AWS Certified Security – Specialty (SCS-C02): Data Protection
Data breaches cost organisations £4.45m on average—and AWS Security Specialty (SCS-C02) is the credential that proves you can prevent them. This focused module cuts through the noise to teach encryption, key management, and compliance controls that actually matter in production. You’ll move from theory to hands-on labs in under 3 hours.
AIU.ac Verdict: Ideal for cloud engineers and security professionals targeting the SCS-C02 exam or strengthening real-world data protection skills. The course is deliberately narrow—it doesn’t cover the full exam scope, so pair it with broader AWS security study materials if you’re sitting the full certification.
What This Course Covers
This module zeroes in on the data protection pillar of AWS security: encryption at rest and in transit, AWS Key Management Service (KMS) architecture, secrets management, and compliance frameworks like HIPAA and PCI-DSS. You’ll work through practical scenarios—rotating keys, enforcing encryption policies, and auditing access—using Pluralsight’s sandbox labs so you can experiment without risk.
Mike Hammond structures each topic around real job responsibilities: how to design encryption strategies for multi-region deployments, troubleshoot key permissions, and implement least-privilege access controls. The hands-on labs embed these concepts immediately, so you’re not just watching—you’re building muscle memory for the decisions you’ll make on the job.
Who Is This Course For?
Ideal for:
- AWS Solutions Architects: Need to design secure data workflows and explain encryption trade-offs to stakeholders. This course fills the data protection knowledge gap quickly.
- Cloud Security Engineers: Pursuing SCS-C02 or already in role. The focused depth on KMS, secrets, and compliance controls directly applies to daily responsibilities.
- DevOps/Platform Engineers: Building secure infrastructure-as-code. Understanding encryption and key rotation is non-negotiable; this course makes it practical, not theoretical.
May not suit:
- AWS Beginners: Assumes familiarity with EC2, S3, and IAM. Start with AWS Fundamentals first; this is intermediate-to-advanced.
- Full SCS-C02 Exam Candidates: This covers ~30% of the exam scope (data protection domain). You’ll need additional study on identity, logging, and incident response.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does AWS Certified Security – Specialty (SCS-C02): Data Protection take?
2 hours 42 minutes. It’s a focused module on the data protection domain, not the full exam prep course. Most learners complete it in one sitting or split across two sessions.
Do I need AWS experience before starting?
Yes. You should be comfortable with EC2, S3, IAM, and basic VPC concepts. If you’re new to AWS, complete AWS Fundamentals first.
Will this prepare me for the full SCS-C02 exam?
Partially. This covers the data protection pillar thoroughly, but SCS-C02 also tests identity management, logging, incident response, and compliance. Use this as part of a broader study plan.
Are there hands-on labs?
Yes. Pluralsight includes sandbox labs where you’ll work with KMS, encrypt data, rotate keys, and configure secrets management in a live AWS environment.
Who is Mike Hammond?
A Pluralsight-vetted course author (top 5.5% acceptance rate). He specialises in AWS security and brings production experience to the content.
Course by Mike Hammond on Pluralsight. Duration: 2h 42m. Last verified by AIU.ac: March 2026.
