AWS Certified Security - Specialty Study Guide: Everything You Need to Know 2025
Your complete roadmap to passing the SCS-C02 certification exam. This comprehensive study guide covers all 6 exam domains with detailed explanations, study tips, and practice resources.
Quick Start
Essential steps to begin your preparation
Review Exam Objectives
View all domains →Take Assessment Quiz
Free practice test →Follow Study Plan
8-week roadmap →Full Practice Exams
Start practicing →Exam Domains & Objectives
Master these 6 domains to pass the SCS-C02 exam
Threat Detection and Incident Response
Security Logging and Monitoring
Infrastructure Security
Identity and Access Management
Data Protection
Management and Security Governance
8-Week Study Plan
Follow this structured plan to prepare for your AWS Certified Security - Specialty exam
Foundation
Understand core concepts and exam objectives
Focus Areas:
- Threat Detection and Incident Response
- Security Logging and Monitoring
Deep Dive
Master advanced topics and practical applications
Focus Areas:
- Infrastructure Security
- Identity and Access Management
Practice & Review
Take practice exams and review weak areas
Focus Areas:
- Data Protection
- Management and Security Governance
Final Prep
Full practice exams and last-minute review
Focus Areas:
- Full-length practice tests
- Review all domains
Curated Study Resources
AI-curated resources with real links to help you prepare for the AWS Certified Security - Specialty exam
Complete Study Guide for AWS Certified Security - Specialty (SCS-C02)
The AWS Certified Security - Specialty certification validates advanced technical skills and experience in securing AWS workloads. This specialty-level credential demonstrates your expertise in threat detection, incident response, data protection, and security governance across AWS services. It's ideal for security professionals who want to validate their ability to design and implement security solutions on the AWS platform.
Who Should Take This Exam
- Security architects and engineers with 2+ years of AWS experience
- Cloud security professionals managing AWS environments
- IT security specialists transitioning to cloud security
- Solutions architects with security focus
- Compliance and governance professionals working with AWS
Prerequisites
- AWS Certified Solutions Architect - Associate or equivalent knowledge
- 2+ years of hands-on experience securing AWS workloads
- Strong understanding of AWS services, especially IAM, VPC, KMS, and CloudTrail
- Working knowledge of security controls, compliance frameworks, and encryption
- Experience with network security, logging, and monitoring
Official Resources
AWS Certified Security - Specialty Exam Guide
Official exam page with overview, exam guide PDF, and sample questions
View ResourceAWS Security Documentation
Comprehensive AWS security documentation covering all security services
View ResourceAWS Security Best Practices Whitepaper
Essential whitepaper on AWS security processes and best practices
View ResourceAWS Well-Architected Framework - Security Pillar
Security design principles and best practices for AWS architectures
View ResourceAWS Skill Builder - Exam Prep
Official AWS exam preparation course with practice questions and study materials
View ResourceAWS Security Fundamentals
Foundational security concepts and AWS security services
View ResourceAWS Identity and Access Management Deep Dive
In-depth training on IAM policies, roles, and best practices
View ResourceAWS Key Management Service (KMS) Whitepaper
Comprehensive guide to KMS for data encryption and key management
View ResourceAWS Security Blog
Latest security announcements, best practices, and real-world scenarios
View ResourceRecommended Courses
Recommended Books
AWS Certified Security Study Guide: Specialty (SCS-C02) Exam
by Ben Piper and David Clinton
Comprehensive study guide covering all exam domains with practice questions and real-world scenarios
View on AmazonAWS Certified Security - Specialty Exam Guide (SCS-C02)
by Stuart Scott
Detailed exam preparation with hands-on labs and practice questions for the SCS-C02 exam
View on AmazonAWS Security
by Dylan Shield
Practical guide to securing AWS infrastructure with best practices and real-world examples
View on AmazonAWS Certified Security Specialty Practice Tests
by Various Authors
Multiple practice test books available on Amazon for exam preparation
View on AmazonPractice & Hands-On Resources
AWS Official Practice Exam
Official 20-question practice exam from AWS ($40)
View ResourceTutorials Dojo AWS Security Specialty Practice Exams
Highly rated practice exams with 4 sets of 65 questions each, detailed explanations
View ResourceAWS Free Tier Account
Create free tier account to practice hands-on with many AWS security services
View ResourceAWS Security Hub Workshop
Step-by-step workshop for Security Hub configuration and usage
View ResourceWhizlabs AWS Security Specialty Practice Tests
Multiple practice tests with detailed explanations
View ResourceAWS Skill Builder Subscription
Access to AWS labs and practice exams (paid subscription)
View ResourceCommunity & Forums
r/AWSCertifications
Active community sharing exam experiences, study tips, and resources for all AWS certifications
Join CommunityAWS Security Blog
Official AWS security blog with latest features, best practices, and announcements
Join CommunityExamTopics AWS Security Specialty
Community-contributed practice questions with discussions (use with caution)
Join CommunityAWS Security Discord Communities
Various Discord servers focused on AWS and cloud security discussions
Join CommunityLinkedIn AWS Security Groups
Professional groups for AWS security discussions and networking
Join CommunityStudy Tips
Hands-On Practice is Critical
- Create an AWS free tier account and practice with real services
- Build security architectures in your own AWS account
- Enable GuardDuty, Security Hub, and Config to see findings
- Practice writing IAM policies in the policy simulator
- Configure encryption for S3, RDS, and EBS volumes
- Set up CloudTrail and practice querying logs with Athena
Master IAM Policy Evaluation
- Understand the IAM policy evaluation logic flow diagram
- Know the difference between explicit deny, implicit deny, and allow
- Practice writing least-privilege policies for complex scenarios
- Study how SCPs, permission boundaries, and resource policies interact
- Use the IAM policy simulator extensively before the exam
Focus on Security Service Integration
- Understand how GuardDuty, Security Hub, and Config work together
- Learn EventBridge patterns for automated security responses
- Know when to use CloudWatch vs CloudTrail vs VPC Flow Logs
- Study cross-service encryption with KMS integration
- Practice centralized logging architectures for multi-account setups
Know Service Limits and Constraints
- Memorize key limits: security group rules, IAM policy size, KMS key limits
- Understand KMS encryption context and key policy requirements
- Know S3 bucket policy size limits and evaluation order
- Study VPC limits for security groups, NACLs, and subnets
Scenario-Based Preparation
- The exam uses long scenario-based questions - practice reading carefully
- Eliminate obviously wrong answers first on multiple-choice questions
- Look for keywords like 'least operational overhead', 'most cost-effective', 'most secure'
- Many questions test your ability to choose between multiple valid solutions
- Practice incident response scenarios and automated remediation workflows
Study Encryption Thoroughly
- Understand all S3 encryption options and when to use each
- Master KMS key policies, grants, and encryption contexts
- Know the difference between AWS managed, customer managed, and customer provided keys
- Study encryption in transit requirements for compliance frameworks
- Practice implementing envelope encryption patterns
Compliance and Governance Focus
- Study common compliance frameworks: PCI-DSS, HIPAA, SOC 2, GDPR
- Understand how AWS services map to compliance requirements
- Know AWS Artifact and where to find compliance reports
- Practice creating Config rules for organizational policies
- Study Control Tower and landing zone best practices
Practice Time Management
- You have 170 minutes for 65 questions (about 2.6 minutes per question)
- Flag difficult questions and return to them later
- Read all answer options before selecting - AWS often has 'better' answers
- Scenario questions are long - practice reading quickly but thoroughly
- Leave 15-20 minutes at the end to review flagged questions
Exam Day Tips
- 1Arrive 30 minutes early if testing at a center; start on time if testing online
- 2Read questions carefully - AWS questions often have subtle differences in answer options
- 3Watch for keywords like 'MOST secure', 'LEAST operational overhead', 'cost-effective'
- 4Eliminate obviously incorrect answers first, then choose the best remaining option
- 5If a question seems to have multiple correct answers, look for the 'most complete' solution
- 6Use the flag feature to mark difficult questions and review them at the end
- 7Don't spend more than 3-4 minutes on any single question initially
- 8Many questions test your knowledge of service integrations and automation
- 9Trust your preparation - your first instinct is often correct
- 10Manage your time - aim to complete initial pass through all questions with 30 minutes remaining
- 11Remember the shared responsibility model - know what AWS secures vs what you secure
- 12For scenario questions, identify the actual security requirement being tested
- 13Stay calm and focused - this is a challenging exam that tests deep security knowledge
Study guide generated on January 7, 2026
Pro Study Tips
Expert advice to maximize your study effectiveness
Active Learning Strategies
- Hands-on practice: Apply concepts in real scenarios
- Teach others: Explain concepts to reinforce learning
- Take notes: Write summaries in your own words
Exam Day Preparation
- Get enough sleep: Rest well the night before
- Review key points: Go through your notes and cheat sheets
- Time management: Practice pacing with timed exams
Continue Your Preparation
More resources to help you succeed
Complete AWS Certified Security - Specialty Study Guide
This comprehensive study guide will help you prepare for the SCS-C02 certification exam offered by Amazon Web Services (AWS). Whether you are a beginner or experienced professional, this guide covers everything you need to know to pass on your first attempt.
What You Will Learn
Our study guide covers all 6 exam domains in detail:
- Threat Detection and Incident Response (14%)
- Security Logging and Monitoring (18%)
- Infrastructure Security (20%)
- Identity and Access Management (16%)
- Data Protection (18%)
- + 1 more domains
Recommended Timeline
Most candidates need 6-8 weeks of dedicated study to pass the AWS Certified Security - Specialty exam. We recommend studying 1-2 hours daily and taking practice exams weekly to track your progress.
Next Step: Start with our free practice test to assess your current knowledge level.