Security should be the top priority for any organization. There are multiple instances when large and well-established organizations went out of business due to a security breach. Organizations not only lose customer trust but also experience legal complications due to security incidents. There are various industry compliance certifications, such as Organizational Security (SOC2), Finance Data (PCI), and HealthCare data (HIPPA), that are in place to ensure organization and customer data security, which a company needs to adhere to as per the nature of their application.
Looking at the critical nature of security, organizations need to research and design the most robust security architecture for their projects, and that's where a security architect is necessary. A security architect works closely with all groups and solution architects to make sure security is a high priority. A security architect's responsibilities include the following:
- Designing and deploying the implementation of the network and computer security in the organization.
- Understanding the company's technology, and information systems, and safeguarding the security of the computers in the organization.
- Working with a variety of settings, such as securing company networks and websites.
- Planning vulnerability testing, risk analysis, and security audits.
- Reviewing and approving the installation of a firewall, VPN, and router, and scanning the server.
- Testing final security processes and making sure they work as expected.
- Providing technical guidance to the security teams.
- Making sure applications comply with industry standards as required.
- Making sure data is secure with the required accessibility and encryption.
Security architects are expected to understand, design, and guide all aspects of security related to data, network, infrastructure, and applications with a variety of tools and techniques. You will learn more about security and compliance in Chapter 8, Security Considerations.