Mastering CCSP CPE: Your 2025 Guide to Earning and Reporting Credits 

Your Certified Cloud Security Professional (CCSP) certification isn't a "set it and forget it" credential. If you don't stay on top of your Continuing Professional Education (CPE) requirements, you'll lose the certification that took months of study to earn. More importantly, without ongoing education, you won't have the current knowledge needed to protect your organization's cloud infrastructure from evolving threats.

We'll walk you through exactly what you need to do to maintain your CCSP certification in 2025. You'll learn the specific credit requirements, discover efficient ways to earn them, and understand how to report them correctly. Whether you earned your CCSP last month or three years ago, this guide will help you avoid certification lapses and keep your cloud security skills sharp.

Understanding CCSP CPE Requirements for 2025

CPE credits are essentially proof that you're staying current with cloud security knowledge and skills. Each credit represents one hour of approved professional development activity—whether that's attending a webinar, completing a course, or presenting at a conference.

Your CCSP certification requires 90 CPE credits over a three-year cycle to stay active. This breaks down to about 30 credits per year, but you have flexibility in how you distribute them across the three years. You could earn 20 credits one year, 40 the next, and 30 in the final year, as long as you meet the annual minimums we'll discuss below.

Group A vs. Group B Credits

Not all CPE credits count the same way, and getting this wrong can leave you scrambling at renewal time. ISC2 has divided CPE credits into two groups, here are them:

Group A Credits (Cloud Security Focus)

These must be directly related to cloud security topics. You need at least 60 of your 90 total credits here. This includes activities like:

• Cloud security architecture and design courses
• Training on specific cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, Google Cloud security)
• Cloud compliance frameworks (SOC 2, FedRAMP, ISO 27017)
• Container and serverless security training
• Cloud incident response and forensics
• Zero trust architecture for cloud environments

Group B Credits (General Professional Development)

You can earn up to 30 credits in this broader category. These include:

• General cybersecurity topics not specific to cloud
• Leadership and management training
• Communication and presentation skills
• Project management courses
• Business continuity and risk management

Here's the critical part: if you earn only general cybersecurity credits without focusing on cloud-specific topics, you won't meet your Group A requirement. We've seen professionals think their CISSP maintenance credits would transfer directly to CCSP requirements – they don't. 

Your organization needs you to understand cloud-specific threats and controls, not just traditional network security.

Annual Requirements

While you have three years to earn all 90 credits, there's an annual minimum you can't ignore. You must earn and report at least 20 CPE credits each year, with at least 10 of those being Group A credits.

Missing these annual minimums means your certification enters a grace period, and missing the grace period means suspension. We've seen too many professionals lose their certifications simply because they didn't track their progress properly.

Missing these annual minimums means your certification enters a grace period, and missing the grace period means suspension. We've seen too many professionals lose their certifications simply because they didn't track their progress properly.

How to Earn CCSP CPE Credits: Approved Activities

You have multiple options for earning CPE credits, and the key is choosing activities that fit your schedule while actually improving your ability to secure your organization's cloud environment.

Professional Development and Educational Activities

Conference attendance gives you concentrated learning opportunities. One hour typically equals one CPE credit, so a two-day conference can knock out a significant portion of your annual requirement. Virtual conferences work just as well and eliminate travel costs.

Online courses through platforms like Coursera, edX, and ISC2's own learning portal count toward your Group A credits. The advantage here is learning at your own pace during lunch breaks or commutes.

Webinars offer an easy way to earn credits without leaving your desk. Many are free, and you can often find recordings if you miss the live session.

Reading and reviewing relevant books can earn you up to 5 CPE credits per book. This works well if you prefer learning through reading, but you need to document your learning properly.

Contributing to the Profession

Presenting at conferences or webinars earns you more credits than just attending. If you have expertise in a specific area of cloud security, sharing that knowledge benefits both your career and the broader community.

Writing articles or blog posts about cloud security topics can earn credits while building your professional reputation. Your insights about real-world cloud security challenges are valuable to others facing similar issues.

Volunteering for ISC2 activities, like participating in chapter events or serving on committees, earns credits while you give back to the cybersecurity community.

Work Experience and Self-Study

Your daily work in cloud security can count toward CPE credits. Document your projects, especially when you're implementing new security controls or responding to incidents. This is often overlooked, but your on-the-job learning is valuable.

Self-study through independent research qualifies for credits if you keep detailed logs of your activities. This includes researching new cloud security technologies or threat vectors relevant to your organization.

Delivering internal training to your colleagues earns credits while improving your organization's overall security posture. Teaching others reinforces your own knowledge and helps identify gaps in your team's understanding.

Efficient Strategies for Earning CCSP CPE Credits

You're already busy protecting your organization's cloud infrastructure. Here's how to earn CPE credits without adding significant stress to your schedule.

Leverage Online Learning Platforms

Subscription-based platforms like Pluralsight, LinkedIn Learning, or ISC2's ThinkCyber offer unlimited access to courses. You can learn during your commute, lunch breaks, or whenever you have spare time. Look for platforms that provide certificates of completion to make reporting easier.

Participate in Industry Events and Webinars

Set up calendar reminders for regular webinar series from major cloud providers like AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud. These are often free and directly relevant to your work. Annual conferences like RSA or Cloud Security Alliance events can provide multiple credits in just a few days.

Combine CPE Activities with Career Growth

Volunteer to lead cloud security projects at your organization. Mentor junior team members on cloud security best practices. Write about challenges you've solved or present at industry meetups. These activities advance your career while fulfilling CPE requirements.

The key is choosing activities that genuinely improve your ability to protect your organization's cloud assets, not just checking boxes.

Reporting Your CPE Credits: Step-by-Step Guide

Earning credits is only half the process. You must report them correctly to maintain your certification.

Accessing the ISC2 Member Portal

Log into your ISC2 account and navigate to "My Certifications." Select "CCSP" and click "Report CPE Credits." The interface is straightforward, but you need to be accurate with your entries.

Documenting and Submitting CPE Activities

For each activity, you'll need to categorize it as Group A or B, enter the activity details including dates and descriptions, and provide supporting documentation when required. Keep certificates of completion, conference agendas, and detailed notes about self-study activities.

Track Your Progress

Use the ISC2 CPE tracking tool to monitor your progress toward both annual and three-year goals. Set up email notifications for important deadlines. Don't wait until the last minute – report credits as you earn them to avoid any certification lapses.

We recommend keeping a simple spreadsheet to track your activities before entering them into the official system. This helps you plan your CPE strategy and ensures you don't forget any qualifying activities.

Changes and Updates to CCSP CPE Requirements for 2025

ISC2 has introduced some updates for 2025 that expand your options for earning credits:

Virtual reality (VR) training sessions now qualify for Group A credits, reflecting the growing use of immersive technologies in security education. Participation in bug bounty programs for cloud platforms can earn you up to 10 Group A credits annually.

The annual reporting deadline has shifted to December 31st to align with the calendar year. ISC2 has also launched a mobile app for easier CPE credit reporting on the go.

These changes give you more flexibility in how you earn credits while ensuring the CCSP certification remains relevant to current cloud security challenges your organization faces.

What Happens If You Don't Meet CPE Requirements?

Missing your CPE deadline puts your certification at risk, which means you lose the credential that validates your expertise to your employer and peers.

If you miss the deadline, your CCSP enters a 90-day grace period. During this time, you can still earn and report missing credits, but you'll need to pay a reinstatement fee. Your certification remains active during the grace period.

If you don't meet requirements within the grace period, your certification gets suspended. Reinstatement requires earning all missing CPEs, paying a higher fee, and potentially retaking the CCSP exam if you're suspended for over a year.

The financial and career costs of letting your certification lapse far exceed the effort required to maintain it properly.

Free and Low-Cost Options for Earning CCSP CPE Credits

You don't need a large training budget to maintain your CCSP certification:

• ISC2 ThinkCyber provides free webinars and resources for members. Volunteering for ISC2 chapters or committees earns credits while building your professional network. Self-study through reading relevant books or whitepapers costs nothing but time.
• Writing articles about your cloud security experiences earns credits while building your professional reputation. Many cloud providers offer free educational webinars that qualify for CPE credits.
• Participating meaningfully in professional forums and online discussions can count toward your requirements. Document your on-the-job cloud security projects and learning experiences.

These options let you fulfill CPE requirements while genuinely improving your ability to protect your organization's cloud infrastructure without significant financial investment.

How CCSP CPE Requirements Differ from Other ISC2 Certifications

While CCSP shares the 90 CPE credit requirement with other ISC2 certifications, there are important differences you need to understand:

CCSP requires at least 60 of 90 credits in Group A (cloud-specific topics), compared to 40 for CISSP. The annual minimum is 20 CPEs with at least 10 in Group A. Activities that count as Group A for CCSP might be Group B for other certifications.

Understanding these differences helps you tailor your professional development effectively. If you hold multiple ISC2 certifications, plan your CPE activities to maximize credit overlap where possible.

Benefits of Maintaining Your CCSP Certification

Keeping your CCSP active provides tangible career and organizational benefits:

Your certification demonstrates ongoing commitment to cloud security expertise, which matters when competing for promotions or new positions. Certified professionals typically command higher salaries and have better job security in the rapidly evolving cloud security field.

You maintain access to ISC2's global community of security professionals and stay current with the latest cloud security trends and threats. This knowledge directly improves your ability to protect your organization's cloud assets.

Your active certification enhances credibility with peers, management, and clients. In an industry where trust is paramount, maintaining your credentials signals professionalism and competence.

Most importantly, the learning required to maintain your CCSP ensures you can effectively defend your organization against evolving cloud security threats.

Ready to Advance Your Cloud Security Career?

If you're reading this without a CCSP yet, now is the time to get certified. Cloud security roles are in high demand, and organizations are prioritizing professionals who can prove their expertise with recognized credentials. 

At Destination Certification, we offer an intensive 5-day CCSP Bootcamp that dramatically increases your chances of passing the exam on your first attempt. You get one full year of access to all course materials and bootcamp resources, so you can review and reinforce your learning long after the intensive session ends. 

If you’re looking for self-paced CCSP training, our CCSP Masterclass is a great start. It adjusts to your knowledge level and busy schedule, allowing you to efficiently study for your certification. You'll work through advanced, hands-on scenarios that go beyond memorization, learning cutting-edge cloud security techniques that immediately apply to your organization's security challenges.

Both programs are designed by practicing cloud security professionals who understand the real-world challenges you face. You'll learn from instructors who have implemented cloud security programs at Fortune 500 companies and can share practical insights you won't find in textbooks.

So what are you waiting for? Take the first step towards your cloud security career and get CCSP-certified now.