99%

of password-related attacks are prevented by multi-factor authentication. AWS Security Blog, September 2026.

AWS Certified Security – Specialty (SCS-C03) certification

MFA Stops 99%.
You Stop the Rest.

Switching on MFA is the easy part. This credential proves you can secure everything else on AWS, from identities and data to the response when something slips through.

HRD Corp claimableYayasan Peneraju: may be eligibleKL or online

Exam

SCS-C03

Course

3 days

Course fee

RM5,400

With exam

RM6,750

Next intake

16 Feb 2027

Quick answer

What is AWS Certified Security – Specialty?

AWS Certified Security – Specialty validates that you can secure workloads on AWS, from identity and data protection to threat detection and incident response. One 170-minute exam, SCS-C03, earns it, and it stays valid for three years. AWS recommends five years of IT security experience and two years securing AWS workloads.

Exam facts verified against aws.amazon.com on 22 Oct 2026

FOR

Security engineers and cloud professionals already working on AWS

ROLES

Cloud security engineer, security architect, cloud operations lead

SKIP IF

AWS is new to you. Start with AWS Solutions Architect – Associate

01

The Credential

What you study, practise and sit to earn it.

Pass one exam, SCS-C03, and you hold AWS Certified Security – Specialty. It tells employers you can protect AWS environments end to end, not just describe the services.

COURSE

3 days, official AWS course

HANDS-ON

7 labs

EXAM

SCS-C03, 170 min

CREDENTIAL

AWS Security Specialty

Awarded by

Amazon Web Services

Level

Specialty

Prerequisites

None required

Recommended

5 yrs IT security, 2 yrs securing AWS

Validity

3 years

Exam version

SCS-C03

02

Decide in 60 Seconds

Three options people weigh against each other.

If you want to

Choose

Why

Secure workloads you run on AWS

→

AWS Security Specialty

Deep, hands-on AWS security across identity, data and response

Secure cloud across several providers

→

ISC2 CCSP

Vendor-neutral cloud security design and governance

Learn to design on AWS before securing it

→

AWS Solutions Architect – Associate

Architecture foundations most security specialists start with

No prerequisites. But are you ready?
0/4

Tick what applies. 3 or 4: you are ready for this course. Fewer: start with AWS Solutions Architect – Associate.

03

What the Exam Covers

Six domains from AWS’s SCS-C03 exam guide. Bars to scale.

6 domainsLargest: Identity and Access Management, 20%

Identity and Access Management 20%
Infrastructure Security 18%
Data Protection 18%
Detection 16%
Incident Response 14%
Security Foundations and Governance 14%

Source: AWS Certified Security – Specialty (SCS-C03) exam guide.

04

What the Course Covers

Nine modules over three days, plus seven hands-on labs.

Three days of AWS’s official Security Engineering on AWS course. Day one locks down who gets in, day two protects what they reach, and day three catches and contains what slips through.

Day 1

Identity and Accounts

  • Security in the AWS Cloud and the shared responsibility model
  • IAM policies, roles and permission boundaries
  • MFA, root user and access key protection
  • API activity logging with AWS CloudTrail
  • Multi-account management with AWS Organizations and Control Tower
  • IAM Identity Center and AWS Directory Service

Day 2

Data and Infrastructure

  • AWS KMS, CloudHSM, Certificate Manager and Secrets Manager
  • Multi-Region KMS keys and encrypted secrets
  • Sensitive data discovery with Amazon Macie
  • Encryption, access controls, replication and archive protection
  • AWS WAF, Shield and Shield Advanced
  • Centralised rules with AWS Firewall Manager

Day 3

Detection and Response

  • VPC Flow Logs and baseline deviations
  • Amazon EventBridge, CloudWatch metrics and alarms
  • Log analysis and VPC Traffic Mirroring
  • Incident types and response workflows
  • Detecting threats with AWS services
  • Analysing and responding to security findings

7

hands-on labs in a live AWS environment, from writing access policies to running an incident response.

Identity and Resource-Based PoliciesDomain User Access with AWS Directory ServiceEncrypting Secrets with AWS KMSData Security in Amazon S3Mitigating Malicious Traffic with AWS WAFMonitoring for and Responding to Security IncidentsIncident Response

05

Why Now

How fast attackers move, what AWS sees, and why train with us.

99%

of password-related attacks are prevented by multi-factor authentication

AWS Security Blog, September 2026

3 min

from attackers finding a vulnerable workload to their first exploitation attempts

AWS Security Blog, January 2026

RM29.2bn

AWS plans to invest in its Malaysia Region through 2038

MIDA, on the AWS Asia Pacific (Malaysia) Region launch

6 hrs

Six Hours to Report. Who’s Watching the Alerts?

Malaysia’s Cyber Security Act 2024 (Act 854) came into force on 26 August 2024. Critical infrastructure entities must report a cyber security incident within six hours, and managed SOC monitoring services now need a licence. When those systems run on the cloud, someone has to secure them.

NACSA; Cyber Security (Notification of Cyber Security Incident) Regulations 2024

AWS Advanced Tier Training Partner

Delivering AWS’s official Security Engineering on AWS course

Global Training Partner of the Year

AWS award four years running, 2022 to 2025

HRD Corp registered

This course is HRD Corp claimable

KL or online

Instructor-led in class or live online

06

The Cost, All In

Every figure per person, in ringgit.

Fees

Three-day courseRM5,400

Exam voucher add-on (SCS-C03)RM1,350

Funding

HRD Corp claim for employersClaimable

Yayasan Peneraju financing (Bumiputera)May be eligible

Course with exam

RM6,750

RM5,400 + RM1,350

Dates

Where

Fee

Tue 16 to Thu 18 Feb 2027

Kuala Lumpur or online

RM5,400 / RM6,750 with exam

Tue 13 to Thu 15 Apr 2027

Kuala Lumpur or online

RM5,400 / RM6,750 with exam

Tue 22 to Thu 24 Jun 2027

Kuala Lumpur or online

RM5,400 / RM6,750 with exam

Tue 10 to Thu 12 Aug 2027

Kuala Lumpur or online

RM5,400 / RM6,750 with exam

Training a team? We run private intakes on dates that suit your organisation, with HRD Corp claims handled alongside you.

07

Exam and Renewal

What exam day looks like, and what happens after you pass.

Certification

AWS Certified Security – Specialty

Exam code

SCS-C03

Questions

65 (50 scored, 15 unscored)

Question types

Multiple choice, multiple response, ordering, matching

Duration

170 minutes

Passing score

750 on a 100 to 1,000 scale

Exam fee

US$300

Delivery

Pearson VUE test centre or online proctored

RENEW OPTION 1

Pass the latest exam

Pass the current version of the exam before your certification expires to add three years. Use your 50% discount voucher.

RENEW OPTION 2

Maintain on Skill Builder

With a paid AWS Skill Builder subscription, complete the maintenance option within 90 days of expiry to add one year.

FAQ

Questions People Ask

How much does AWS Certified Security Specialty training cost in Malaysia?

At Trainocate Malaysia the three-day Security Engineering on AWS course is RM5,400 per person, or RM6,750 per person with the SCS-C03 exam voucher. AWS lists the exam at US$300.

Yes. Trainocate Malaysia is an HRD Corp Registered Training Provider and this course is HRD Corp claimable. Malaysian Bumiputera learners may be eligible for Yayasan Peneraju funding, and we can check eligibility for you.

There are no formal prerequisites. AWS recommends five years of IT security experience and at least two years of hands-on experience securing AWS workloads. The course itself assumes you know AWS architecture and core security concepts.

Six domains: Identity and Access Management (20%), Infrastructure Security (18%), Data Protection (18%), Detection (16%), Incident Response (14%), and Security Foundations and Governance (14%). Alongside multiple choice and multiple response, it includes ordering and matching questions.

You need a scaled score of 750 on a 100 to 1,000 scale. The exam has 65 questions, of which 50 are scored, and you have 170 minutes.

AWS launched its Malaysia Region in August 2024 and plans to invest RM29.2 billion here through 2038. Malaysia’s Cyber Security Act 2024 (Act 854) also requires critical infrastructure entities to report incidents within six hours. More workloads in the cloud means more need for people who can secure them.

The certification is valid for three years. Renew by passing the latest version of the exam, which adds three years, or maintain it for one more year through a paid AWS Skill Builder subscription within 90 days of expiry.

Secure the Cloud You Run On

Pick a 2027 intake. An advisor confirms fees, HRD Corp claims and Yayasan Peneraju eligibility with you.

  • Next intake: 16 to 18 Feb 2027
  • RM5,400, or RM6,750 with exam

Sources

  1. AWS: AWS Certified Security – Specialty
  2. AWS: SCS-C03 exam guide
  3. AWS: Recertification
  4. AWS Skill Builder: Security Engineering on AWS
  5. AWS: Solutions Architect – Professional
  6. AWS: DevOps Engineer – Professional
  7. ISC2: CCSP exam outline
  8. AWS Security Blog: Why MFA matters more than ever (Sep 2026)
  9. AWS Security Blog: Real-time malware defense with AWS Network Firewall active threat defense (Jan 2026)
  10. MIDA: Amazon launches AWS Asia Pacific (Malaysia) Region
  11. Trainocate: Global AWS Training Partner of the Year 2025
  12. Trainocate: AWS-SEC course page
  13. NACSA: Cyber Security Act 2024 (Act 854)
  14. MAICSA: Act 854 regulations summary