Cloud Security Cheat Code ⌨️
Here's what you should do...
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This Week: Cloud Security Cheat Code ⌨️
You want to stand out > This is how
I get asked constantly a variation of the same question when it comes to Cloud Security:
I am total beginner where can I start?
I am Junior Cloud Engineer, how do I transition into Security?
What should I study for Cloud Security?
⬆️ If the above resonates….read on! ⬆️
Here’s a cheat code for learning Cloud Security and hopefully a blanket answer to the above questions.
Nice, what does that even mean. Okay bare with me here, but this is a method I’ve used in the past and it really works!
When starting out it’s impossible to know where to start and what to study buuuuut the news is literally going to tell what areas in Cloud Security need attention right now.
Example 1: NPM Supply Chain Attack → Learn SCA
Take for example the news a few weeks ago about the NPM package compromise. The headlines screamed “WE NEED MORE SCA SKILLS!”
Use that as your starting anchor, your north star if you will, then walk backwards:
Start with the headline: NPM packages were compromised
Ask yourself: Cool, I don’t know what a package is and how it’s used
Learn that first: Understand package managers, dependencies, and how developers use them
Then go deeper: Okay, how can packages be taken advantage of?
Finally: What tools and processes prevent this? (SCA, SBOM, dependency scanning, version pinning)
By the time you’ve walked backwards through this chain, you understand:
Package management systems
Supply chain vulnerabilities
Software Composition Analysis tools
Real world mitigation strategies, that Security Engineers are actually using
Example 2: Salesloft API Keys Exposed → Learn Secret Scanning
Let’s say you see news about exposed Salesforce credentials causing a breach. The solution? “WE NEED SECRET SCANNING!”
Walk it backwards again:
The incident: API keys were exposed in public repos
Question: I don’t know what an API key is
Learn: What are API keys? How do they authenticate systems?
Next layer: How does Git work? Why would secrets end up in repos?
Prevention: What is secret scanning? How do tools like GitGuardian or GitHub Secret Scanning work?
Best practices: What are secrets management solutions? (AWS Secrets Manager, HashiCorp Vault )
Now you understand authentication, version control security, and secrets management, all from one news story.
This Works…
It’s relevant. You’re learning what matters right now in the industry.
It builds context. Walking backwards forces you to understand the fundamentals without getting lost in theory.
You’ll stand out. When everyone else is grinding through generic courses, you’re learning from active threats. In interviews, you can discuss current security incidents and demonstrate you understand the why behind the tools.
But What About Fundamentals?
I’m not saying don’t learn the fundamentals. I’m guessing if you’re reading this you already know a bit about Linux, networking, the cloud, etc., and you want to get stuck in and stand out.
You learn the fundamentals in context. Instead of learning about authentication in a vacuum, you learn it because you need to understand how an API key breach happened.
I’d hire someone who had done this 100 times over a generic understanding from a course.
WJPearce - Cyber Notes
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The Salesloft incident with exposed Salesforce credentials is exactly why reverse-engineering breaches is more valuable than chasing certifications. When you trace back from "API keys in public repos" to the actual preventions like GitGuardian and secret scanning, the security posture becomes concrete instead of theoretical. The real test isn't knowing AWS Secrets Manager exists, it's recognizing in real time that your CI/CD pipeline is about to leak a production credential and having the muscle memory to stop it befor it hits GitHub.
I use this kind of approach, and it always works when getting into new things. Glad you shared some stuff concerning cloud security.