How to Become a Great Cyber Security Architect?
March 4, 2023, 6 min read
You hear about another horrifying incident involving corporate cybersecurity, phishing, or internet fraud wherever you go. The prevalence of cybercrime in recent years has highlighted the need for rigorous cybersecurity measures.
Everyone, from corporations and governments to nonprofits and citizens, values their personal data’s privacy. So much of who we are, what we do, and how we get things done is now conducted digitally.
The role of cybersecurity architects cannot be overstated. This essay will explain what a cybersecurity architect is, why you should consider becoming one, and how to get certified in cyber security. Keep reading to learn more about this exciting, high-demand field.
Let’s start by learning about the foundations of cyber defense.
Who is a Cyber Security Architect?
A cybersecurity architect (or a “security architect”) plans, develops and manages an organization’s cyber defenses to protect its data and computing infrastructure.
A security architect can assess an organization’s security. On LANs, WANs, and VPNs, they conduct penetration tests, risk assessments, and ethical hacks. Routers, firewalls, and similar systems are evaluated for efficiency and effectiveness.
Put another way; they are the authority figure, the person everyone turns to when they have questions or concerns about cybersecurity.
You hear about another horrifying incident involving corporate cybersecurity, phishing, or internet fraud wherever you go. The prevalence of cybercrime in recent years has highlighted the need for rigorous cybersecurity measures.
Everyone, from corporations and governments to nonprofits and citizens, values their data’s privacy. So much of who we are, what we do, and how we get things done is now conducted digitally.
The role of cybersecurity architects cannot be overstated. This essay will explain what a cybersecurity architect is, why you should consider becoming one, and how to get certified in cyber security in India. Get the facts here about why this is a fantastic, in-demand profession.
Let’s start by learning about the foundations of cyber defense.
A cybersecurity architect (or a “security architect”) plans, develops and manages an organization’s cyber defenses to protect its data and computing infrastructure.
A security architect can assess an organization’s security. On LANs, WANs, and VPNs, they conduct penetration tests, risk assessments, and ethical hacks. Routers, firewalls, and similar systems are evaluated for efficiency and effectiveness.
Simply put, they are the authority figure in cyber security.
What are the Responsibilities of a Cyber Security Architect?
What does this definition mean in terms of duties at work? To name just a few of the duties of a cybersecurity architect:
- Learning everything there is to know about the company’s IT infrastructure
Methods for ensuring that all IT projects have secure infrastructures that are well-planned, well-researched, and easily modified
- Doing risk evaluations and security inspections on the finished infrastructure
- Examining the newest authentication processes, security measures, and other norms
- Establishing, documenting, and enforcing the necessary corporate security policies and procedures and ensuring that all personnel comply with these measures,
- Creating needs for all IT resources such routers, firewalls, LANs, WANs, VPNs, etc.
- Evaluating and authorizing the setup of all security measures, including IDS scanners, firewalls, VPNs, routers, and servers
- The process of developing budgetary projections for all cybersecurity measures and locating potential integration problems
- Planning PKIs, such as those used for digital signatures and certificate authorities (CA)
Doing comprehensive tests to ensure the integrity of the organization’s newly implemented security measures
- Providing technical oversight and direction to security teams
- Taking the lead on security education and awareness initiatives aimed at workers outside the IT department
- Promptly addressing security issues (such as data leaks, viruses, or phishing scams) and offering a thorough post-event analysis when they have been fixed.
- Including necessary security system updates and enhancements
- Remember that certain corporations and organizations could prefer that their cybersecurity architect not handle all of these responsibilities. On the other hand, certain businesses may have even higher standards for their architects.
How to Become a Great Cyber Security Architect?
1. Expand Your Horizons
The position of security architect is typically not an entry-level one. It is recommended that security architects have at least five years of expertise in the field and ten years of experience overall, with at least three of those years spent specifically in cybersecurity.
For this reason, anyone who chooses this line of work should be ready to put in a lot of hard work. It is essential for professionals interested in becoming security architects first to determine the degree path they wish to take. A background in traditional computer science and the more narrowly focused discipline of cybersecurity can be helpful. The next stage for professionals is to figure out what entry-level position would best fit them to acquire relevant experience. All of this must be investigated to build a unique professional strategy.
2. Learn Deeply
Those interested in entering the area of security architecture should begin by earning a bachelor’s degree in a relevant field. Ultimately, it is up to the individual to decide on a course of study that will benefit their professional development. Consider a bachelor’s degree in computer science or cybersecurity as an example. A master’s degree in cybersecurity or a related discipline is likely to be necessary, though, because a security architect is a management-level position. In some instances, relevant work experience can be accepted in place of a master’s degree.
3. Acquire Competence
That said, a security architect position is not considered entry-level. This implies that those who wish to become security architects will likely need to begin their careers in a different field. Like any management position, security architecture is often a career path that starts with an entry-level position, continues through a few intermediate positions, and culminates in the post of a security architect.
A security architect, for instance, may have started as a system administrator before transitioning into a profession with a greater emphasis on security as a security engineer. Security administrator, network administrator, security expert, security analyst, and security consultant are just a few jobs that might be stepping stones to a security architect career.
Make an effort to obtain credentials. Certifications, as is the case with many other fields, are an excellent way for professionals and students to demonstrate their competence and stand out from the competition when applying for cyber security jobs. If you want to get started in cybersecurity, the CompTIA Security+ certification is a great choice. This training is comprehensive, covering both classroom theory and real-world cybersecurity practice.
Professionals can pursue the CISSP for certification at the expert level. Successful candidates for the Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) exam will have extensive experience and knowledge in many areas of cybersecurity, including security and risk management, asset security, security architecture, and engineering, identity and access management, security assessment and testing, security operations, and software development security. Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH), Offensive Security Certified Professional (OSCP), Certified Cloud Security Professional (CCSP), Certified Information Security Manager (CISM), Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA), SANS/GIAC Certification (Various), and IT Infrastructure Library (ITIL) Certification are just a few examples of intermediate certifications that bridge the gap between the Security+ and the CISSP.
5. Apply to Your Dream Job
Everything you need to know about security architects, including how to become one, what kind of schooling and certifications are required, and what type of experience you should have after five to ten years in the profession, is available online. Searching for terms like “security architect” on sites like Indeed.com, Glassdoor.com, LinkedIn, and many others will return results for security-related job postings, including those for architects.
6. Continue Your Education
A security architect’s education is ongoing. Managing security is a dynamic field. Thus security architects need to keep up with the latest developments in the area. If security architects want to stay current, they might benefit from attending seminars hosted by groups like BlackHat and the Security Awareness Network (SAN).
Conclusion
From the outset, you’ll require some book smarts. A Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in cybersecurity, computer science, information technology, or a related field is typically required. Even if you don’t come from a traditional academic background in IT, you might be able to get by with a few classes.
To move beyond theoretical study, most companies and organizations seek applicants with five to ten years of professional IT experience, preferably in systems analysis, application development, and business planning. Of those ten years in IT, three to five should be explicitly spent dealing with security issues.
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