Security Architect

1. Introduction
2. Who is a Security Architect?
3. Security Architect Job Description
4. Roles and Responsibilities
5. Security Architect Salary Trends in India/US
6. Skills Required to be a Security Architect
7. A Day in the Life of a Security Architect
8. How to Become a Security Architect?
9. What are The Advantages of a Security Architect Course?
10. FAQs

Introduction

Security Architect is one who combines the hardware and software components with his programming and research knowledge, and in developing policy terms. It doesn’t matter who you are, and where you are. Security of the information about you, your family, and your business is most important of all. You may have heard about incidents, scams, and frauds of various information breaches, social media account hacks, and internet frauds. With the increase in technology, cybersecurity is becoming a big problem nowadays and the breaches in this security are on their top level. Every individual, business, government agency, or any organization wants to keep their information secure from these threats. Security Architects are those people who keep us safe from these unauthorized attacks. Security Architects are an essential part of our cyber security team. 

In this article, we are going to understand deeply the role of a Security Architect. Read this complete article to see why this is a great and demanding career. This article will help you understand what are the roles and responsibilities of Security Architect are, their salaries, and more. 

Who is a Security Architect?

A Security Architect is the one who is responsible for designing and maintaining the security systems for an organization, individual, or government agency. Security Architects assess the organization’s loopholes, strengths, and weaknesses by various methods such as penetration testing, SQL injection, and ethical exercises of hacking on the local network of the organization. They assess each component of the organization such as websites, routers, network firewalls, and systems to determine the vulnerabilities in the organization. Security Architects are just like hackers.

They try every possible way to crack any system’s security to identify the loopholes in the system to remove them. Security Architects can develop and implement new system architectures which are completely secure for the organization. They perform multiple roles in an organization from increasing the security of the organization to preparing budgets, overseeing expenses, and allocating resources as needed. Security Architect is a very important role for an organization as any information of the organization is crucial for it from the safety point of view. Security Architects respond to security breaches of the organization whenever any incident arises. They make appropriate changes in the organization to improve security.

Security Architect Job Description

In this section, we will see the complete job description example of employers for the role of Security Architect.

Job Description: We are looking for a Security Architect who will be responsible to design, deploy, and test the security systems within our IT network. Security Architects are the backbone for an organization as they secure the data and systems of the company. Security Architects have to research, plan and deploy an efficient security system for the organization. They need to carry out the risk assessment. Security Architects are required to assess the systems for vulnerabilities, faults, and breaches. They are required to find the best solutions to secure the company’s data. Security Architects also have to monitor the security team and provide them guidance from time to time. They should be able to solve issues related to security. Security Architects should ensure the organization that the security systems are updated. To become a successful security architect, you should be experienced in cyber security or performing penetration testing. You should also possess strong interpersonal skills and communication skills. 

Roles and Responsibilities

A security architect is required to assess the architecture of the systems of the organization for any loopholes or vulnerabilities and fix them. The security Architect is responsible for securing the systems of the organization. They also have to play various roles such as preparing budgets, overseeing expenses of the organization. Other roles include allocating personnel resources wherever needed. The responsibilities of a Security Architect include the following: 

Assessing the organization’s technology and systems

Searching for breaches in the systems and fixing them with an effective solution

Doing research on the latest security technologies for improving the security of the organization

Reviewing firewalls, security applications, VPNs, servers, and routers

Preparing reports of vulnerabilities found and presenting them to Non-IT professionals or the administrator of the organization

Testing the final security structures of the organization and suggesting if any improvements can be done

Regularly updating and upgrading the organization’s security systems

Immediately responding to security-related incidents 

Preparing cost estimation documents for the organization’s all security measures

Guiding security teams of the organization for better security

The responsibilities that we discussed above are not required by every organization. Some companies require only a few of them or some require additional tasks. Therefore, it depends on the needs of the company to assign the responsibilities to a Security Architect.

5. Security Architect Salary Trends in India/US: A security architect plays a very important role for any organization as he is responsible for securing the information of the organization. According to payscale.com, the average salary of a security architect is 2,199,825 Rs/year in India while In the United States, the average salary of a security architect is $125,841/year. In the below section, we will see the salary of security architects based on different aspects such as company, experience, and skills in both the countries India and the US.
   1. Security Architect Salary: Based on Company: The average salary of Security Architect based on companies in India are as follows:
      • TCS: Average Salary: 22.9Lac/year
      • IBM: Average Salary: 20.7Lac/year
      • Tech Mahindra: Average Salary: 23.3Lac/year
      • Accenture: Average Salary: 13.9Lac/year
      • Akamai Technologies: Average Salary: 23Lac/year
      • Wipro: Average Salary: 24Lac/year
      • BT Group: Average Salary: 22.1Lac/year
      • DXC Technology: Average Salary: 27.1Lac/year
      • Cognizant: Average Salary: 20.3Lac/year
      • Shell: Average Salary: 32.5Lac/year

Sources: ambitionbox.com

The average salary of Security Architect based on companies in the US are as follows:

• Cerner Corporation: Average salary : $87,801/year
• International Business Machines (IBM) Corp.: Average salary: $129,538/year
• Booz, Allen, and Hamilton: Average salary: $100,000/year
• General Motors Corporation: Average salary: $118,306/year
• American Airlines: Average salary  $100,796/year
• Deloitte: Average salary : $108,000/year
• Lockheed Martin Corp: Average salary  $140,000/year
• General Electric Co (GE): Average salary : $101,111/year
• Amazon.com Inc: Average salary : $146,568/year
• Cisco Systems Inc: Average salary :$112,927/year
• Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC): Average salary : $128,808/year
• The Hershey Company: Average salary :$95,000/year

Sources: payscale.com

2. Security Architect Salary: Based on Experience: The average salary of a security architect is based on one of the most important factors which is experience. The more experience you will gain, the more salary hike you will get. The average salary of security architects based on experience is divided into three levels such as entry-level, mid-level, and experienced-level. In this section, we will see the average salary of security architects based on experience in India and the United States.

The average salary of a security architect based on experience in India is as follows:

Average Salary of Early-Career Security Architect: 812,500 Rs./year Average Salary of Mid-Level Security Architect: 1,733,814 Rs./year

Average Salary of Experienced-Level Security Architect: 2,478,791 Rs./year

Sources: payscale.com

The average salary of a security architect based on experience in the US is as follows:

Average Salary of Entry-Level Security Architect: $78,612/year Average Salary of Mid-Level Security Architect: $120,566/year

Average Salary of Experienced-Level Security Architect: $/year

Sources: payscale.com

3. Security Architect Salary: Based on Skills: The other factor which affects the salary of a Security Architect is Skills. More skills will pay you more money. In this section, we will see the average salary based on skills in India and United States.

The average salary of a Security Architect Based on Skills in India are as follows: 

• Cyber Security : Average Salary : 2,505,430 Rs. /year
• IT Security & Infrastructure : Average Salary : 2,688,797 Rs. /year
• Security Policies and Procedures : Average Salary : 2,568,635 Rs. /year
• Security Risk Management : Average Salary : 2,693,059 Rs. /year
• Security testing and auditing : Average Salary : 2,718,267 Rs. /year

Sources: payscale.com

The average salary of a Security Architect Based on skills in the US are as follows: 

• IT Security & Infrastructure : Average Salary : $128,476/year
• Cyber Security : Average Salary : $131,979/year
• Security Policies and Procedures: Average Salary  $130,811/year
• Security Risk Management : Average Salary : $134,842/year
• Network Security Management: Average Salary: $125,367/year

Sources: payscale.com

Skills required to be a Security Architect

A security architect must possess technical, administrative, management, and leadership skills as they have to do multiple tasks for an organization, these skills are a must. 

Risk Management Skills: Security Architects have to deal with complex risk management as they have to fix the complex risks in the security of an organization. Though they should have risk management skills.

Soft Skills: Security Architects have to work with various software for security and testing purposes, though they should possess the knowledge of those software workings.

Soft skills are always needed for any professional role. A security architect should have soft skills which include verbal and written communication skills. Security Architects have to prepare reports in both oral and written format about the loopholes or vulnerabilities found in the architecture of the security system. These reports include the risk level of the vulnerability found, their solution, the time required to fix it, and the benefits and damages the fix can cause in the system. Security Architect should have the skills of preparing reports and presenting them.

• Problem Solving Skills: As a security architect, you have to find the security breaches in the system and solve them. For that purpose, you should possess excellent problem-solving skills. 
• Analytical Skills: A security Architect should have good analytical skills which are required to identify and rectify the problems and the security breaches in the system and the network. 
• Knowledge of Windows, Linux, and UNIX: A security architect has to work on different system architectures and he should possess the knowledge of these architectures such as Windows, Linux, and Unix. He should have a thorough knowledge of these architectures.

A day in the life of a Security Architect

A Security Architect is more senior than other engineers in IT the security department. Different organizations require different roles for the position of Security Architect. Security Architect’s role might not be full-time, but he could have to do multiple roles in a day. The daily activities of a Security Architect include researching systems for the loopholes and vulnerabilities in the systems. If any loopholes are encountered, then he has to find the impact of them, their solution, and the impact of its solution on other systems. The daily tasks include just like this. Testing for vulnerability, finding the solution, fixing the vulnerability, and again testing it for loopholes. The main motive of all the tasks is to secure the systems of the organization. So, the ultimate goal of a Security Architect is to secure the systems of an organization. And the daily tasks are related to the security of the systems. 

How to become a Security Architect?

To become a Security Architect, you need to have good knowledge about hacking. Security Architects possess experience in penetration testing in systems and assessing network systems. 

The steps required to become a Security Architect are as follows:

• Complete your bachelor’s degree: To become a Security Architect for an organization, the minimum qualifications required is Bachelor’s degree in IT or Cyber Security/Ethical Hacking, etc. It will prepare you to enter the IT profession domains such as network, security, or system architects.
• Gain Some Experience or Do Master’s in relevant field: After completing your bachelor’s degree, you have options if you want to study more in the relevant field of interest or if you want to get some practical experience by doing the job. Both the things have their benefits such as experience person will get more salary package, a person with higher education qualification will also have big opportunities and salary packages.
• Gain more experience: Experience not only will help you get a hike in salary or more offers from big IT companies, but it will help you gain more and more practical knowledge in this field. Some companies hire people based on their experience level and gaining more experience by doing the job will help you switch your companies to big IT companies.
• Earn Certification: ISC²  is the global leader in the cybersecurity community and offers you to complete the certification program from the best tutors in the world. Security Architects can earn this certification to hone their skills, gain more knowledge, and for doing practices for securing systems and networks. Various organizations provide certifications in Security Architect which is supported by the global cybersecurity community as well. These include CompTIA’s CASP+ certification, ISC² ‘s specialized CISSP Certification in Architecture, etc. 
• Application Process: After completing all the steps above, now you are ready to apply for this position and openings in the organization. You have to look for the right organization according to your skillset. Your education qualifications, skills, and experience level should match the employer’s job requirements. There are multiple platforms where you can apply for this role online such as Naukri.com, LinkedIn.com, Indeed.com, etc.

What are the advantages of a Security Architect Course?

There are several benefits of choosing Security Architect as a career and doing Security Architect Course. Below are the advantages of doing a Security Architect Course :

Professional Course: Security Architect course is a professional course and it is one of the more valued courses. Security Professionals are just like backbones for organizations as they are the reason to secure the loopholes and vulnerabilities of the organization and any kind of data related to the company is very crucial for it. So, Security Architect Course is a very professional course that will help you enter this Security Professionals field of any organization. 

In-Demand Job: With the increase in technology, breaches in the system and various kinds of attacks are increasing regularly. To stop them or to keep safe from these attacks, each organization needs a security architect with great knowledge of securing systems and networks. Companies are always in demand of the best Security Architects for their organization.

High Salary: As the responsibility of a Security Architect is to secure the organization from unauthorized attacks, they play a vital role for an organization. That’s the reason, organizations are ready to pay more to increase the security level of the organization. Completing a course in Security Architect will help you get more salary from companies.

Job Security: Choosing this career will not only benefit you in getting a high salary, but it will provide you with job security as well. The role a Security Architect plays in an organization is very important and crucial too. So any organization doesn’t want to do compromise with their security system. That will ultimately provide you with job security in this field.

Interesting Roles: As we already discussed the roles and responsibilities of a Security Architect, have to secure the system or the organization from unauthorized access. To do this you need to know programming, systems architecture, and networks. Security Architect not only have to secure the organization’s information, but they also have to deal with security administrators, security engineers, and IT analysts to take effective security measures for the organization.

FAQs

Who is a Security Architect?

A security architect is someone responsible to make the systems of the organization more secure. He has to take such actions that will improve the security of the systems. He is responsible for finding vulnerabilities in the system and their removal. 

What are the roles of a Security Architect?

Developing the project timelines for the up-gradation of systems.

Updating systems timely to enhance the security level 

Testing the final system of the organization

Monitoring and guiding the security team

Researching, planning, and implementation of system security changes 

Responding to immediate security breaches

What are the skills required to become a Security Architect?

Strong interpersonal skills

Excellent verbal and written skills

Technical Skills related to systems

Good understanding of different systems such as Windows, UNIX, or LINUX

Problem-solving skills

Analytical Skills

Is it hard to become a Security Architect?

• It can’t be said that it is easy to become a security architect because it needs hard work and continuous practice for the security of the systems. It can be hard for those who don’t give proper time for learning and doing research. It can be easy for those who are experienced and who have proper knowledge in this field. Therefore, you are required to learn properly and practice a lot to become a successful security architect.

Is it a good career choice to choose Security Architect’s role?

Choosing Security Architect can be a good career choice for anyone if we see the benefits of the position like the job security, salary, high demand in big IT companies, etc. 

Conclusion

Every organization needs the best security architect for the security of the information and the systems of the company. Choosing Security Architect as a career can be a good choice for you if you have interests in this field. Security Architect is a very interesting role as they have to find the loopholes of a system and fix them by applying various techniques. This is hard for those who don’t have proper knowledge in this field and the tasks seem easy to those security architects who are experienced. You should choose Security Architect as your career choice if you have interests in this field.