The position of it security engineer has appeared relatively recently, and qualified specialists in this area are in great demand. We will talk about how one security engineer got his job, what skills and courses helped him take this position, and what goals he sets for himself now.
When Scott Copeland was promoted to associate in network administration in 2004, the College he graduated from did not have a course in its security. However, the knowledge gained by Scott became the basis for further study of this direction. His determination and interest in new information led him to his current job as it security engineer at FedEx Services in Memphis, Tennessee.
Early career
When Scott Copeland retired from his first job as a technical support and system administration specialist in 2008, friends advised him to use his talents in the network direction to pass the certification, which will improve the skills and level of work. After three months of training, Scott passed the Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) Routing and Switching exam. “The CCNA course has been one of the biggest helpers of my security career,” Copeland says. “This is one of the most complex network certificates in this area, and it also addresses the issues of firewalls and VPNs, which are an integral part of network security.” Scott reviewed daily posts on Reddit, news sites, and forums to learn more about the network and its security, as well as keep up to date with current threats.
He was looking for a temporary job to apply his skills in its security and found it at FedEx. “We were updating our VPN clients,” Copeland says. – I wrote a guide to their use, which is relevant to this day. I also responded to technical support requests for working with VPNs and firewalls.” After the project was completed, Scott was offered a position as a network security specialist at Southwest Tennessee Community College. Two years later, he returned to FedEx in the position in which he currently works.
“I specialize in VPNs and firewalls,” Copeland says. – My tasks include creating and executing firewall configuration change requests, analyzing VPN logs, working with developers, and addressing other security issues.”
Who is it, security engineer?
According to Victor Janulaitis, CEO of Janco Associates Inc., who annually creates a report on new it specialties describing their responsibilities, the position of it security engineer is quite new for most companies, and his responsibilities and the amount of work performed are still being modified.
“This position is widely sought after because it focuses on quality control of its infrastructure,” says Janulaitis – ” This is one of the areas that have degraded recently due to attempts by it companies to reduce their costs by using outsourcing services.”
It security engineer works with information systems and data center networks. It helps the company to be aware of current cyber threats, creates projects to prevent them, and strategies to eliminate their consequences-protects it infrastructure and a corporate network. Description of the position of it security engineer
The career ladder of it security engineer should lead Scott Copeland to the position of lead engineer, then-project Manager, or programmer.
In May, Scott received a diploma in organizational management after 4 years of training, and next year he plans to receive the certificate of Information Systems Security Professional when he will have the necessary 4 years of experience in the field of security. In the next 5 years, he plans to become the head of its security Department.
“Never stop learning new things about its security,” he says.