DDoS Protection)
o Read: AWS Shield, Azure DDoS Protection, Google Cloud Armor
o Labs: Set up DDoS protection and an intrusion detection system
3. Day 49–51: Securing Public and Private Cloud Networks
o Read: Networking best practices for hybrid cloud deployments
o Labs: Configure VPNs, Direct Connect, and hybrid networks

Week 8: Cloud Security Automation & CI/CD Security

1. Day 52–54: Introduction to DevSecOps

o Read: DevSecOps practices in cloud environments
o Labs: Implement security in CI/CD pipelines (Jenkins, GitHub Actions)
2. Day 55–57: Infrastructure as Code (IaC) Security
o Read: Securing Terraform, AWS CloudFormation, Azure Resource Manager
o Labs: Write secure IaC templates and perform security validation
3. Day 58–60: Automating Cloud Security with Lambda/Functions
o Read: AWS Lambda, Azure Functions security automation
o Labs: Implement a Lambda function for automated security responses
Weeks 9–16: Deep Dive into Cloud Security Services

Week 9: AWS Security Services

1. Day 61–63: AWS Security Best Practices

o Read: AWS Security Whitepapers and IAM Best Practices
o Labs: Implement IAM roles, encryption, and compliance automation
2. Day 64–66: AWS Network Security (VPC, Security Groups, NACL)
o Read: AWS VPC Security Best Practices
o Labs: Secure a multi-region AWS VPC with Security Groups and NACLs
3. Day 67–69: AWS Advanced Security Tools (GuardDuty, WAF, Shield)
o Read: AWS Security Services Overview
o Labs: Set up GuardDuty, AWS WAF, and AWS Shield

Week 10: Azure Security Services

1. Day 70–72: Azure Security Center Overview

o Read: Azure Security Center documentation
o Labs: Implement security monitoring and alerts in Azure Security Center
2. Day 73–75: Azure Identity and Access Management
o Read: Azure AD security, role-based access control (RBAC)
o Labs: Set up Azure AD with conditional access policies
3. Day 76–78: Azure Networking and DDoS Protection
o Read: Azure Network Security and DDoS Protection documentation
o Labs: Configure secure networks in Azure and protect against DDoS attacks

Week 11: Google Cloud Security Services

1. Day 79–81: Google Cloud Security Overview

o Read: Google Cloud Security documentation
o Labs: Set up IAM and KMS in Google Cloud
2. Day 82–84: Google Cloud Threat Detection and Incident Response
o Read: Google Cloud Security Command Center
o Labs: Set up threat detection and automated incident responses in Google
Cloud
3. Day 85–87: Google Cloud Network Security
o Read: GCP VPC and Firewall rules security
o Labs: Secure a GCP VPC and configure firewalls

Week 12: Cloud Security Automation & Best Practices

1. Day 88–90: Cloud Security Automation Tools

o Read: Introduction to Cloud Security Automation tools (e.g., CloudFormation,
Terraform)
o Labs: Automate cloud security configurations with Terraform
2. Day 91–93: Best Practices for Secure Cloud Applications
o Read: Securing cloud applications using AWS/Azure security services
 o Labs: Implement security best practices in cloud-hosted applications

Weeks 13–20: Cloud Security Certifications Preparation

Week 13–16: AWS Certified Security Specialty

1. Day 94–115: Study for AWS Certified Security Specialty Exam

o Read: AWS Certified Security Specialty Exam Study Guide
o Labs: Practice scenarios and mock exams
o Focus Areas: IAM, VPC, Encryption, Monitoring, Incident Response

Week 17–20: Azure Security Engineer Associate

1. Day 116–137: Study for Azure Security Engineer Associate Exam

o Read: Official Azure Security Engineer Study Guide
o Labs: Implement security for Azure resources
o Practice Exams: Complete mock exams

Weeks 21–56: Advanced Topics, Projects & Continued Practice

Week 21–24: Advanced Cloud Security Techniques

1. Day 138–150: Advanced Threat Detection & Penetration Testing

o Read: Advanced penetration testing tools and techniques in cloud
environments
o Labs: Conduct penetration tests on cloud infrastructures

Week 25–28: Securing Serverless & Containerized Environments

1. Day 151–162: Security in Serverless Architectures

o Read: Securing AWS Lambda, Azure Functions
o Labs: Deploy and secure a serverless application

Week 29–32: Advanced Security Tools and Vulnerability Scanning

1. Day 163–174: Cloud Vulnerability Scanning & Management

o Read: Cloud-native vulnerability scanning tools
o Labs: Scan and secure cloud applications

Week 33–40: Cloud Security Best Practices & Real-World Projects

1. Day 175–200: Cloud Security Architecture Projects

o Labs: Build real-world secure architectures (Hybrid, Multi-cloud,
Compliance)
Week 41–48: Incident Response & Forensics in Cloud

1. Day 201–224: Cloud Incident Response Playbooks and Forensics

o Labs: Simulate real-world security incidents and responses in
AWS/Azure/GCP

Week 49–56: Review & Final Exam Preparation

1. Day 225–250: Review & Study for Exams

o Labs: Hands-on review of all learned material
o Practice Exams: Focus on weak areas