A Comprehensive Guide to Becoming a Security Engineer

In a digital-powered world where everything is running as code—whether it’s banking apps, health records, infrastructure as code or even the code behind social media—everything we rely on to run our lives are all constantly under attack. At the heart of this battlefield of good vs. evil are those looking to defend and protect our digital world––Security Engineers.

Security engineering has evolved significantly over the years alongside the evolving technology landscape. If once upon a time all we had to do was secure a perimeter with a firewall and employ a handful of other guardrails to prevent malicious attackers from infiltrating our organizations, today this is much more complex.  

With a fragmentation of devices––from desktop to mobile, through working in-office to remotely, from running applications in the cloud and in a completely digital world, there are many more attack vectors, technologies and services that need to be secured today. 

At the same time, data is growing exponentially and represents a goldmine for would-be attackers. All this requires unique domain expertise that constantly needs to be refined and broadened as our technology evolves.

The Role of a Security Engineer: The Architect of Cyber Defenses

At its core, the job of a Security Engineer is about building resilience. Picture a castle with impenetrable walls, traps for intruders, and ever-vigilant sentries. Now, replace the stone walls with firewalls, traps with monitoring tools, and sentries with algorithms, and you’ve got the digital equivalent. 

We’ve historically likened this to Home Alone––David Melamed, CTO and Co-Founder at Jit did a talk at NDC Security on what Minimum Viable Security means for our modern technology world––and how sometimes you have to start small and provide maximum efficiency. (This talk is really worth watching).

What this means in security engineering, is that a Security Engineer’s day might involve anything from designing security protocols, to hunting for vulnerabilities in systems, prioritizing vulnerabilities that are found during continuous scanning, or responding to incidents when the inevitable happens. 

Their job is to collaborate with developers to secure applications, train employees to recognize attack attempts of all kinds––the ones that are still around and are the gift that keeps on giving, like Phishing or novel threats, while documenting procedures to stay ahead of evolving threats.

Security Engineers operate in diverse environments: from massive in-house teams at tech giants to specialized roles in industries like healthcare and finance. Wherever there’s sensitive data, they’re needed.

Because of these demanding requirements modern environments dictate, security engineers need to be renaissance people. They need to be familiar not only with modern engineering stacks and the programming languages, tools and the infrastructure powering them, but also the most up-to-date and sophisticated security tooling and scanning, and boy are there many!

They say, jack of all trades, master of none––and that is why there is a lot of specialized tooling for different parts of the stack in the security world. There’s application security which focuses on the software and code, there’s cloud and infrastructure security which focuses on the cloud systems that run your applications, there’s runtime security, network security, identity and access management—and many other security domains that need to be covered to fully secure modern digital applications.

So…How does one get started on this path?

From Zero to Hero – Education and Experience for Security Engineers

Do you need a fancy degree to break into this field? Not necessarily. 

Not everyone’s path to cybersecurity looks the same. For some, a degree in Computer Science or Cybersecurity is the traditional starting point. But many successful Security Engineers began differently—through self-taught projects, bootcamps, or even hacking competitions like Capture-The-Flag (CTF) or bug bounty challenges.

Here’s the reality, today with the proliferation of boot camps, conferences and other non-traditional methods of gaining hands-on experience, your path to Security Engineer can vary widely. Some examples:

• Traditional Path: Degrees in Computer Science or Cybersecurity are still gold standards.

• Unconventional Routes: Bootcamps, self-taught projects, or diving into Capture-The-Flag (CTF) competitions, and bug bounty tournaments can be equally powerful.

• Entry-Level Hacking: Roles like IT support or network engineering are great springboards into cybersecurity.

There is no single way to succeed at becoming an excellent security engineer, there are a diversity of security projects & programs that can help you build credibility while learning in the process. The key is to stay curious and keep challenging yourself.

The Skills That Make You Unstoppable

A common question that is asked for those looking to go down the security engineering path - what skills should I master to gain credibility in this domain?

The journey to becoming a Security Engineer starts with both technical and soft skills. Mastering code is a given––and while it's impossible to master the diversity of programming languages and their internals, learning the primitives and fundamentals that apply across technologies will go a long way. Think of it as learning the grammar of a language rather than memorizing every word.

Similarly, Security Engineers don’t need to be experts in every system or tool they encounter—but they do need to understand the big picture and know where to dig deeper when needed. Think of it as building a broad but flexible toolkit rather than mastering every piece of technology in existence.

Start by focusing on core concepts rather than specific tools or systems. For operating systems like Linux or Windows, you don’t need to know every line of code, but you should understand the basics: how permissions work, how processes interact, and how logs can reveal what’s happening under the hood.

For networking, focus on practical applications of concepts like TCP/IP or DNS. What happens when a request moves through a network? What are common bottlenecks or failure points? 

When it comes to security tools—firewalls, SIEMs, or vulnerability scanners—start by experimenting with open-source options or free-tier platforms. These give you a taste of how the tools work without requiring deep expertise. 

So if there were a TL;DR to help break this down:

Focus on Core Concepts:

• Learn the basics of operating systems (Linux, Windows) like permissions, processes, and logs.

• Understand networking fundamentals like TCP/IP, DNS, and how traffic flows through a network.

Programming Fundamentals:

• Focus on understanding the primitives common across languages: loops, conditionals, functions, and data structures.

• Gain proficiency in one versatile language like Python (great for automation and scripting) while understanding the basics of others like Java or C++ to adapt as needed.

• Use small projects or challenges (e.g., scripting tasks, automating a workflow) to build confidence.

Gain Practical Experience:

• Use tools like Wireshark or Nmap to explore networking concepts.

• Experiment with open-source or free-tier security tools to understand workflows like risk identification and incident response.

Prioritize Breadth Over Depth:

• Aim to build a broad, flexible toolkit rather than mastering every detail of each system or tool.

• Focus on understanding workflows and common patterns across tools and technologies.

Develop Soft Skills:

• Practice explaining technical concepts to non-technical audiences in clear, actionable terms.

• Build communication skills to act as a bridge between technical teams and executives.

Pursue Certifications Gradually:

• Certifications like CISSP or OSCP are helpful but not mandatory.
• Tackle them as you gain confidence and experience in the field.

Finally, soft skills are just as important. Security Engineers are often called on to explain technical concepts to non-technical teams. Practicing how to distill complex threats into actionable insights is a skill that will set you apart.

Ready, Set, Secure – Tips to Get Started

Every great journey begins with a single step. Start by building a strong foundation in IT basics, networking, and programming. Virtual labs like Hack The Box or TryHackMe can give you hands-on practice, while resources like OWASP or SANS keep you updated on the latest trends.

Networking—both digital and in-person—is equally important. Attend conferences, join LinkedIn groups, and participate in forums. 

Jumpstart your career with these actionable tips:

• Lab Life: Play with tools like Hack The Box and TryHackMe.

• Keep Learning: Subscribe to OWASP and follow thought leaders.

• Build Credibility: Join bug bounties, contribute to open-source tools, or showcase projects on GitHub.

• Network Your Way In: Meet cybersecurity pros at conferences or online forums (OWASP also run stellar events, alongside BSides and many other security communities around the globe).

And don’t underestimate the power of showcasing your skills: build a portfolio of projects, document your bug bounty wins, or contribute to open-source tools. These will serve as your proof points in a competitive field.

Modern Tooling and Security Engineering

The role of a Security Engineer has evolved in much the same way as our technology and stacks over the last few decades––growing increasingly complex, requiring more domain expertise and adaptability. 

A role that was once confined to securing a single network perimeter now involves managing a sprawling ecosystem of devices, platforms, and services—all of which introduce new risks and challenges. However, as the security engineering role has evolved, so too have modern security tools that bridge the gaps between developers, infrastructure, and security workflows. 

Application Security Posture Management (ASPM) solutions, like Jit, are designed to address this complexity by unifying toolchains, standardizing workflows, and creating a shared language for security and engineering teams. For this reason, tools like Jit serve as a security swiss army knife for modern engineering and developer workflows.

Remember: The future of cybersecurity isn’t just about building stronger defenses; it’s about creating smarter, more integrated systems to protect our digital frontier.