Role-Based Security Architecture
A defensible organizational learning framework. Governance defines requirements → Engineering enforces controls → Operations monitors threats → Assurance validates effectiveness.
Function
Target Role
Tier
Function 1
Common Security Foundation
Shared baseline security vocabulary and principles required before employees branch into specialized technical responsibilities.
Common Foundation Pathway
Outcome: Universal risk recognition across workforce and core technical concepts for IT personnel.
Foundation (Workforce)
C)SAP | Mile2
Certified Security Awareness Principles
- Prerequisite:
- None (Entry Level)
- Why Now:
- Establishes common vocabulary around social engineering and data handling before technical controls.
- Measurable Competency:
- Identifies active phishing attempts and complies with organizational data classification policies.
Next: Role BranchingView Course
Practitioner (Technical)
SY0-701 | CompTIA
CompTIA Security+
- Prerequisite:
- C)SAP or basic networking experience
- Why Now:
- Adds cryptography, access control, and network security concepts before specialization.
- Measurable Competency:
- Configures basic network defenses, access rules, and security controls across IT infrastructure.
Next: Branch to Functions 2–5View Course
Proof of Competency Gate: Common Foundation
Entry Assessment: Knowledge check on phishing & password hygiene
Practitioner Lab: Analyze suspicious network traffic & access logs
Pass Threshold: 100% score on policy simulation & Security+ baseline scenario assessment
Function 2
Governance — Define Requirements
Establish security policy, acceptable risk, regulatory compliance obligations, and oversight frameworks.
Path G1: Security Governance Manager
Outcome: Translates business risk into enforceable security requirements and manages security programs.
Foundation
NIST-CSF
Introduction to NIST Cybersecurity Framework
- Prerequisite:
- Security+ baseline
- Why Now:
- Establishes framework structure for identifying and managing cybersecurity outcomes.
- Measurable Competency:
- Maps organizational activities to NIST CSF core functions and profiles.
Practitioner
CISM | ISACA
Certified Information Security Manager
- Prerequisite:
- NIST CSF Framework
- Why Now:
- Builds program management, risk treatment, and incident management governance.
- Measurable Competency:
- Develops enterprise security governance plans and incident response policies.
Advanced Specialization
CGEIT | ISACA
Certified Governance of Enterprise IT
- Prerequisite:
- CISM certification or equivalent experience
- Why Now:
- Extends security management into executive IT investment oversight.
- Measurable Competency:
- Establishes executive IT governance frameworks and investment alignment.
Proof of Competency Gate: Governance Program
Entry Assessment: NIST CSF core domain evaluation
Practitioner Lab: Author enterprise incident response policy
Pass Threshold: Approved governance framework alignment & risk treatment plan
Path G2: Risk & Compliance Professional
Outcome: Connects risk assessments to documented security controls and ISO/NIST audit compliance.
Practitioner
CRISC | ISACA
Certified in Risk and Information Systems Control
- Prerequisite:
- NIST CSF Framework
- Why Now:
- Develops risk identification, evaluation, treatment, and control monitoring skills.
- Measurable Competency:
- Builds enterprise risk registers and models control impact on business operations.
Advanced Core
ISO-27001
ISO/IEC 27001 Lead Implementer
- Prerequisite:
- CRISC or risk assessment experience
- Why Now:
- Applies risk concepts to implementing an Information Security Management System (ISMS).
- Measurable Competency:
- Authors ISMS policies, conducts gap analyses, and prepares organizations for ISO audit.
Path G3: Security Auditor
Outcome: Independently evaluates whether required technical and administrative controls operate effectively.
Practitioner
CISA | ISACA
Certified Information Systems Auditor
- Prerequisite:
- NIST CSF / Security+
- Why Now:
- Develops skills to audit IT assets, evaluate evidence, and report control gaps.
- Measurable Competency:
- Executes audit plans, samples technical evidence, and produces audit findings.
Advanced Core
CISSP | (ISC)²
Certified Information Systems Security Professional
- Prerequisite:
- CISA or 5 years security experience
- Why Now:
- Adds deep security architecture and operational context for complex technical auditing.
- Measurable Competency:
- Evaluates complex multi-domain security architectures for control efficacy.
Function 3
Security Engineering — Enforce Controls
Convert governance requirements into technical protections across hosts, containers, cloud, applications, and AI pipelines.
Path E1: Kubernetes / Platform Security Engineer
Outcome: Hardens host OS, container runtimes, Kubernetes cluster RBAC, and automated policy pipelines.
Foundation
LNX-SEC
Linux Security Fundamentals & Hardening
- Prerequisite:
- Linux Admin / Security+
- Why Now:
- Kubernetes cannot compensate for a poorly secured underlying host operating system.
- Measurable Competency:
- Configures SSH hardening, PAM policies, kernel parameters, and host firewalls.
Practitioner
DOC-SEC
Docker & Container Security Hardening
- Prerequisite:
- Linux Security Fundamentals
- Why Now:
- Learn image signing, cgroups, namespaces, and runtime isolation before orchestration.
- Measurable Competency:
- Builds minimal non-root container images and configures secure runtime profiles.
Readiness Assessment Gate
K8S-GATE
Kubernetes Administration Readiness Assessment
- Prerequisite:
- Practical K8s admin experience (Note: Official Linux Foundation CKA cert required for official CKS exam)
- Why Now:
- Verifies operational Kubernetes competence before attempting advanced cluster security.
- Measurable Competency:
- Deploys and troubleshoots multi-node clusters and core workloads.
Advanced Core
CKS
Advanced Kubernetes Security (CKS)
- Prerequisite:
- Container Hardening & K8s Admin Readiness Gate
- Why Now:
- Applies security controls across cluster setup, RBAC, network policies, and secret management.
- Measurable Competency:
- Configures and validates cluster RBAC, workload admission, network segmentation, secrets protection, and Falco runtime detection.
Advanced Specialization
OPA-GK
Cloud Guardrails & Policy as Code (OPA / Gatekeeper)
- Prerequisite:
- Advanced Kubernetes Security (CKS)
- Why Now:
- Automates cluster policy requirements, prevents configuration drift, and enforces Rego constraints.
- Measurable Competency:
- Authors custom Rego policies for Gatekeeper admission controllers.
Proof of Competency Gate: Kubernetes Security
Entry Assessment: Linux host security & K8s admin challenge
Practitioner Lab: Build distroless containers & restrict Linux capabilities
Advanced Lab: Isolate microservices using K8s NetworkPolicies & OPA Gatekeeper
Pass Threshold: 100% RBAC restriction verification & zero unauthorized container breakout vulnerabilities
Path E2: Application & DevSecOps Security Engineer
Outcome: Shifts security left by integrating automated code scanning, API security, and DISA STIGs into CI/CD pipelines.
Practitioner
TT8120 | OWASP
Secure Web Applications (OWASP Top 10)
- Prerequisite:
- Web development or API engineering experience
- Why Now:
- Teaches developers how to eliminate web vulnerabilities (XSS, SQLi, CSRF) during development.
- Measurable Competency:
- Remediates OWASP Top 10 web vulnerabilities in live web application codebases.
Advanced Core
TT8810 | DISA STIG
Application Security DISA STIG Training
- Prerequisite:
- OWASP TT8120
- Why Now:
- Applies federal military DISA Security Technical Implementation Guides (STIGs) to software pipelines.
- Measurable Competency:
- Audits and hardens software applications against DISA STIG compliance checklists.
Path E3: AI Security & Gateway Engineer
Outcome: Secures enterprise LLM integrations, establishes runtime model governance, and enforces data loss prevention.
Prerequisites Gate
AI-PRE
AppSec & API Gateway Prerequisites Gate
- Prerequisite:
- OWASP TT8120 / API security baseline
- Why Now:
- Verifies API authentication, proxy architecture, and OWASP web security knowledge before AI specialization.
- Measurable Competency:
- Demonstrates proficiency in API authentication, rate limiting, and payload inspection.
Advanced Core
AI-SEC / Bifrost
AI Gateway & Runtime Security Engineering
- Prerequisite:
- AppSec & API Gateway Prerequisites Gate
- Why Now:
- Establishes central proxy control over corporate LLM traffic to prevent unmonitored Shadow AI.
- Measurable Competency:
- Implements authenticated AI gateway access, usage controls, audit logging, sensitive-data handling policies, and layered defenses against prompt injection and unauthorized tool use.
Function 4
Security Operations — Monitor & Respond
Determine whether protections work in production, recognize active threats, and respond when prevention fails.
Path O1: SOC Analyst
Outcome: Performs packet analysis, SIEM log correlation, threat triage, and incident escalation.
Foundation
PCAP-101
Wireshark & Network Packet Analysis for Defenders
- Prerequisite:
- Security+ / Networking fundamentals
- Why Now:
- Analysts must understand raw network evidence and normal protocols before interpreting alerts.
- Measurable Competency:
- Captures and analyzes PCAP files to identify malicious payload signatures.
Practitioner
SOC-200 / OSDA
Foundational Security Operations & Defensive Analysis
- Prerequisite:
- Wireshark & SIEM fundamentals
- Why Now:
- Combines monitoring, log analysis, threat triage, and investigation into a practical SOC workflow.
- Measurable Competency:
- Triages live SIEM alerts, reconstructs attack chains, and drafts incident reports.
Advanced Core
CySA+ | CompTIA
CompTIA Cybersecurity Analyst
- Prerequisite:
- SOC-200 / OSDA
- Why Now:
- Broadens analytical skills across vulnerability management and threat intelligence.
- Measurable Competency:
- Applies behavioral analytics to detect advanced persistent threats (APTs).
Path O2: Incident Responder / Threat Hunter
Outcome: Executes structured incident containment, recovery, threat hunting, and intelligence analysis.
Practitioner
ECIH | EC-Council
Certified Incident Handler
- Prerequisite:
- SOC-200 / OSDA
- Why Now:
- Develops structured containment, eradication, recovery, and evidence chain-of-custody protocols.
- Measurable Competency:
- Leads incident response workflows and executes system containment procedures.
Advanced Core
C)TIA | Mile2
Certified Threat Intelligence Analyst
- Prerequisite:
- ECIH
- Why Now:
- Adds adversary intelligence (STIX/TAXII, MITRE ATT&CK) to guide proactive hunting queries.
- Measurable Competency:
- Converts threat intelligence feeds into proactive SIEM hunting rules.
Path O3: Digital Forensics & Malware Analyst
Outcome: Examines compromised system memory, extracts forensic artifacts, and reverse engineers malicious binaries.
Practitioner
CHFI | EC-Council
Computer Hacking Forensic Investigator
- Prerequisite:
- Incident Handler baseline
- Why Now:
- Introduces structured disk forensics, file carving, and legal evidence examination.
- Measurable Competency:
- Acquires forensic disk images and extracts deleted artifacts for investigation.
Advanced Core
MEM-MAL
Memory Forensics & Malware Analysis
- Prerequisite:
- CHFI / C)NFE
- Why Now:
- Analyzes volatile RAM dumps and performs static/dynamic malware sandbox analysis.
- Measurable Competency:
- Extracts injected DLLs from Volatility RAM dumps and documents malware C2 behavior.
Function 5
Security Assurance — Test & Validate
Determine whether deployed security controls satisfy governance requirements through testing and validation. Findings feed directly back into Engineering and Governance.
Path A1: Vulnerability Assessment Engineer
Outcome: Systematically scans infrastructure, quantifies CVSS risk, and prioritizes remediation work.
Foundation
SCAN-101
Network Vulnerability Scanning with Nmap & Nessus
- Prerequisite:
- Security+ / Networking
- Why Now:
- Teaches asset discovery, scanning scope, and false-positive identification.
- Measurable Competency:
- Executes credentialed vulnerability scans and filters false positives.
Practitioner
C)VA | Mile2
Certified Vulnerability Assessor
- Prerequisite:
- Scanning fundamentals
- Why Now:
- Progresses from tool execution to prioritizing vulnerabilities within an enterprise risk framework.
- Measurable Competency:
- Generates CVSS risk-prioritized vulnerability reports for remediation teams.
Path A2: Penetration Tester / Ethical Hacker
Outcome: Conducts authorized offensive exploitation to prove vulnerability impact and perimeter exposure.
Practitioner Option A
PenTest+ | CompTIA
CompTIA PenTest+
- Prerequisite:
- C)VA or vulnerability assessment experience
- Why Now:
- Establishes rules of engagement, authorized scoping, and reporting methodology before exploitation.
- Measurable Competency:
- Drafts pen-test engagement scopes and executes initial reconnaissance.
Practitioner Option B
CEH v13 | EC-Council
Certified Ethical Hacker
- Prerequisite:
- C)VA or equivalent technical baseline
- Why Now:
- Provides broad attack-vector familiarity to understand adversary tactics.
- Measurable Competency:
- Executes ethical hacking techniques across network and perimeter boundaries.
Advanced Core
PEN-200 / OSCP
OffSec Certified Professional (OSCP)
- Prerequisite:
- CEH, PenTest+, or demonstrated hands-on enumeration skills
- Why Now:
- Gold-standard practical hands-on penetration testing and exploit methodology.
- Measurable Competency:
- Executes hands-on network exploitation, privilege escalation, and reports findings.
Proof of Competency Gate: Penetration Testing
Entry Assessment: Network enumeration & script syntax challenge
Practitioner Lab: Authorized perimeter port scanning & vulnerability exploitation
Advanced Lab: Black-box privilege escalation on isolated target network
Pass Threshold: 100% compromise documentation & submission of defensible executive remediation report
Path A3: Security Control Validation Specialist
Outcome: Evaluates technical configuration evidence against DISA STIGs and Zero Trust benchmarks.
Advanced Core
TT8810 + ZT
Security Control Validation Capstone
- Prerequisite:
- DISA STIG (TT8810) & C)VA
- Why Now:
- Validates whether deployed technical controls satisfy governance requirements in production.
- Measurable Competency:
- Audits Zero Trust and DISA STIG configurations and feeds findings back to Governance.
Build Your Team's Security Pathway
Whether you're standing up a governance program, hardening Kubernetes, staffing a SOC, or validating controls with penetration testing, Alta3 Research delivers hands-on, expert-led training mapped to the roles on your team.