Fortinet NSE 6 in Cloud Security alternatives: reviewed certifications for cloud security engineers

Key differences

• It targets Palo Alto Networks technology instead of Fortinet's cloud security line, so the right pick usually depends on which vendor a team runs.
• Both sit at a specialty tier and are written, giving a comparable exam format even though the product skills differ.
• Moving to this option means starting a new vendor path instead of continuing within the Fortinet certification sequence.

Key differences

• It is vendor-neutral and covers architecture, data, and operations concepts rather than configuring Fortinet products.
• The syllabus is wide and conceptual, trading product-level depth for coverage across providers and cloud service models.
• ISC2 is a separate certification body from Fortinet, so there is no dependency on prior Fortinet credentials.

Key differences

• Content is platform-native, covering secure infrastructure, workloads, identities, and data protection on Google Cloud instead of Fortinet product operation.
• It assumes a Google Cloud environment, so it is less useful for teams whose cloud footprint is elsewhere.
• Coverage of the cloud provider's own security services is broader, while hands-on knowledge of third-party security products is absent.