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what is a security architecture review

by Dalton Effertz Published 3 years ago Updated 2 years ago
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Security architecture reviews are non-disruptive studies that uncover systemic security issues in your environment. They are ideally suited for organizations wanting to maximize their return on any security technology investment by evaluating their needs and validating the security of their existing deployments.

A security architecture review evaluates your organization's security capabilities to include testing of People, Processes and Technology.

Full Answer

What is Application Architecture Review and why is it important?

Application architecture review can be defined as reviewing the current security controls in the application architecture. This helps a user to identify potential security flaws at an early stage and mitigate them before starting the development stage. Poor design of architecture may expose the application to many security loopholes.

What is security architecture and its benefits?

A strong security architecture is used by the organization to main security and data integrity in the system, and the policies and rules defined by the system are followed by the employee of an organization. This is a guide to Security Architecture. Here we also discuss the Introduction and components of security architecture along with benefits.

What is a security architecture review (SAR)?

During our Security Architecture Review (SAR) we utilize similar techniques as threat actors. We incorporate threat intelligence to verify your team is identifying real attacks throughout the network. We can even help your organization take it a step further by providing a SAR based upon a certain threat actor.

When should organizations undertake a security architecture review?

Organizations should undertake a security architecture review under the following conditions: You experience a security breach. You are planning a network redesign or expansion. Your business expansion needs exceed current network capacity. You need more insights/data into your network environment.

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What is a security architecture assessment?

Security Architecture Review is a holistic assessment of your security layers across Network, Applications, People and Processes. It identifies gaps in your Architecture, Policies and Controls that might put your critical assets at risk from attackers.

What is meant by security architecture?

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.

When should you conduct a security architecture review in an enterprise?

Organizations should undertake a security architecture review under the following conditions: You experience a security breach. You are planning a network redesign or expansion. Your business expansion needs exceed current network capacity.

What is architecture review process?

An architecture compliance review is a scrutiny of the compliance of a specific project against established architectural criteria, spirit, and business objectives. A formal process for such reviews normally forms the core of an enterprise architecture compliance strategy.

What is an example of security architecture?

OSA examples: These provide a definition of technical security controls such as access controls, system hardening, security scans, etc. Software and data integrity protection, a taxonomy of software integrity protection techniques.

What are types of security architecture?

The Security Architecture of the OSI Reference Model (ISO 7498-2) considers five main classes of security services: authentication, access control, confidentiality, integrity and non-repudiation.

Why security architecture review is important to an organization?

Creating an information security architecture that effectively ensures the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of database environments is no easy task. Techniques used to attack databases, and other systems are developed using the same technology used to protect these systems.

How do you do an architecture assessment?

EvidenceSTEP 1: Business framework—Identify the business current and target states. To develop a useful view of the business, we develop current and target. ... STEP 2: Architecture framework—Identify current state architecture. ... STEP 3: Analyze. ... STEP 4: Consult the framework for implementation.

What is a security architecture document?

A Security Architecture is a cohesive security design, which addresses the requirements (e.g. Authentication, authorization, etc.) – and in particular the risks of a particular environment/scenario, and specifies what security controls are to be applied where. The design process should be reproducible.

What is the purpose of an architecture review board?

The Architecture Review Board (ARB) serves as a governance body ensuring IT initiatives align with UTHSC IT infrastructure and information security standards as well as UTHSC IT goals, strategies, and objectives in compliance with applicable government and University regulations.

What is enterprise architecture review?

An enterprise architecture review reveals the current state of your business processes and IT systems. Some of these will already be suitable for your current and future objectives, and some will need to be re-thought, adjusted, or replaced.

What is security architecture components?

Components of Security Architecture These components include people, processes, and tools. Each of these components contributes to protecting the organization's assets. After defining the components, the following is the process to create the policy and then the strengthening technique to enforce the policies.

Why is security architecture important?

Strong security architecture leads to fewer security breaches. With modern technology, an organization is required to have a security architecture framework to protect vital information. This drastically reduces the threats associated with an attacker successfully breaching an organization's systems.

What is security architecture diagram?

Network Security Architecture Diagram visually reflects the network's structure and construction, and all actions undertaken for ensuring the network security which can be executed with help of software resources and hardware devices, such as firewalls, antivirus programs, network monitoring tools, tools of detecting ...

What are security architecture strategies?

A Security Architecture that is built as the result of a defined strategy simplifies the process of selecting the right people and technology. Auditors love details and checkboxes that are checked, but short of that, they appreciate strategy and a plan to get somewhere.

What is security architecture review?

A security architecture review evaluates your organization’s security capabilities to include testing of People, Processes and Technology. Our team of experts provides industry-recommended enhancements to your existing solutions as well as recommendations for new controls to augment and further mature your company’s security practices.

Why use BAS technology?

We leverage BAS technology to test security controls because threat actors and security attacks will test them in similar ways. By doing a paperwork review of security controls, you’re only testing the intention of the implementation. Our security controls test ensures that your intention makes it to implementation and continues to be followed well after the last audit. Our team of experts are skilled at finding gaps in security technology similar to how threats attack your network.

Elements of Security ArchitecturE

Each organization is different, meaning every security architecture framework is uniquely designed to meet the needs of a specific organization. However, the methods and guidelines used to meet those needs are largely the same from architect to architect. 

Security Architecture Frameworks Examples

Security architects have guidelines (frameworks) to work with. A security architecture framework is a set of consistent guidelines and principles for implementing different levels of business’ security architecture. Companies may opt to devise their frameworks by combining international standard frameworks, such as:

Benefits of Security Architecture

With modern technology, an organization is required to have a security architecture framework to protect vital information. This drastically reduces the threats associated with an attacker successfully breaching an organization’s systems.

Conclusion

As we conclude, it is important to mention that these types of issues must be handled by a specialist. IT – specifically cyber security – is a sensitive field. Having an expert to walk you through this process is vital to ensure that your security is being handled correctly.

What is security architecture?

The security architecture is defined as the architectural design that includes all the threats and potential risk which can be present in the environment or that particular scenario. This also includes the security controls and the use of security controls. For the security architecture, the proper documentation is done that include all the security specifications and include all the detailed information about the architecture. The organization uses for their system and it is mainly used because the architecture is affordable and cost-effective and can be used easily by the organization.

Why is system architecture important?

The system architecture system has a role that it meets the security requirements and also helps to protect company operating environment. The security architecture is beneficial for the company as it include other activity like risk management activities that requires continuous improvement and security architecture helps to meet ...

Why is continuous change important in security?

Because of continuous change in technology, there is requirement of continuous change in the system so that the system can be up to date and help to make the system secure and private.

What is security-relevant architecture?

Definition (s): A set of physical and logical security-relevant representations (i.e., views) of system architecture that conveys information about how the system is partitioned into security domains and makes use of security-relevant elements to enforce security policies within and between security domains based on how data ...

What is an embedded, integral part of the enterprise architecture?

An embedded, integral part of the enterprise architecture that describes the structure and behavior for an enterprise’s security processes, information security systems, personnel and organizational sub-units, showing their alignment with the enterprise’s mission and strategic plans. See information security architecture.

What is security architecture?

Traditionally, security architecture consists of some preventive, detective and corrective controls that are implemented to protect the enterprise infrastructure and applications. Some enterprises are doing a better job with security architecture by adding directive controls, including policies and procedures.

What are the steps of an enterprise security architecture program?

The initial steps of a simplified Agile approach to initiate an enterprise security architecture program are: Identify business objectives, goals and strategy. Identify business attributes that are required to achieve those goals.

How many layers does SABSA have?

It is purely a methodology to assure business alignment. The SABSA methodology has six layers (five horizontals and one vertical).

How to manage the life cycle of a security program?

The life cycle of the security program can be managed using the TOGAF framework. This is done by creating the architecture view and goals, completing a gap analysis, defining the projects, and implementing and monitoring the projects until completion and start over ( figure 5 ).

Is security the same as before?

The world has changed; security is not the same beast as before. Today’s risk factors and threats are not the same, nor as simple as they used to be. New emerging technologies and possibilities, e.g., the Internet of Things, change a lot about how companies operate, what their focus is and their goals.

Why is secure architecture review important?

If the application is already deployed, secure architecture review is an important part of the overall security assessment and can help in fixing the existing vulnerabilities and improving the future design.

What is application architecture review?

Application architecture review can be defined as reviewing the current security controls in the application architecture. This helps a user to identify potential security flaws at an early stage and mitigate them before starting the development stage. Poor design of architecture may expose the application to many security loopholes. It is preferable to perform the architecture review at the design stage, as the cost and effort required for implementing security after development is high.

What is authentication control on the server side?

Authentication control on the server side: Make sure the credentials are verified at the server side and not on the client side. Client-side validation can be easily bypassed.

What is weak authentication?

Weak authentication mechanism can result in bypassing the login process and accessing the application . This can lead to a major compromise.

What is weak authorization control?

Authorization determines which resources can be accessed by the authenticated user. Weak authorization control can lead to Privileges Escalation attacks.

What is a review of the infrastructure?

Review the infrastructure on which the application is deployed. This can include reviewing the network, system, infrastructure performance monitoring, etc.

What to look for in an application architecture?

The first thing to look for is the availability of the application architecture document. Every application should have a properly documented architecture diagram with a high-level explanation of the above points and a network connectivity diagram showing how different component are placed and secured.

What is detailed architecture review?

A detailed Architecture Review Document: This contains very detailed information on the points observed from the system, what’s the recommendations and mitigation. Generally this document is consumed by the teams who are going to look at doing those changes.

What is IT architecture?

IT architecture is a key component in supporting business goals and objectives: Foundation for developing large, complex, distributed systems environment; Manage and control complexity in system deployment; Basis for determining software and hardware decisions. Defines the overall IT goals, organization and system components needed ...

What is technical architecture?

Technical Architecture: align your technology plan with enterprise goals, business plans and business processes. Enterprise Architecture: align your business plans, business process and technology plan with your enterprise goals.

What are the areas of assessment?

Areas to consider for assessment: Information Resource Planning, Business Continuity Planning, Architecture Development, and Security.

What is IT architecture review?

An IT architecture review studies your network’s design structure, aims to fix flaws, and targets areas for cost-effective optimization. This is where the architect picks up the blueprint and compares it to the house in progress.

Why is IT architecture review important?

An IT architecture review is perhaps the most critical step in keeping your company’s valuable data safe from malicious entities.

What is IT Architecture Compliance?

Compliance concerning IT architecture means two things: one, you’re implementing best practices to ensure the desired outcome and to avoid future roadblocks; two, you are ensuring the IT architecture conforms to industry standards and aligns with your business’s objectives.

What is compliance architecture?

Compliance concerning IT architecture means two things: one, you’re implementing best practices to ensure the desired outcome and to avoid future roadblocks; two, you are ensuring the IT architecture conforms to industry standards and aligns with your business’s objectives.

What is a good design?

Whereas a bad IT architecture setup is disorganized and basically a plan with no direction, a good design takes all the same elements and brings order and security.

What to keep in mind when performing an IT architecture review?

When you perform an IT architecture review, the first things to keep in mind are the basic system engineering disciplines, such as information and security management.

What is IT architect?

An IT architect is assigned the duty of determining the scope of review for the organization. Checklists are tailored by the architect to address all areas of concern. The architect and review coordinator then meet so they can get on the same page.

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Security Architecture with Diagram

Components of Security Architecture

  • For making the security architecture important, there are certain components that are involved in the design. The components are people, process and the tools. All these components combine helps to protect the organization assets. After defining the components, the next step is to make the policy and the reinforcement technique for the policies. After the other important steps are t…
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Benefits of Using The Security Architecture

  • Some of the benefits are mentioned below. 1. Help to protect the important company assets from the outside and provide security to the important resources to the organization. The architecture provides the limited access to the user so that the confidential data can be kept secure and safe. 2. The architecture defines the common policies and standards that can be used by the every e…
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Conclusion

  • Security architecture is a type of enterprise architecture and is very important for the organization to protect the company resources from the outside world. A strong security architecture is used by the organization to main security and data integrity in the system, and the policies and rules defined by the system are followed by the employee of ...
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