CCSP vs CISSP: Which Should You Get First?

Quick Overview

Both the CISSP (Certified Information Systems Security Professional) and CCSP (Certified Cloud Security Professional) are issued by ISC2 and rank among the most respected cybersecurity certifications worldwide. But they serve different career purposes.

CISSP is a mile wide — it covers eight security domains from risk management to software development security. It's the gold standard for security leadership and management roles.

CCSP goes deep on cloud — six domains focused entirely on cloud architecture, data security, platform security, and compliance. It signals cloud security expertise to employers who are migrating (or already live in) the cloud.

Side-by-Side Comparison

The Case for CISSP First

Most cybersecurity professionals pursue CISSP first, and there's good reason:

• Broader career flexibility — CISSP qualifies you for CISO, security architect, security director, and consulting roles across every industry
• Foundation for specialization — CISSP's eight domains give you a comprehensive security foundation that makes CCSP easier to tackle afterward
• Experience overlap — CISSP counts as your entire CCSP experience requirement, but NOT the other way around
• Higher market recognition — CISSP is the most requested security certification in job postings worldwide
• Management track — If you're targeting leadership roles, CISSP is the expected credential

The Case for CCSP First

CCSP first makes sense in specific scenarios:

• You work in cloud-native environments — If your daily work is AWS, Azure, or GCP security, CCSP is immediately applicable
• Your employer needs cloud compliance expertise — Industries undergoing cloud migration (healthcare, finance, government) value CCSP specifically
• You want a faster path — CCSP's linear exam format is more predictable than CISSP's adaptive CAT exam, and the domain scope is narrower
• You're building a cloud security specialty — Cloud security architect and cloud compliance roles specifically call for CCSP
• Budget considerations — CCSP's $599 exam fee is $150 less than CISSP

Decision Framework

Where They Overlap

Good news: roughly 30% of CCSP content overlaps with CISSP. ISC2 designed them as complementary credentials. If you pass one, you've already got a head start on the other.

Shared Knowledge Areas

• Risk management — Both exams test risk identification, assessment, and mitigation
• Cryptography — Encryption, key management, and PKI appear on both
• Identity and access management — Authentication, authorization, and federation
• Legal and compliance — GDPR, data privacy, regulatory frameworks
• Security architecture — Defense in depth, zero trust, secure design principles
• Business continuity / disaster recovery — BCP/DRP concepts in both exams

Where CCSP Goes Deeper

• Cloud reference architecture (IaaS/PaaS/SaaS security models)
• Cloud data lifecycle and storage security
• Virtualization and container security
• Cloud-specific legal issues (data residency, jurisdiction)
• Cloud application security (DevSecOps, API security)

Salary & Career Impact

Both certifications command strong salary premiums. Based on 2025-2026 industry data:

Getting Both: The Optimal Path

If your long-term goal is to hold both (and it probably should be), here's the most efficient path:

1. Get CISSP first — Build the broad foundation. Study for 3-6 months depending on experience.
2. Let it breathe — Work with your CISSP for 6-12 months. Let the concepts solidify in practice.
3. Add CCSP — With CISSP in hand, you skip the CCSP experience requirement. The 30% overlap means less material to learn. Many people pass CCSP with 4-8 weeks of focused study after CISSP.
4. Maintain both under one fee — ISC2 charges one $125/year AMF that covers all your ISC2 certifications.

Key Takeaway

There's no wrong choice — both CISSP and CCSP are career accelerators. CISSP first is the conventional wisdom for good reason (broader applicability, satisfies CCSP experience), but CCSP first is the smart play if you're deep in cloud and want an immediately relevant credential.

The real power move? Get both. Start with whichever aligns with your current role, then add the other within 12-18 months.