In a world where cyber-attacks are increasingly common, infrastructure security is a major concern for businesses. Secure infrastructure administrators play a key role in protecting sensitive data within an organization. But what are their responsibilities, and how can they ensure optimum security? Find out in this article how to become a secure infrastructure administrator, the role of these professionals and how much they can earn.
What are the responsibilities of a secure infrastructure administrator?
A secure infrastructure administrator is responsible for setting up, administering and maintaining a company’s information systems (IS) and networks. In terms of security, he or she ensures that sensitive data is protected against cyber-attacks and data leaks. Here are just a few of their main responsibilities.
Access and identity management
The administrator manages user access to IT systems, ensuring that only authorized persons have access to sensitive data. He or she implements strong authentication procedures, such as complex passwords or biometric systems.
The secure infrastructure administrator ensures that users have access to the information and resources they need to do their jobs, but without compromising the company’s security. To achieve this, he or she can use identity and access management (IAM) tools to control user authorizations and privileges.
As far as access management is concerned, any user who leaves the company or changes position must have access to company data withdrawn, to minimize the risk of data leakage.
Threat monitoring and detection
The administrator constantly monitors IT systems for potential threats. They recognize the signs of an imminent attack and take immediate protective action.
This can be achieved by using threat detection and monitoring tools, such as Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS) or Intrusion Prevention Systems (IPS). These tools monitor activities on networks and IT systems, detect anomalies and suspicious behavior, and alert the administrator to potential threats.
In the event of a security incident, this professional is the one who leads the investigation, to determine the cause and take the necessary measures to prevent a recurrence.
Safety policy implementation
The infrastructure administrator implements clear security policies throughout the company. This includes data classification, access management, data backup and security incident management.
Security policies must be regularly reviewed and updated to take account of new threats and technologies. They are clearly communicated to all company employees, to ensure that everyone understands IT security risks and responsibilities.
Maintaining operational and safety conditions
Maintenance in operational condition (MCO) consists in guaranteeing the constant availability of the information system. This includes infrastructure, servers, networks, applications and websites.
Security maintenance (MCS) involves monitoring, analyzing the impact of vulnerabilities and planning the actions to be taken to ensure quality of service and increase the company’s level of security.
These two activities are either preventive, with patches and updates, or curative, with rapid detection of vulnerabilities.
Employee training and awareness
The administrator trains employees in good IT security practices and makes them aware of potential risks. This includes awareness of phishing attacks, good password practices or mobile device management.
Employees are often considered the weakest link in IT security, as they may unwittingly open the door to cyber attacks by clicking on malicious links or using weak passwords.
It is therefore essential that the administrator trains employees in good practices through online training, group awareness sessions or one-to-one sessions with employees.
What training do you need to become a secure infrastructure administrator?
The job of secure infrastructure administrator requires a wide range of skills. In France, there are several routes to this position. Firstly, Bachelor computer science or Engineering are excellent options. Then, you can specialize with a Master’s degree in Cybersecurity.
If you don’t have any of these qualifications and would like to retrain as a secure infrastructure administrator?
Then the Cybersecurity Analyst course is ideal for you. With a 10-week course for the Bootcamp version, and 7 months for the part-time version, don’t wait any longer to change your career path and get into a profession you love!
Infrastructure administrator salary
As with many professions, average salaries for tech roles vary according to location, level of experience, company size and seniority. In France, according to Talent, the median salary for an infrastructure administrator is €40,000 per year (based on 244 salaries). With experience, the salary can rise to €70,000 per year.
Infrastructure administrators can then progress to positions of greater responsibility, such as IT Service Manager (ISM), IT Project Manager or Network Architect. According to Glassdoor, the average salary for an ISR is €60,300 per year, or 50% more than that of an infrastructure administrator.
Where can I work as a secure infrastructure administrator?
All modern organizations need reliable, secure information systems. Infrastructure administrators can work in both private and public organizations, in a Digital Services Company (DSC) as well as in a traditional company, or even on a freelance basis.
External consultancy work is in demand, and the advantage of independence is that you can manage your schedule as you see fit. On Malt, freelancers in infrastructure administration charge between €500 and €850 per day.
Conclusion
Secure infrastructure administrators play a key role in today’s organizations. Its missions are many and varied, and aim to guarantee the security of an organization’s infrastructures and networks.
With an attractive salary, it’s now possible to retrain as a secure infrastructure administrator thanks to DataScientest’s certified training program.
