Overview
Security Engineering focuses on building secure systems from the ground up. Unlike penetration testers who find vulnerabilities, security engineers design and implement security controls, review code, and integrate security into development. This role requires both offensive skills (understanding attackers) and defensive skills (building secure architectures).
As AI writes more code, the attack surface expands. Security engineers who can secure AI-generated code will be invaluable.
Expected Salaries (2025)
The Complete Learning Path
Follow these steps in order. Each builds on the previous. All resources are 100% free.
Programming Foundation
6-8 weeksLearn Python and JavaScript to understand code for security reviews. You need to read code to secure it.
Free Resources
CS50's PythonHarvard — Rigorous intro — FreeWeb Security Fundamentals
4-6 weeksMaster the OWASP Top 10: XSS, SQL Injection, CSRF, IDOR, authentication flaws.
Secure Coding Practices
4-5 weeksLearn to prevent vulnerabilities: input validation, output encoding, parameterized queries, cryptography basics.
Threat Modeling
3-4 weeksLearn STRIDE, PASTA, and attack trees to identify threats before code is written.
DevSecOps & CI/CD
4-5 weeksIntegrate security into pipelines: SAST, DAST, SCA, secret scanning.
Cloud Security
4-5 weeksMaster IAM, network security, container security on AWS/Azure/GCP.
Offensive Skills
6-8 weeksUnderstanding attackers makes you a better defender. Practice with bug bounties and CTFs.
Free Resources
Hacker101HackerOne — Free web security courseTips for Success
- Learn to communicate. Explain risks to non-technical stakeholders.
- Stay current. Follow security researchers, track new CVEs.
- Build relationships. Partner with devs, don't lecture them.
- Get certified. OSCP, Security+ open doors.
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