Security architecture
On this page 9 topics
Overview
Topics
- Zero trust
- threat modeling
- defense in depth
Learn first
4 h of practice (estimate)
Learning outcomes
- Apply zero-trust and defense-in-depth principles across application, data, network, and identity layers.
- Threat-model a whole solution and prioritize controls by risk.
- Map controls to the security requirements of the business and its standards.
- Produce a security architecture view that security teams can review and approve.
Lessons
Lab and exercises
Lab
ARC-028-LAB1 · Larkspur security architecture
Outcomes: 1–4 · Time: ~4 h
- Draw the platform context with trust boundaries (internet, stores, platform, ERP, CRM, payment provider).
- Build the threat model: list threats per boundary, rate likelihood and impact, rank them.
- Build a control map by layer (identity, application, data, network, operations); mark each control preventive, detective, or corrective.
- Trace each control to a business requirement or standard.
- Assemble the security architecture view and present it to a role-played CISO.
Acceptance: top ten threats each have a control and an owner; reviewed by a role-played CISO.
Exercises (case-based; six exercises)
| ID | Outcome | Task |
|---|---|---|
| ARC-028-EX01 | 1 | Larkspur's store tills sit on a trusted store network. Redesign the till-to-platform path using zero-trust principles. |
| ARC-028-EX02 | 1 | Fill a defense-in-depth table (identity, application, data, network) for customer account data and state what happens if each layer fails. |
| ARC-028-EX03 | 2 | Threat-model the gift-card balance check feature; list five threats and rank them. |
| ARC-028-EX04 | 2 | Two threats have equal impact; one is far more likely. Explain how you prioritize and what you tell the sponsor about the other. |
| ARC-028-EX05 | 3 | Map "customers must trust our checkout" and "meet the company password standard" to threats and controls in a traceability table. |
| ARC-028-EX06 | 4 | Review a draft security view that is a list of eight products. Write the review comments that turn it into an architecture a security team can approve. |
Show solutions
- EX01 Each till has its own device identity and short-lived credentials; calls go through the gateway with authorization per till and store; segment the store network; monitor till behavior; network location grants nothing by itself.
- EX02 Identity: MFA for staff, short-lived tokens (if stolen: limit scope and expiry). Application: authorization per record (if bypassed: field-level rules and logging). Data: encryption at rest, tokenized payment data (if a key leaks: rotation and separate keys). Network: private endpoints, segmentation (if breached: internal authentication and detection).
- EX03 Threats: card-number enumeration, brute force, bot abuse, balance leaks through error messages, insider lookups. Rank by likelihood and impact; enumeration and bots first; controls: rate limiting, generic errors, step-up checks, audit of lookups.
- EX04 Prioritize the more likely threat; record the other as a monitored or accepted risk with owner and review date; the sponsor or risk owner accepts it, not the architect alone.
- EX05 Trust → threats: skimming script, session theft → controls: hosted payment fields, content security policy, secure cookies. Password standard → threat: credential stuffing → controls: MFA for staff, breached-password check, rate limiting.
- EX06 Comments: name assets and threats first; show trust boundaries; map each product to the threat it addresses and drop those with none; add owners, evidence, detection and response; list accepted risks.
Workplace evidence: a security architecture you designed that passed a formal review.
Quiz
Outcomes: O1 zero trust and defense in depth · O2 solution threat modeling · O3 mapping controls to requirements · O4 reviewable security view.
A self-check for you: nothing is graded, saved or sent anywhere. Choose an answer, then check it. You can try again as often as you like.
Practical part
Security architecture defense of the lab view and threat model plus exercises ARC-028-EX01 to EX06. Pass: quiz at least 8/10, at least five of six exercises correct, and a lab where the top ten threats each have a control and an owner.
Common mistakes
Security as a list of products; controls with no threat behind them; perimeter-only thinking.
Assessment
Security architecture defense.
Workplace evidence
A security architecture you designed that passed a formal review.
Career relevance
Security sign-off is a gate for every enterprise solution.