DevSecOps Specialist vs Cloud Security Engineer: How Roles Overlap

As cloud adoption accelerates and software delivery pipelines grow more complex, organizations face mounting pressure to build secure systems from the ground up. Two emerging roles—DevSecOps Specialist and Cloud Security Engineer—sit at the heart of this transformation.

Both roles aim to integrate security into modern development practices, but they approach the challenge from slightly different angles. While a DevSecOps Specialist focuses on embedding security across the CI/CD pipeline, a Cloud Security Engineer concentrates on protecting infrastructure, services, and identities in cloud environments.

If you're pursuing a career in cloud security or DevOps, understanding the distinctions and overlaps between these roles can help you align your learning path, toolset, and certifications to your long-term goals.

What Is a DevSecOps Specialist?

A DevSecOps Specialist ensures that security is integrated at every stage of the software development lifecycle. They bring security into the development and operations (DevOps) process, embedding automated checks, policies, and monitoring into build, test, and deployment workflows.

Key Responsibilities

• Implement automated security scanning tools in CI/CD pipelines

• Apply security-as-code principles using tools like Terraform or Ansible

• Enforce secure coding practices and compliance standards (e.g., OWASP Top 10, GDPR)

• Collaborate with development teams to remediate vulnerabilities early

• Integrate secrets management, logging, and audit trails into DevOps workflows

Core Tools and Technologies

• CI/CD: Jenkins, GitHub Actions, GitLab CI

• IaC & Policy as Code: Terraform, Pulumi, Open Policy Agent (OPA)

• Security Tools: Snyk, Trivy, Checkov, SonarQube

• Secrets Management: HashiCorp Vault, AWS Secrets Manager

What Is a Cloud Security Engineer?

A Cloud Security Engineer focuses on the security architecture, policies, and configurations that protect data, services, and infrastructure across cloud environments. Their work ensures that platforms like AWS, Azure, or GCP are securely provisioned, monitored, and maintained.

Key Responsibilities

• Design and implement secure cloud architectures and access controls

• Configure cloud-native security services (e.g., AWS GuardDuty, Azure Security Center)

• Manage identity and access management (IAM) policies

• Perform cloud security audits and incident response

• Ensure data encryption, firewall configurations, and network segmentation

Core Tools and Technologies

• Cloud Providers: AWS, Azure, GCP

• IAM Tools: AWS IAM, Azure AD, Okta

• Monitoring & Logging: CloudTrail, CloudWatch, Azure Monitor

• Compliance Tools: Prisma Cloud, Wiz, Dome9, AWS Config

How the Roles Overlap

While their focus areas differ, DevSecOps Specialists and Cloud Security Engineers often collaborate—and even share responsibilities in smaller teams or organizations. Here are the main areas where their work intersects:

1. Security Automation

Both roles use automation to enforce security. DevSecOps teams integrate security tools into build pipelines, while Cloud Security Engineers automate infrastructure checks and incident response through scripts and cloud-native services.

2. Policy Enforcement

DevSecOps enforces security policies during code deployment and infrastructure provisioning. Cloud Security Engineers implement these policies at the cloud platform level through identity management and configuration baselines.

3. Infrastructure-as-Code (IaC)

Both roles work with IaC tools. DevSecOps uses them to standardize and secure deployments, while Cloud Security Engineers validate these configurations against compliance and security requirements.

4. Threat Detection and Monitoring

DevSecOps teams implement logging and monitoring tools like Prometheus and Grafana. Cloud Security Engineers extend this visibility by configuring cloud-native threat detection systems and setting alerts for anomalous behavior.

5. Compliance and Risk Management

Both roles contribute to compliance. DevSecOps Specialists help integrate checks for GDPR, HIPAA, or ISO 27001 into pipelines. Cloud Security Engineers ensure that the underlying infrastructure aligns with those frameworks.

Key Differences: DevSecOps vs Cloud Security Engineer

Choosing the Right Career Path

Choose DevSecOps if:

• You enjoy integrating tools into CI/CD pipelines

• You prefer automation, scripting, and working closely with developers

• You want to shift security left and influence how code is written and deployed

• You're passionate about secure software delivery and process efficiency

Suggested Skills: YAML, GitOps, container security, CI/CD orchestration

Ideal Certifications:

• Certified Kubernetes Security Specialist (CKS)

• AWS Certified DevOps Engineer – Professional

• GitLab Certified CI/CD Specialist

Choose Cloud Security Engineering if:

• You prefer working with architecture, infrastructure, and access controls

• You’re interested in cloud platforms and want to secure everything from storage buckets to networks

• You enjoy incident response, audit readiness, and system hardening

• You're drawn to policies, risk management, and cross-platform governance

Suggested Skills: IAM policy design, VPC security, network segmentation, audit automation

Ideal Certifications:

• AWS Certified Security – Specialty

• Microsoft Certified: Azure Security Engineer Associate

• CISSP or CISA (for compliance-heavy roles)

Final Thoughts: Two Sides of the Same Security Coin

As the tech industry continues to prioritize secure, scalable cloud infrastructure, both DevSecOps Specialists and Cloud Security Engineers are essential. Their roles may differ in focus—one centered on development workflows, the other on cloud platform integrity—but they work toward the same outcome: reducing risk, enforcing compliance, and enabling secure innovation.

In many organizations, especially startups or small DevOps teams, these roles may even merge. But for those specializing, understanding the distinctions will help you build the right technical portfolio, earn relevant certifications, and position yourself effectively in the job market.

Choose the path that aligns with your strengths—but remember, both disciplines benefit from learning across domains. A hybrid DevSecOps–Cloud Security mindset is increasingly what forward-thinking employers are seeking.

FAQs

Can one person perform both DevSecOps and Cloud Security roles?

Yes. In smaller teams, one professional often handles both sets of responsibilities. Larger companies may separate the roles, but cross-domain fluency is always a plus.

Which role earns more on average?

Both roles offer competitive salaries. Cloud Security Engineers often earn slightly more at senior levels due to regulatory exposure, but DevSecOps Specialists in high-growth companies or DevOps-heavy sectors can match or exceed that range.

Is DevSecOps more coding-intensive than Cloud Security?

Generally, yes. DevSecOps often requires scripting for automation, CI/CD, and container tooling. Cloud Security Engineers may focus more on configuration, policy, and architecture than frequent coding.

What’s the best certification to start with?

If you’re aiming for DevSecOps: CKS or AWS DevOps Engineer.
If you’re targeting Cloud Security: AWS Security Specialty or Azure Security Engineer Associate.

Are these roles in demand?

Extremely. DevSecOps and cloud security are among the most in-demand skillsets in the cybersecurity and cloud engineering markets, with no signs of slowing down.