With tech tooling expanding at breakneck speed, organizations are navigating an increasingly complex web of engineering roles. At ISAUnited.org, our ongoing Architecture SOS campaign has exposed a growing challenge: the boundaries between security engineering, IT systems engineering, and Cloud DevOps are becoming harder to define.
Traditionally, each discipline had a distinct focus—security engineers protected infrastructure, IT engineers maintained and supported systems, and Cloud DevOps engineers optimized cloud operations. However, with the rise of modern tools and technologies, these roles have started to overlap significantly, creating a "gray area" that makes it challenging to define who is responsible for what.
The Cloud Factor: Adding Another Layer of Complexity
Cloud computing has revolutionized how organizations operate, with DevOps practices enabling faster and more agile deployment of applications and services. However, the advent of Cloud DevOps has added another layer of complexity to the blurred lines between IT systems and security engineering.
With Cloud DevOps teams managing infrastructure as code (IaC), automated deployments, and cloud-native applications, security engineers and IT systems engineers now often find themselves working in the same space. Cloud security responsibilities, for example, fall into the domain of security engineers (who ensure proper configurations and compliance) and Cloud DevOps engineers (who manage automated workflows and infrastructure). This overlap often confuses, especially when assigning clear roles within the broader organization.
Tools Overload: Where Does Security End and IT Begin?
Both security engineers and Cloud DevOps professionals must use a vast array of tools, many of which are shared across disciplines. SIEMs, firewalls, intrusion detection systems, cloud security posture management tools, and infrastructure monitoring solutions all fall under the purview of these roles, but who owns the task of configuring and maintaining them?
As these engineers now manage overlapping toolsets, it is becoming harder to distinguish where IT responsibilities end, where security starts, and how Cloud DevOps fits into the picture. This overcrowding of tools and technologies can lead to inefficiencies, duplicated work, and unclear lines of accountability.
RACI Model Confusion in a Cloud-First World
With the introduction of Cloud DevOps, defining a clear RACI (Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, Informed) model is even more critical—and more challenging. As engineers from security, IT, and DevOps increasingly work on the same systems and tools, it's easy for roles to become muddled. Who is responsible for securing cloud configurations? Who is accountable for infrastructure monitoring? Who is consulted on incident response plans for cloud environments?
Without clarity, teams risk inefficient operations, missed vulnerabilities, and gaps in their security posture. Defining precise boundaries between the roles and establishing a solid RACI model is no longer a luxury—it’s a necessity.
Our Approach: Competence and Cross-Disciplinary Collaboration
At ISAUnited.org, we believe the solution lies in developing a Comprehensive Approach that embraces the blurred lines and equips engineers across security, IT systems, and Cloud DevOps with the skills and knowledge to collaborate effectively. Our Competence in Tools and Technologies (CTT) framework is designed to provide cross-disciplinary training that ensures engineers can work confidently across both security and IT toolsets and in cloud environments.
We further emphasize Operational Problem-Solving (OPS) and Effective Communication and Reporting (ECR) to ensure that engineers from all three disciplines—security, IT, and Cloud DevOps—can clearly define their roles, collaborate seamlessly, and maintain strong communication channels.
Ultimately, we aim to help organizations clarify their RACI models, avoid the pitfalls of role confusion, and ensure that security and operational efficiency go hand in hand.
In conclusion, navigating the crowded engineering space
As the lines between security engineering, IT systems engineering, and Cloud DevOps continue to blur, the key to success lies in clarity and collaboration. Organizations can break through the noise by fostering competence across toolsets, encouraging cross-disciplinary teamwork, and establishing a strong, secure, agile technological foundation.
Join our Architecture SOS campaign as we explore how to navigate these crowded spaces and bring clarity to your organization’s engineering roles.
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