What Does Security Architecture Mean?
Security architecture is a unified security design that addresses the necessities and potential risks involved in a certain scenario or environment. It also specifies when and where to apply security controls. The design process is generally reproducible.
In security architecture, the design principles are reported clearly, and in-depth security control specifications are generally documented in independent documents. System architecture can be considered a design that includes a structure and addresses the connection between the components of that structure.
Techopedia Explains Security Architecture
The key attributes of security architecture are as follows:
- Relationships and Dependencies: Signifies the relationship between the various components inside IT architecture and the way in which they depend on each other.
- Benefits: The main advantage of security architecture is its standardization, which makes it affordable. Security architecture is cost-effective due to the re-use of controls described in the architecture.
- Form: Security architecture is associated with IT architecture; however, it may take a variety of forms. It generally includes a catalog of conventional controls in addition to relationship diagrams, principles, and so on.
- Drivers: Security controls are determined based on four factors:
- Risk management
- Benchmarking and good practice
- Financial
- Legal and regulatory
The key phases in the security architecture process are as follows:
- Architecture Risk Assessment: Evaluates the business influence of vital business assets, and the odds and effects of vulnerabilities and security threats.
- Security Architecture and Design: The design and architecture of security services, which facilitate business risk exposure objectives.
- Implementation: Security services and processes are implemented, operated and controlled. Assurance services are designed to ensure that the security policy and standards, security architecture decisions, and risk management are mirrored in the real runtime implementation.
- Operations and Monitoring: Day-to-day processes, such as threat and vulnerability management and threat management. Here, measures are taken to supervise and handle the operational state in addition to the depth and breadth of the systems security.