The Cisco Certified Network Associate Cloud certification was introduced by Cisco Systems as part of its broader effort to address the growing demand for cloud-related networking skills in the industry. When cloud computing began reshaping the way organizations built and managed their IT infrastructure, Cisco recognized the need to provide its certification ecosystem with a dedicated track. The CCNA Cloud was designed to validate foundational knowledge in cloud administration, deployment, and management, specifically within Cisco-powered cloud environments. It was positioned as an entry-level credential for professionals who wanted to begin their journey into cloud networking from a vendor-specific angle.
The certification emerged during a period when Cisco was heavily investing in its Intercloud Fabric and other proprietary cloud solutions. At that time, many enterprises relied on Cisco hardware and software to build private and hybrid cloud environments, which made the certification relevant to those working directly with Cisco infrastructure. The credential filled a gap between traditional networking knowledge and the newer demands of cloud operations, making it attractive to network engineers who were transitioning into cloud-focused roles within organizations already committed to the Cisco ecosystem.
What the Exam Covered
The CCNA Cloud certification consisted of two separate exams that candidates were required to pass to earn the credential. The first exam, known as CLDFND, focused on cloud fundamentals, including cloud service models such as infrastructure, platform, and software as a service. It also covered basic cloud deployment concepts, Cisco’s UCS platform, and an introduction to networking within cloud environments. The second exam, called CLDADM, was centered on cloud administration tasks, including the provisioning, monitoring, and management of cloud services using Cisco tools and platforms.
Together, these two exams aimed to give candidates a well-rounded foundation in both the conceptual and practical sides of cloud operations within a Cisco environment. Topics ranged from storage networking and cloud security to automation and orchestration basics. The curriculum was tightly integrated with Cisco’s own product lineup, meaning that the knowledge gained was most applicable to organizations that had invested heavily in Cisco cloud solutions. This vendor-specific focus was both the strength and limitation of the certification, as it provided depth within one ecosystem but offered less transferable value outside of it.
Target Audience Then
When it was first launched, the CCNA Cloud certification was aimed at professionals who were already working in networking roles and wanted to extend their expertise into cloud environments. Network administrators, systems engineers, and IT operations staff who regularly worked with Cisco equipment were the primary audience. The certification gave them a structured way to demonstrate that their skills extended beyond traditional on-premises infrastructure and into the cloud model that was rapidly becoming the standard for modern enterprises.
The credential also attracted individuals who were relatively new to the industry but wanted to enter the cloud field through the established and respected Cisco certification path. At the time, Cisco certifications carried significant weight in hiring decisions across many industries, and adding a cloud-specific credential from Cisco was seen as a meaningful differentiator. For candidates working in environments with Cisco Data Center products, Cisco UCS servers, or Cisco’s cloud management platforms, the certification provided directly applicable and immediately practical knowledge that could be applied on the job from day one.
Cisco officially retired the CCNA Cloud certification in February 2020, as part of a sweeping restructuring of its entire certification portfolio. This overhaul was the most significant reorganization Cisco had undertaken in years, and it affected dozens of certifications across multiple technology domains. Rather than maintaining separate CCNA-level certifications for specific tracks like cloud, data center, routing and switching, and wireless, Cisco consolidated many of these into a single unified CCNA certification that covered a broad range of networking fundamentals. The specialist and advanced content was pushed up to the professional and expert levels of the new structure.
The retirement of the CCNA Cloud was also driven by changes in the broader technology landscape. Cisco’s own cloud strategy evolved significantly over the years, with some proprietary cloud products being discontinued or repositioned. The rise of multi-cloud environments and the dominance of hyperscale cloud providers like Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud meant that professionals increasingly needed skills that were not tied to any single vendor’s platform. Cisco’s updated certification structure acknowledged this reality and moved toward preparing candidates for a more platform-agnostic, software-defined networking world.
Skills Gap It Left Behind
The retirement of the CCNA Cloud left a noticeable gap for professionals who had been using it as a stepping stone into cloud careers. Those who had just begun preparing for the exams suddenly found themselves without a clear Cisco-branded path into cloud specialization at the associate level. While Cisco’s updated CCNA provides broader networking coverage, it does not go deep into cloud administration or cloud-specific deployment scenarios in the way the original Cloud track did. This shift forced many candidates to look elsewhere for cloud-specific training and credentials that would meet industry needs.
The gap was especially felt by Cisco-focused professionals working in enterprise data center environments who needed to demonstrate cloud competency to their employers. The restructuring created uncertainty about which certifications to pursue next, particularly for those who had already invested time studying for the retired exams. Many training providers and employers had also built their hiring criteria around the CCNA Cloud track, which meant adjustments were needed across the board. The situation highlighted just how quickly the cloud certification market can change and how dependent professionals can become on vendor-specific pathways that may not always remain available.
New Cisco Cloud Options
Since CCNA Cloud retired in 2020, Cisco’s current alternatives should be selected by job function. CCNA Automation and CCNP Automation cover programmability, APIs and network workflow automation; CCNP Data Center concerns data-center design, compute and fabric operations. Candidates seeking broader public-cloud administration skills may be better served by an AWS, Microsoft Azure or Google Cloud qualification for the platform they operate. The former DevNet Associate and DevNet Professional credential names were replaced by Automation branding in 2026, so historical pathways should not be presented as open current exams.
Cisco has also continued to develop training resources and certifications tied to its Meraki, Webex, and other cloud-managed platforms, giving professionals who work with those specific products a way to maintain vendor-specific credentials. The Cisco Certified Specialist credentials allow candidates to focus on particular technologies without committing to an entire track, offering flexibility that the older structure lacked. For those determined to stay within the Cisco certification ecosystem while building cloud skills, there are still meaningful paths available, even if they require more careful planning and a broader skill set than the now-retired CCNA Cloud required.
AWS Certifications Worth Pursuing
Amazon Web Services certifications represent the gold standard in cloud credentialing for a reason. AWS commands the largest share of the global cloud market, and its certifications are recognized and respected by employers across virtually every industry and geography. The AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner serves as an excellent starting point for those who are new to cloud concepts, offering a broad introduction to AWS services, pricing models, security basics, and architectural principles. It requires no prior technical experience and is widely recommended as a first step before pursuing more advanced credentials.
Beyond the foundational level, the AWS Certified Solutions Architect Associate is widely regarded as one of the most valuable cloud certifications a professional can hold. It validates the ability to design distributed systems on AWS that are scalable, cost-effective, and resilient, which are skills that translate directly into high-demand job roles such as cloud architect, cloud engineer, and infrastructure specialist. For those interested in more specialized roles, AWS also offers professional-level and specialty certifications in areas like machine learning, security, and database technologies, making it possible to build a career path entirely within the AWS ecosystem while continuously deepening expertise.
Google Cloud Platform Credentials
Google Cloud Platform certifications are growing rapidly in recognition and demand, particularly in industries where data analytics, artificial intelligence, and machine learning play a central role. Google Cloud’s infrastructure is especially well-regarded for its networking capabilities and its data-processing technologies like BigQuery and Dataflow. The Google Associate Cloud Engineer certification is often recommended as the entry point for hands-on technical professionals, as it validates the ability to deploy and manage applications and services on Google Cloud using core infrastructure tools.
The Google Professional Cloud Architect certification is among the most prestigious cloud credentials available and is consistently listed among the highest-paying certifications in the industry. It tests the ability to design and manage robust, scalable, and secure cloud solutions on Google Cloud, requiring both deep technical knowledge and strong architectural judgment. For professionals with an interest in data engineering or machine learning operations, Google Cloud also offers specialized professional certifications in those areas, making it a compelling platform for those whose career interests align with data-intensive and AI-driven workloads.
While vendor-specific certifications from AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud are essential for hands-on roles, vendor-neutral credentials offer a different and complementary type of value. The CompTIA Cloud+ certification is one of the most recognized vendor-neutral cloud credentials available and covers cloud architecture, security, deployment, and troubleshooting concepts that apply across all major platforms. It is particularly useful for professionals who work in environments where no single cloud provider dominates, or who are in consulting roles that require advising clients across different platforms.
The Certified Cloud Security Professional credential offered by (ISC)² is another vendor-neutral certification that carries tremendous weight, particularly for those specializing in cloud security. It validates expertise in cloud security architecture, data protection, identity management, and compliance across platforms, which are skills in high demand as organizations become increasingly concerned about security and regulatory requirements in cloud environments. Vendor-neutral certifications like these signal to employers that a candidate understands cloud principles deeply enough to apply them regardless of which specific platform or provider is in use, which is a genuinely rare and valued capability.
Cloud Security Specialization Importance
Security has become one of the most critical concerns in cloud computing, and professionals who combine strong cloud skills with deep security knowledge are among the most sought-after in the technology industry. As organizations move sensitive data and critical applications to the cloud, the risks associated with misconfiguration, unauthorized access, data breaches, and compliance violations have grown enormously. Cloud security specialists are responsible for designing environments that minimize these risks while still enabling the speed and scalability that make cloud computing attractive in the first place.
Cloud security credentials complement broad platform certifications when they validate the security controls and operations relevant to a professional’s actual responsibilities. AWS offers the Security Specialty certification, Microsoft retired AZ-500 on August 31, 2026 and replaced it with SC-500 Cloud and AI Security Engineer Associate, and Google Cloud offers the Professional Cloud Security Engineer credential. These credentials emphasize different security architectures and platform controls; candidates should follow each vendor’s current objectives and prerequisites. For professionals who want to make security their primary specialization within the cloud domain, combining one or more of these credentials with a vendor-neutral certification like CCSP creates a highly compelling profile that appeals to a wide range of employers.
DevOps and Automation Skills
The cloud job market increasingly rewards professionals who understand not just how to use cloud platforms but how to automate, optimize, and continuously deliver applications through DevOps practices. Tools like Terraform for infrastructure provisioning, Kubernetes for container orchestration, and CI/CD pipelines for software delivery have become standard components of modern cloud environments. Professionals who can work comfortably with these tools, in addition to holding cloud platform certifications, are positioned for senior roles that combine infrastructure knowledge with software engineering practices.
Certifications in DevOps and automation are worth pursuing alongside traditional cloud credentials. The HashiCorp Terraform Associate certification validates the ability to write and manage infrastructure as code, a skill that is valued across all major cloud platforms. Kubernetes certifications from the Cloud Native Computing Foundation, such as the Certified Kubernetes Administrator, have also become highly sought after as container-based deployments continue to replace traditional virtual machine approaches. Adding these credentials to a cloud certification portfolio demonstrates the kind of modern, automation-first mindset that employers in technology-driven industries are actively looking for when building their cloud engineering teams.
Building a Cloud Career Path
Transitioning into or advancing within a cloud career requires thoughtful planning and a realistic assessment of where one’s current skills and experience sit relative to the demands of the target role. A professional who is just beginning should focus on foundational certifications that build broad cloud literacy before specializing too quickly. Starting with a practitioner or associate-level certification from a major cloud provider gives a solid base from which to grow, and pairing that with hands-on lab practice through platforms like A Cloud Guru, Linux Foundation, or free-tier accounts on AWS and Azure accelerates the learning process enormously.
As the foundation solidifies, professionals should begin identifying the specific cloud career path that aligns with their interests and market opportunities. Cloud architects, cloud security engineers, data engineers, DevOps practitioners, and cloud support specialists all have different certification priorities and skill requirements. Networking with professionals in those roles through community events, online forums, and professional associations helps clarify what certifications and experiences are actually valued in those specific positions. A well-planned certification path, combined with real project experience, creates a resume that stands out in a competitive market and opens doors to roles that are both financially rewarding and intellectually engaging.
