The Linux Foundation and Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF) have announced a new certification, the Certified Kubernetes Security Specialist (CKS). The new certification is being developed to enable cloud native professionals to demonstrate their security skills to current and potential employers.

The certification will include a performance-based certification exam testing competence across a broad range of best practices for securing container-based applications and Kubernetes platforms during build, deployment and runtime. Candidates for CKS must hold a current Certified Kubernetes Administrator (CKA) certification to demonstrate they possess sufficient Kubernetes expertise before sitting for the CKS.

The certification exam will test domains and competencies including: Cluster Setup, Cluster Hardening, System Hardening, Minimize Microservice Vulnerabilities, Supply Chain Security as well as Monitoring, Logging and Runtime Security.

“Not only has cloud conquered the world, but adoption of containers and other cloud-native technologies is also accelerating,” said Clyde Seepersad, SVP, and general manager of training & certification at The Linux Foundation.

“As this trend continues, organizations’ concerns over the security of their application containers are growing. Individuals with experience securing containers are already in high demand, and as that demand increases, it is necessary to have a way to verifiably confirm candidates for these job roles have the skills to succeed. The Certified Kubernetes Security Specialist exam will help grow the pool of qualified talent, while also providing employers with confidence that their teams are able to handle the challenges of securing these technologies,” Seepersad added.

The certification, currently in development, is expected to be generally available before the KubeCon North America event this November.