What Does An AWS Cloud Security Engineer Do?

What Does An AWS Cloud Security Engineer Do

What Type Of Person Is Fit For A Job In Security Engineering?

There’s a lot of romanticism around doing engineering work. Maybe it’s because security engineers have to do technical problem solving, and they have to be very persistent and intuitive thinking. You’re going to have to be able to solve problems that might not have a white paper or a walkthrough guide. You will need a good base knowledge to then solve other issues that you might come across within your infrastructure or within your contract or whatever you’re working on at the moment. 

What Programming Languages Should I Learn For Cloud Security Engineering?

It is highly recommended to be proficient in one or more programming languages in cloud security engineering . The most common programming language in AWS would be TypeScript which is native to tools such as the SDK Software Development Kit, or the CDK cloud development kit.

Python is another popular language, which is really good for creating lambdas within AWS and it’s just a really good base language to have in cybersecurity. Node is another great language to learn because node is a really good mix of TypeScript, and a lot of people are experienced or can type code in Node. Node developers typically have a really good grasp of core programming fundamentals and they’ll transfer over really well to a field like security engineering where you need to know a lot or a little about a lot.

What Other Tools And Concepts Should I Learn As A Security Engineer?

In security engineering, you’re not going to have to know everything, but you’re going to have to have a lot of practical knowledge of the resources and solutions that you’re trying to implement, whether it’s with the SDK or the CDK. You’re going to have to know what connectivity is like between the VPC and a subnet on a certain IP range. You’re gonna have to know how to install WAF you won’t have to know out of the box. You will use a technical problem solving mindset.

Why Should You Use AWS As A Cloud Security Engineer?

The good thing about AWS is there’s a lot of white papers that you can use to solve problems. There’s also a lot of gray areas in those white papers where you’re going to have to use your own technical problem solving skills and your intuitive thinking and just general persistence to find the answers to those questions. If you want to become an AWS security engineer, remember that it takes a special kind of person to sit there and look at code for hours on end.

What Mindset Should I Have In My Job?

Security Engineering doesn’t lack process minded thinking, but you also have to be independent minded. A CISO or head of information security can create a process or a procedure, but that process might not help you find or solve a solution that hasn’t been solved yet. At the end of the day, you will have to use technical problem solving to take processes and use them in the right way.

Are Communication Skills Necessary As A Security Engineer?

Strong communication is a huge plus. A lot of people won’t say this in the engineering field. A lot of disconnect comes between management and security engineering when a really good security engineer or an engineer in general creates a really amazing solution, but they’re not able to communicate what that solution is and what kind of business value it provides.

What Else Should I Know Before Getting Into Cloud Security Engineering?

Before getting into cloud security engineering, you should get a good understanding of basic programming languages, networking and security concepts.

Some good foundational courses would be getting your Network+ and Security+ certifications as well as learning Linux, command line, and popular programming languages.

Once you have foundational knowledge, you should be ready to explore the certifications offered by AWS to transfer your skillset to the cloud.

Remember to use Twitter, Youtube, and Reddit communities to your advantage as well as Stack Overflow and W3schools as resources. Udemy also has affordable courses that will help you get you practical experience with security architecture and software.