A cybersecurity architect can be defined as the person responsible for designing a computer system, network or general infrastructure in a secure and coherent manner from the outset of the project.
What are their main responsibilities?
Their responsibilities include such key aspects as:
- Security by Design. As one of the most important principles in cybersecurity, the role of the architect exists to apply this concept in its entirety. Security must be applied from the start of the project and be present throughout all its phases, ensuring no loopholes or unaddressed details are left.
- Visibility and overall consistency. The architect must have a broad, holistic view of the entire company, without focusing on any particular area. This perspective enables them to understand how solutions should be approached and how each one fits together most effectively.
- Project coordination and agility. Although this is not, in essence, their primary role, one of the key aspects an architect can fulfil is the coordination of technical teams to ensure the designed solution performs optimally. When there is a point of reference who has designed the ‘initial blueprint’, teams can rely on them to resolve potential issues.
We could say that the architect’s role moves away from day-to-day operations to focus more on business strategy. This means that we will not find this figure dealing with potential security incidents (at least not directly) or managing typical security platforms. The architect’s role is to serve as a technical bridge between the company’s own business objectives and the cybersecurity professionals.
One of the architect’s main functions is the evaluation, analysis and integration of the various cybersecurity technology solutions within the corporate environment. As mentioned, the role involves researching and designing the best possible solution and ensuring its correct integration into the business model. The aim is to fit all the pieces of the puzzle together without leaving any out, so that the result is the best possible.
The correct adaptation of the design from a security perspective will be crucial in the event of potential security audits; therefore, understanding and aligning with the various standards will be an additional task for the security architect.
Similarly, before beginning the design process, the architect must also understand the context. In other words, they must assess the current design and analyse potential threats, as well as the most valuable asset to be protected: information. This initial research phase is not trivial, as understanding these details can prove decisive for any future work.
Finally, amongst the various roles, their overarching vision can be decisive for the rest of the technical and business teams. The architect serves as a point of reference in the event of doubts or potential issues, acting as a coordinator and facilitator across both domains.
What professional profiles typically pursue this career?
Whilst it was previously noted that the role of the security architect is not a typical operations role, it can similarly be said that the architect is not a typical ‘junior’ position. The role of the security architect requires a more established and experienced career path; this is not an entry-level position, but rather the result of years of learning and extensive professional knowledge.
Firstly, professionals specialising in this field usually have extensive experience in operational roles, such as incident response, consultancy or security engineering. It is through this career path that they acquire day-to-day knowledge and learn about potential system weaknesses in detail.
On the other hand, an architect usually possesses a multidisciplinary perspective or knowledge. It is common for these professionals to have spent time in diverse roles such as systems administration, communications or software development. In other words, to design a good system and lay a solid foundation, it is necessary to understand even the smallest details of the environment, and the best way to do this is by integrating it into day-to-day operations.
Another key aspect of a security architect’s role is their communication skills. As mentioned earlier, this role acts as a bridge between disparate worlds such as business and cybersecurity; in this context, the architect must be able to express themselves in appropriate language so that both parties can understand each other effectively.
In summary, a security architect is typically someone with extensive experience in cybersecurity and a deep understanding of platforms. All this, combined with the ability to communicate and explain any technical aspect.
To what extent does the evolution of new technologies affect this role?
In any role linked to technology in general, technological evolution is a very important factor when presenting new projects. In cybersecurity, this is critical, as there is an urgent need to be constantly learning and advancing in the various solutions. It is not an option, but a necessity for the role to be in continuous evolution.
Consequently, the security architect must always be aware of the latest advancements and offer up-to-date solutions. Furthermore, a static design is not sufficient; the professional must remain in a state of constant change, as the emergence of new technologies—such as Artificial Intelligence, quantum cryptography or the evolution of the Cloud, amongst many others—determine the initial architecture, making dynamic redesign necessary.
Similarly, new attack vectors emerge which, initially, due to a lack of knowledge, are not studied and/or addressed in the solution. These circumstances prompt the architect to seek new ‘inputs’ for decision-making in the initial design and adjustments to this approach. The aim is to leave no doors open and to close them from the design stage onwards, in line with the latest advancements.
And specifically regarding AI?
It is no longer news that Artificial Intelligence is here to stay and, in many cases, to radically change the way we operate both personally and professionally. In this sense, we could define AI as a double-edged sword in the world of cybersecurity.
As in any scenario, the misuse and incorrect use of AI allows threats to become more sophisticated and to scale to a level never seen before. Cybercriminals use Artificial Intelligence to distribute malicious software on a massive and automated scale, making it increasingly difficult to detect and, in turn, more complex to block. This necessitates a design capable of withstanding faster and more intelligent attacks.
On the other hand, the adoption of Artificial Intelligence across various organisations is on the rise, and with it, the aim of applying cybersecurity across all its branches. AI can spread throughout the entire organisation and, by working directly with the business and its data, becomes one of the key assets to protect within the system.
Fortunately, as we mentioned, AI is a double-edged sword: just as it can be misused to cause harm, it can also be used as an ally from a cybersecurity perspective. This Artificial Intelligence is of great help in analysing complex structures where millions of records are generated and human capacity falls short.
Similarly, it can provide us with different perspectives based on other technologies, helping to build more secure defences and, even more importantly, au
