ELI5: What is the CSA Cloud Controls Matrix?
Picture a giant checklist for keeping stuff safe when you store it in someone else’s computer. It tells both you and the computer owner exactly who is responsible for locking which doors.
Definition
The Cloud Security Alliance (CSA) Cloud Controls Matrix (CCM) is a cybersecurity control framework specifically designed for cloud computing environments. It provides a detailed map of security controls across cloud service and deployment models, mapped to industry standards and regulations (ISO 27001, NIST SP 800-53, PCI DSS, HIPAA, GDPR). The CCM helps cloud customers and providers assess the security posture of cloud environments and ensures accountability for shared responsibility.
Key Details
- Organized into 17 domains covering areas such as application security, data security, identity management, and infrastructure security
- Maps controls to the shared responsibility model, clarifying which controls are the cloud provider’s vs. customer’s responsibility
- Used in conjunction with the CSA STAR (Security Trust Assurance and Risk) program for cloud vendor assessment
- Complements the CSA Consensus Assessments Initiative Questionnaire (CAIQ), used to assess cloud provider security
- Exam tip: CSA CCM is the go-to framework for cloud-specific security control assessment on the Security+ exam
Connections
- Parent: regulations-and-frameworks — CCM is a specialized framework for cloud security governance
- See also: vendor-assessment
- See also: benchmarks-vs-frameworks