I Passed the exam few days back! Actually i don’t have any IT/Security experience. I just trying to switch my career from telecom to IT/Cloud. I took SAA certification few months back & than work on the security certification.
Exam tips:
Many questions on CW logs maybe around 7 or 8. some why not logs not appearing, how to configure. One of the questions was how to make sure some files on EC2 was not modified : after eliminating the wrong ones the answer is between CW logs or IDS
Know how to centralize CT logs to one account, why not receiving the logs : Bucket policy,Path for the files defined from different account
2 questions about CF: Certificates, private key,…
Question about ACM how to configure with CF
-Another one how to use ACM with Containers , i was lucky that i read the faqs few days before the Exam. the answer is ACM Private Certificate Authority
One way trust between cloud domains: think about AWS Managed Microsoft AD
VPC 3 or 4 questions Security goups, Router configuration with IGW, VPC endpoint, Custom DNS
Secret Manager : why can’t access . check the role policy for accessing SM / Decrypting
IAM policies :4 questions ( I wich it was more, i like playing with policies)
KMS via Service
One question was very long, you must know how to find solution to know if any one modify Bucket policies and than take automatic corrective action on these policies. AWS config was not in the answers. i think Bucket events with CW events & Lambda. I am not sure if we can configure the s3 Bucket to send events when polices change, Any idea ??
Cognito, you want to prevent some users accessing some AWS Services>>> groups + Policies
some questions how to setup active directory(Roles, groups,…)
one about using unique data key for each object in S3 with less effort , KMS or Client side encryption.
others questions are predictable : Macie, Athena, System Manager, KMS,,,
How to pass the exam? well the answer easy do exactly what Faye mention in the update sections for 2019:
Read all the security faqs
Reinvent videos (KMS,IMA)
white papers (KMS, DDOS,…)
- also i read the user guide for IAM & developer guide for KMS( No need to read everything you can know by yourself which one is important or not )
Good luck to everyone !
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4 Answers
Could you please tell us what else did you use to pass?
Dear Hadi,
Besides this security course , i used as described above Reinvent videos + whitepapers (DDos,..) + IAM user guide+ KMS developer guide
- i practice on the Exam simulator provided in the course, it help a lot
Thank you so much! I have to retake it in 2 weeks. I failed by 10 points lol I am not blown I was sick while taking the exam and just couldnt focus.
Congrats on passing your certification! Coming into the world of IT and accomplishing these certifications is a tall order, and you’ve risen to the challenge, and conquered these exams. Great work! Your study tips for others are also great. The re:Invent videos are amazing for those little moments of insights of "Ahhh" when you’re listening to the people responsible for developing and supporting these services talking about them.
Thank you so much Stephen !
Congrtulations Rabih!!!, Well Done
Thanks Sam
Rabih – can you share links for Reinvent videos and whitepapers? Specifically the ones that you studied. Thanks
This is really encouraging. I’ve been in IT for 20 years but not security. I’ve got the Architect Associate qualification and was concerned that not having any recent security background, this was going to be nigh on impossible to pass. Thanks for sharing your story and what you studied. It’s given me the confidence that this is possible.
Excellent work. Did you only use this course or did you use LA as well?
HI Sammy, I used only a Cloud guru course , + Reinvent videos + whitepapers (DDos,..) + IAM user guide+ KMS developer guide
Rabih – can you share links for Reinvent videos and whitepapers? Specifically the ones that you studied. Thanks