Security Architect
Security architects make sure an organization's security requirements are addressed across its enterprise architecture, including reference models, segment and solution architectures, and the systems built from them. They perform security reviews, find gaps in the security architecture, and determine the security controls that systems and networks need.
Related job titles
- Cybersecurity architect
- Information security architect
- Security solutions architect
- Information assurance (IA) architect
What They Do
10 tasks- Develop and integrate cybersecurity designs for systems and networks with multilevel security requirements or that process data at multiple classification levels.
- Document and address information security, cybersecurity architecture, and systems security engineering requirements throughout the acquisition life cycle.
- Ensure that acquired or developed systems and architectures are consistent with the organization's cybersecurity architecture guidelines.
- Identify and prioritize critical business functions together with organizational stakeholders.
- Perform security reviews, identify gaps in security architecture, and develop a security risk management plan.
- Define and document how a new system, or new interfaces between systems, affects the security posture of the current environment.
- Evaluate proposed security designs and architectures against the requirements in acquisition documents.
- Determine the protection needs, or security controls, for information systems and networks and document them.
- Translate proposed capabilities into technical requirements and communicate the enterprise IT architecture.
- Employ secure configuration management processes.
Knowledge and Skills
- Enterprise IT architecture concepts and patterns, such as baseline, validated design, and target architectures
- Designing architectures and frameworks
- Business continuity, disaster recovery, and continuity of operations plans
- Application firewall concepts and functions
- Program protection planning, including IT supply chain security and risk management
- Identity and access management principles and practices
- Acting as liaison between the enterprise architect and the systems security engineer on the allocation of security controls
- How a security system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, or the environment affect it
- Remote access technology concepts
How to Become a Security Architect
ISC2 describes its Information Systems Security Architecture Professional (ISSAP) certification as suited to a chief security architect, analyst, or professionals with similar responsibilities. It places the architect's responsibilities between the C-suite and the implementation of the security program.
To earn the ISSAP, ISC2 requires a CISSP in good standing plus two years of cumulative, full-time experience in one or more of the four ISSAP exam domains. Without the CISSP, it requires seven years of cumulative, full-time experience in two or more of those domains. A bachelor's or master's degree in computer science, IT, or a related field can satisfy one year of the required experience, and part-time work and internships may also count.
ISC2 aims its CISSP certification at experienced security practitioners, managers, and executives, lists security architect among the positions it covers, and requires 5 years of work experience for it. For students and people new to the profession, ISACA suggests building IT working knowledge with its Information Technology Certified Associate (ITCA) certificate on the way to becoming a cybersecurity architect.
Certifications
19 certificationsThe DoD 8140 Qualification Matrix V2.1 lists 18 certifications as qualification options for DCWF work role 652 Security Architect, up to the proficiency level shown. Options aligned to a higher proficiency level also qualify for the lower levels. Rows marked "Not listed" are certifications that the sources on this page name for the role, as described in the FAQ.
| Certification | Issuer | DoD 8140 level |
|---|---|---|
| CCNP Enterprise Cisco Certified Network Professional Enterprise · Cisco | Cisco | Up to Advanced |
| CISM Certified Information Security Manager · ISACA | ISACA | Up to Advanced |
| CISSP-ISSAP Information Systems Security Architecture Professional · ISC2 | ISC2 | Up to Advanced |
| CISSP-ISSEP Information Systems Security Engineering Professional · ISC2 | ISC2 | Up to Advanced |
| GCIA GIAC Certified Intrusion Analyst · GIAC | GIAC | Up to Advanced |
| GDSA GIAC Defensible Security Architect · GIAC | GIAC | Up to Advanced |
| GICSP Global Industrial Cyber Security Professional · GIAC | GIAC | Up to Advanced |
| CCSP Certified Cloud Security Professional · ISC2 | ISC2 | Up to Intermediate |
| CISSO Certified Information Systems Security Officer · United America Technoloiges, LLC | United America Technoloiges, LLC | Up to Intermediate |
| Cloud+ CompTIA Cloud+ · CompTIA | CompTIA | Up to Intermediate |
| CSSLP Certified Secure Software Lifecycle Professional · ISC2 | ISC2 | Up to Intermediate |
| FITSP-D Federal IT Security Professional-Designer-NG · Federal IT Security Institute | Federal IT Security Institute | Up to Intermediate |
| GCSA GIAC Cloud Security Automation · GIAC | GIAC | Up to Intermediate |
| GMON GIAC Continuous Monitoring Certification · GIAC | GIAC | Up to Intermediate |
| GSEC GIAC Security Essentials · GIAC | GIAC | Up to Intermediate |
| SecurityX / CASP+ CompTIA SecurityX · CompTIA | CompTIA | Up to Intermediate |
| GCLD GIAC Cloud Security Essentials · GIAC | GIAC | Up to Basic |
| GISF GIAC Information Security Fundamentals · GIAC | GIAC | Up to Basic |
| CISSP Certified Information Systems Security Professional · ISC2 | ISC2 | Not listed |
Frequently Asked Questions
What does a security architect do?→
A security architect makes sure security requirements are addressed across the enterprise architecture, performs security reviews to find gaps in it, develops a security risk management plan, and determines the security controls that systems and networks need.
How do you become a security architect?→
ISC2's ISSAP certification for security architects requires a CISSP plus two years of full-time experience in its architecture domains, or seven years of experience in those domains without the CISSP. The CISSP itself requires 5 years of work experience, and ISC2 aims it at experienced practitioners in positions that include security architect. ISACA suggests that newcomers start by building IT working knowledge through its ITCA certificate.
What is a cybersecurity architect?→
Cybersecurity architect is one of the alternative titles CISA lists for the security architect work role, DCWF code 652, along with information security architect, security solutions architect, and information assurance (IA) architect. The work role sits in the securely provision category and the systems architecture specialty area.
What skills does a security architect need?→
CISA lists knowledge of enterprise IT architectural concepts and patterns, business continuity and disaster recovery plans, application firewall concepts, and program protection planning, along with the ability to design architectures and frameworks. ISC2's ISSAP exam covers governance, risk, and compliance; security architecture modeling; infrastructure and system security; and identity and access management (IAM) architecture.
What certifications are relevant for a security architect?→
ISC2 calls its ISSAP a security architect certification and says it shows expertise in developing, designing, and analyzing security solutions and in giving risk-based guidance to senior management. ISC2 also lists security architect among the positions its CISSP certification covers.
What is the difference between a security architect and a security engineer?→
CISA's security architect work role (652) makes sure stakeholder security requirements are addressed in all aspects of the enterprise architecture. Its Systems Developer work role (632), which lists security engineer among its alternative titles, designs, develops, tests, and evaluates information systems throughout the systems development life cycle. The security architect work role also lists the ability to act as liaison between the enterprise architect and the systems security engineer.
Role descriptions follow the sources listed above: U.S. government workforce data first, then standards bodies and, where named in the text, certification issuers. Certification options come from the DoD 8140 Qualification Matrix V2.1 (2025-09-19); the matrix and a specific job posting are the authority for a given position. This site is not affiliated with CISA, the Department of Labor, or the Department of Defense. Last verified Oct 28, 2026.