A security architect is the individual who is responsible for maintaining the security of a company’s computer system. They must think like a hacker would, because they must anticipate all of the moves and tactics that hackers will use to try and gain unauthorized access to the computer system. They sometimes have to work odd hours, and they must constantly stay current on the latest developments both on the security end and the attacking end. Many information technology experts feel that the best security architect’s are former hackers, making them very adept at understanding how the hackers will operate.
Job Duties List
A security architect’s first duty when beginning a new job is to gain a thorough understanding of the company’s systems. They must learn who has access and where the weak points of the systems are. They then must recommend ways to improve and update the security of the company’s computers. They must be able to recommend ways to improve a system’s security through both hardware and software. The next duty of a security architect is to set user policies and protocols, monitor them, and enforce them. They must also set up countermeasures that protect the system when an unauthorized user attempts to gain access to the system.
Becoming a security architect is not the highest paying job in the information technology field, but it does pay quite well. The vast majority of security architects earn in the neighborhood of $50,000 TO $90,000 a year, depending on their experience level and amount of responsibility. Obviously, the bigger the company, the more computers and systems that the security architect will have to protect. Larger companies will usually pay well over six figure salaries to their security architects. The most common salary level for security architects is in the neighborhood of $65,000.