Introduction
In this post, we reviewed Google Cloud Security from Google on Coursera. This course is for those who have basic experience in Google cloud and want to expand their knowledge to learn how to implement security for their cloud resources.
Certificate breakdown
This is a paid course, and it’s made up of seven main courses that will take you from the fundamentals to more advanced, hands-on security practices. Here’s a breakdown of what I cover in each section:
- Cloud Platform Fundamentals: This is where I start, with the very basics of Google Cloud. I talk about things like Cloud SQL, the application engine, compute engine, and Kubernetes. I also get into some of the networking components like VPC networks and firewall rules. This part of the course is mostly videos and quizzes, but there are some labs to get your hands dirty.
- Networking in Google Cloud: This is actually a new addition to the certificate, and it’s all about how networks operate in the Google Cloud environment. I go through labs on creating and managing VPC networks, controlling access, and even setting up network peering. I also touch on more advanced topics like HTTP load balancers and caching with Cloud CDN.
- Hybrid Connectivity and Network Management: Building on the previous networking course, I dive into more complex scenarios here. I discuss how to use dynamic VPN gateways with cloud routers to connect VPC networks without needing public IPs. I also share some tips on how to optimize your network-related costs.
- Managing Security in Google Cloud: This is where I really start to focus on the security aspect. I introduce Google’s approach to security, covering things like VPC network security and monitoring. I also discuss the Google Admin Console, identity management, and how to sync with Active Directory. The labs in this section are all about adding users and setting the right permissions.
- Best Security Practices: As the name suggests, this course is all about the best ways to deploy your applications and projects securely in Google Cloud. I cover topics like VM API scopes, organization policies, and how to properly configure service accounts. I also get into some more advanced security measures like encrypting disks with your own encryption keys.
- Migrating Vulnerabilities: In this section, I talk about how to use tools like Cloud Security Scanner and Cloud Armor to find and fix security holes in your Google Cloud projects. I also cover how to blacklist traffic with Cloud Armor and how to redact sensitive data to prevent leaks.
- Hands-on Labs for Security Engineers: This is another new course, and it’s entirely focused on practical, hands-on labs. This is where you’ll get to apply everything you’ve learned in a real-world setting. The labs cover things like creating custom roles, setting up VPC network peering, and building private Kubernetes clusters.
Skills Learned
- Cloud security
- Configuring network security
- Analyzing logs
- Google Compute Engine
- Google App Engine (GAE)
- Create and understand custom IAM roles
- Secure a Kubernetes environment
- Create and configure network peering
- Prepare for the Google Cloud Professional Cloud Security Engineer certification exam
- VPC Networds
- Subnets and routers
- Google VPC networks
- Control administrative access to VPC objects
My Overall Thoughts
One of the things that I really like about this certificate is the emphasis on hands-on labs. Every single course has them, which I think is what makes this program so valuable. It’s one thing to watch videos and read about security, but it’s another thing entirely to actually implement it yourself.
Now, will this certificate guarantee you a job? Of course not. Your experience, how well you do in interviews, and the company you’re applying to all play a big role. However, I do believe that having this certificate on your resume will definitely increase your chances of landing a job that requires Google Cloud experience.
This certificate is a great fit for system administrators, network engineers, or anyone who wants to expand their security knowledge to include Google Cloud. The labs are challenging and require you to really think, but by the end of it, you’ll be well-prepared for a role as a cloud security engineer.
I was unable to find any specific technical commands in the video as it was a high-level overview of the certification rather than a hands-on tutorial.
Video WalkThrough
