Cyber Month: What does Security Architecture do?

What is the purpose of Security Architecture?

By understanding your specific business’ goals and priorities, your Security Architecture can determine the exact security controls and technologies that provide the most protection; this ensures you have the right processes and policies to support it and the feedback and assurance you get is all working. Not only that, but by understanding your business’ goals, a well-designed Security Architecture can even turn security into a business driver, not just by protecting your objectives but helping you achieve them.

But what does a well-formed Security Architecture look like? The “physical” appearance will be different for every organisation, but ultimately it provides you with a framework where your IT security is:

Business-Driven: Your security controls, choice of products, alignment with standards –all your cybersecurity decisions - are made with the business’ objectives in mind. Security is not a blocker, but an enabler of business. It might even create new opportunities for you!

Risk-Focused: Your security architecture understands what’s important – what needs to be protected most. It helps quantify risks to these assets and apply proportional, measurable controls to it. Not just once, but for as long as you need it to.

Cost-Optimised: With the volume of tools and job titles in the market it’s too easy to over or under-invest and it’s not always clear you’re getting value for money. Your Security Architecture provides clarity on your security spend, streamlining your technology, ensuring you’re getting the desired return on your investments in line with your risk profile and business needs.

Comprehensive but Adaptable: Security Architecture often starts with IT or Security teams but eventually should encompass the whole business. This doesn’t mean every team becomes cybersecurity experts, but that security decisions account for everyone’s needs. It also acknowledges that businesses aren’t static. A well-formed architecture adapts to business changes, providing a secure framework without needing constant redesign.

Measurable: Like businesses, security isn’t static. Your Security Architecture will provide metrics for security performance, benchmarked against your expectations. This gives you assurance that all your controls, tools, processes and decisions are continuously providing the right amount of protection, and highlights gaps before they become a problem.

Traceable: Why did you buy Product X or apply Control A? Your business has many stakeholders. A well-formed Security Architecture ensures that security decisions can be justified to all. That you have acknowledged their needs, in their context in the process of protecting the business. Your CEO probably doesn’t care that your antispam solution has blocked 1000 phishing emails, but they do care that the business isn’t appearing in the news because of a breach. Your Security Architecture will demonstrate why your antispam is important beyond its immediate outcomes.

Ultimately, your Security Architecture is more than just technology. It considers your strategy, policies, processes, operations and people. It looks at the big picture and then drills down into the detail to continuously ensure you’re doing “enough” security in all the right places, at all the right times in a measurable and justifiable way.

To find out more about how we can assist you in managing, improving or developing your security architecture, contact the cyber team cyber@waterstons.com