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As more businesses move their IT services across to the cloud, there is an increasing need for cloud security specialists to safeguard their data.
Businesses love the cloud because it removes the cost of looking after on-premise servers, and it also allows them the flexibility to scale their business up and down as they need to. Unfortunately, Cybercriminals know all of this and so they know cloud servers are a great place to target if they want to steal information.
This is why cloud security specialists are in such demand, they do the important work of safeguarding everything that is stored in the cloud.
What does a cloud security specialist do?
Cloud security specialists are responsible for configuring cloud setups so that they do not offer any exposed data or another opportunity for a hacker to take advantage of.
They must be experts in cloud configuration, as well as in security technologies such as:
- Encryption: This means scrambling data so that even if a hacker were to get hold of it, they would not be able to understand it. The only way to read encrypted data is if you are the holder of the encryption key. Cloud security specialists will ensure that data is encrypted both when stored and when in transit.
- IAM (Identity and Access Management): This means creating roles and authorizations within the cloud so that only people who need to be able to access data actually can. So, for example, a company’s finance data would only be available to people working in the finance team, not to anyone working in another department. This minimizes the risk of data falling into the wrong hands.
- Firewalls: These are designed to block malicious traffic so that any hacker trying to access information that they should not be able to will be blocked.
Hackers are always refining their methods, so it is the job of security specialists to keep up to date with the latest developments and ensure that their systems are safe.
How do you become a cloud security specialist?
A good way to become a cloud security specialist is to seek out cloud certification training that specializes in one of the main cloud platforms, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Google Cloud or Microsoft Azure.
Having a certification will give your employers peace of mind that you know what you are doing, and they will feel happier entrusting the security of their systems to you.
You will need to possess good technical skills such as developing in Python or Java, and knowledge and experience of working with DevOps. Cloud security is a highly specialized field, and so you may need to build your knowledge through other roles such as development before you have the necessary experience.
What do cloud security specialists earn?
The median salary for cloud security engineers is $136,485. Salaries at the lower end of the scale are $77,000 per year, and salaries at the higher end are $144,000.
As a cloud security specialist, you also have the opportunity to become a contractor and set your own salary.