Security Engineer Roadmap

Become a defender of the digital world, from building defensive fortresses to hunting for vulnerabilities.

?? Overview: Who is a Security Engineer?

A Security Engineer is a specialist responsible for designing, implementing, and maintaining security measures to protect an organization's computer systems, networks, and data. They are both the builders of defensive "fortresses" and the ones who find and patch "vulnerabilities" before malicious actors can exploit them.

Phased Roadmap

Stage 1: IT & Network Foundations 0-6 months

Objective: Understand the infrastructure that needs protection
  • Operating Systems: Proficient in Linux administration and understanding of Windows Server.
  • Computer Networks: Master the OSI/TCP-IP model, DNS, DHCP, Subnetting, and common protocols.
  • Scripting: Ability to write automation scripts using Python or Bash.

Stage 2: Core Security Concepts 6-12 months

Objective: Build a security mindset
  • CIA Triad: Clearly understand Confidentiality, Integrity, and Availability.
  • Cryptography: Differentiate between symmetric and asymmetric encryption, hashing, and Digital Certificates.
  • Access Control: Master Authentication and Authorization models.

Stage 3: Defensive Security (Blue Team) 1-2 years

Objective: Build and operate defensive systems
  • Network Security: Configure Firewalls, IDS/IPS, VPN, and analyze packets with Wireshark.
  • Endpoint Security: Deploy Antivirus, EDR (Endpoint Detection and Response), and endpoint security policies.
  • SIEM & Logging: Implement and analyze logs with systems like Splunk, ELK Stack to detect incidents.

Stage 4: Offensive Security (Red Team)2-3 years

Objective: Think like a hacker to find weaknesses
  • Vulnerability Assessment: Use tools like Nessus, OpenVAS to scan and identify vulnerabilities.
  • Penetration Testing: Learn penetration testing methods for web, network, and applications.
  • Attack Tools: Familiarize yourself with Metasploit Framework, Burp Suite, OWASP ZAP.

Stage 5: Cloud & Application Security 3+ years

Objective: Security in modern development environments
  • Application Security (AppSec): Understand the OWASP Top 10, perform secure code reviews, SAST, DAST.
  • Cloud Security: Security on AWS, Azure, GCP. Configure IAM, Security Groups, WAF, manage secrets.
  • DevSecOps: Integrate security into the CI/CD pipeline, automate security checks.
  • Container Security: Secure Docker images and Kubernetes environments.

?? Specialization Paths

Penetration Tester / Ethical Hacker

A specialist who legally "attacks" systems to find and report vulnerabilities.

Security Architect

Designs the overall security architecture and strategy for complex systems.

Incident Responder / Forensics

A specialist who responds to security incidents and investigates the root cause.

Cloud Security Engineer

Focuses on protecting infrastructure, applications, and data on cloud computing platforms.