Cloud Security Specialist

Rhodes University; Wes-Kaap; On-site; ZAR 600,000 - 900,000; Full time

Job summary

Rhodes University is seeking a Cloud Security Specialist to safeguard our cloud infrastructure and data across environments in the Wes-Kaap region. The role requires threat analysis, risk assessments, and hands-on implementation of security controls using cloud-native and third-party tools.

You will collaborate with SOC teams and incident response processes to enhance defense and compliance. Applicants should hold AWS certifications (Security Specialty, Cloud Practitioner, Solutions Architect)

Qualifications

• Matric and a relevant technology or business-related diploma/degree.
• 3+ years of experience as a Cloud Security Analyst/Engineer.
• AWS Security Specialty, AWS Cloud Practitioner, and AWS Solutions Architect certifications.
• Experience with cloud security assessments, cloud-native security controls, risk assessment, web application firewalls, information gathering, and reporting.

Responsibilities

• Conduct threat analysis on cloud environments.
• Use security tools to analyze events in production and non-production environments for threat mitigation and compliance.
• Perform risk assessments and test adherence to core security tenets for systems processing or storing valuable data.
• Maintain and update multi-cloud security standards assessments.
• Design security solutions addressing known vulnerabilities across cloud infrastructure, APIs, web apps, or other reachable systems.
• Define and implement cyber security threat use cases.
• Coordinate with SOC teams to provide guidance against malicious activity.
• Be a key resource during cyber incident response.
• Coordinate monitoring for breaches or intrusions and develop response/recovery strategies.

Skills

Critical thinking

Security research

Teamwork

Communication

IaC

Scripting

Education

Matric

Diploma or degree in technology or business

Tools

Web Application Firewall

Burp Suite

AWS CloudFormation

Terraform

Job description

A Cloud Security Specialist plays a crucial role in safeguarding thecloud infrastructure and data. This position requires a blend of technical expertise, securityknowledge, and problem-solving skills to implement and maintain security protocols in cloudenvironments.

DESCRIPTION

• Conduct threat analysis on cloud environments.
• Uses data collected from a variety of agnostic and native cloud security and application security tools (e.g., Cloud Security Posture Management, Web Application Firewalls, API Compliance, Static Code Analysis Tools, Source Composition Analysis tools, Data Security Posture Management) to analyze events that occur within production and non-production environments for the purposes of mitigating threats and improving compliance.
• Perform risk assessments and test adherence to core security tenets for any systems which process or store vendor data, customer data, employee data or any data deemed valuable and sensitive.
• Maintain and update the multi-cloud security standards assessments for the organization.
• Design security solutions to address known vulnerabilities in cloud infrastructure, API endpoints, web applications or other network reachable systems across the estate.
• Define and implement cyber security threat use cases.
• Review violations of cyber security procedures and discuss procedures with violators to ensure violations are not repeated.
• Coordinates with the SOC teams by offering the necessary functional guidance for avoiding malicious activities.
• Is a key resource during cyber incident response.
• Coordinate monitoring of networks or systems for security breaches or intrusions.
• Develop response and recovery strategies for security breaches.
• Supports the team with research and source analysis.
• Offer all the necessary support to cyber security initiative through predictive and reactive analysis.
• Works with customers, vendors and internal resources for problem resolution and security advisories.
• Must articulate the emerging cloud security trends to the security operations centre team members.
• Identify or implement solutions to information security problems.
• Leverages industry best practices and standards for improvements and optimization, such as NIST and CIS, as well as cloud specific standards such as the AWS Best Practices Framework for Security and Microsoft Azure Security Benchmark.
• Provides technical advice and consultation to the business.
• Recommend information security enhancements to management.
• Acquires and applies knowledge of business processes, procedures, policies and practices. Communicates effectively regarding cloud security related activities.
• Participates in systems handover process.
• Participates in software and/or hardware upgrades.
• Adds assets to the Web Application Firewall for Layer 7 protection.
• Refines Firewall rulesets.
• Train users and promote security awareness to ensure system security and to improve server and network posture.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS/EXPERIENCE

• Matric
• Relevant diploma or degree in technology or business-related field
• 3 or more years of experience as a Cloud Security Analyst/Engineer
• AWS Security Speciality
• AWS Cloud Practitioner
• AWS Solutions Architect
• Experience with cloud security assessments, cloud-native security controls, risk assessment, web application firewalls, information gathering, and reporting.

ADDITIONAL QUALIFICATIONS/EXPERIENCE

• Certified Cloud Security Professional (CCSP) from ISC2
• Intermediate or Advanced API Security knowledge (Using Burp Suite, or other app sec tools)
• Certified Ethical Hacker, or equivalent course
• CompTIA Security+
• AZ-900 (Microsoft Azure Fundamentals)
• SC-900 (Microsoft Security, Compliance, and Identity Fundamentals)
• AZ-104 (Microsoft Azure Adminstrator)
• SC-100 (Microsoft Cybersecurity Architect)

COMPETENCIES REQUIRED

• Critical thinking/problem-solving
• Oral/written communication
• Teamwork/ collaboration
• Strong security research skills
• Infrastructure as Code (IaC) – Terraform and Cloudformation
• Scripting – Bash, Python and Powershell