Awarded by GIAC
GIAC Defensible Security Architect Certification (GDSA)
GDSA validates a practitioner's ability to architect comprehensive defenses that balance prevention, detection, and response capabilities.
New article: “My Review: SANS SEC 530: Defensible Security Architecture and Engineering” Read article
About me
I help teams ship software that is easier to trust.
I’m Janith Malinga, an Application Security Engineer at Amazon based in St Albans, UK. I work across threat modeling, secure design, cloud security, and developer enablement, then write about what I’m learning in plain language.
- Application Security
- Cloud Security
- Threat Modeling
- Secure SDLC
- Automation & Tooling
- AI for Security
Experience
Security work shaped by teaching
My path moved from classrooms to consulting to product-scale security, and the through-line is making complex ideas practical.
Today
Application Security Engineer at Amazon
I focus on secure design, threat modeling, and helping development teams build securely at scale without slowing down useful delivery.
8 years
Security Consultant
I advised teams across government, finance, insurance, and defense on security reviews, assessments, and risk reduction.
Builder
Co-Founder, Education Institute
I helped build an institute for advanced IT concepts with practical experience, supporting students as they advanced or changed careers.
Foundation
Physics Teacher
Teaching advanced-level physics trained me to simplify hard problems, explain tradeoffs, and meet people where they are.
Certifications
Credentials that support the work
A snapshot of certifications across security, cloud, and engineering practice.
Awarded by GIAC
GIAC Web Application Penetration Tester (GWAPT)
GWAPT validates a practitioner's ability to advance organization security through penetration testing and deep understanding of web application security issues.
Awarded by CREST
CREST Practitioner Security Analyst (CPSA)
The CREST Practitioner Security Analyst (CPSA) is an exam that tests a candidate’s knowledge in assessing operating systems and common network services.
Books
A Few Books That Shaped My Life
Timeless ideas I revisit when I need clarity and momentum.
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
Stephen R. Covey
This is the book that shaped my life. When I joined Amazon, I had a major change of mindset I was going through a tough time initially. This book helped me navigate that period.
Atomic Habits
James Clear
Practical systems for tiny improvements that compound over time. Helped me build sustainable routines for learning and writing.
Show Your Work!
Austin Kleon
A gentle nudge to share in-progress ideas. It changed how I think about teaching and documenting my work publicly.
The Productivity Project
Chris Bailey
Experiments and evidence-backed tactics for doing meaningful work with intention beyond busywork.
Selected Posts
Thoughts Worth Revisiting
A few posts that capture ideas I keep thinking about.
Janith Malinga @janithSmalinga
What you are shouts so loudly in my ears, I cannot hear what you say.
- Ralph Waldo Emerson
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Janith Malinga @janithSmalinga
When a measure becomes a target, it ceases to become a good measure.
- Goodhart's law
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Janith Malinga @janithSmalinga
Today I started working on a new challenge #100DaysOfWebHacking so, the next 100 days I will be exploring new web hacking concepts and I will share my journey here. Consistency is the master of excellency
- Robin Sharma
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