The pathway
How you actually get there, here
How you become one varies far more by country than what one does. This is the UK route. Most people take one of these ways in; the right one depends on where you're starting from.
- 1
Associate Edge Security Engineer (L1)
1-2 yearsSkills to master
- Mastering basic WAF rule tuning, incident response playbooks, understanding CDN caching, and foundational networking concepts. It's about executing tasks reliably.
You're ready to move on when
- Consistently resolves P3/P4 tickets within SLA with minimal supervision.
- Demonstrates a solid understanding of our core edge security platforms.
- Proactively identifies and escalates potential issues before they become critical.
- Contributes positively to team discussions and documentation.
- 2
Network Engineer with Security Focus
2-3 yearsSkills to master
- Transitioning from general networking to specific edge security controls. This means learning WAFs, DDoS mitigation, and SASE platforms, and understanding web application vulnerabilities.
You're ready to move on when
- Has a strong background in routing, switching, and firewalls, but wants to specialise in threat defence at the perimeter.
- Shows a keen interest in web application security and cloud security.
- Has completed relevant security certifications (e.g., CompTIA Security+).
- 3
Junior Security Analyst (Infrastructure focus)
2-4 yearsSkills to master
- Moving from broader security operations to a dedicated edge role. This involves deepening knowledge of specific edge technologies, IaC for security, and proactive threat hunting techniques.
You're ready to move on when
- Excels at incident analysis and forensic investigation, particularly for web-based attacks.
- Has experience with SIEM tools and log analysis.
- Demonstrates a desire to specialise in infrastructure and network perimeter defence.