book

Practical Cybersecurity Architecture - Second Edition

by Diana Kelley, Ed Moyle

November 2023

Intermediate to advanced

388 pages

13h 56m

English

Packt Publishing

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ContributorsAbout the authorsAbout the reviewer
Who this book is forWhat this book coversTo get the most out of this bookConventions usedGet in touchShare Your ThoughtsDownload a free PDF copy of this book
Understanding the need for cybersecurityWhat is cybersecurity architecture?Network versus application security architecture The role of the architectSecure network architecturesSecure application architecturesCase study – the value of architectureArchitecture, security standards, and frameworksArchitecture frameworksSecurity guidance and standardsSecurity architecture frameworksArchitecture roles and processesRolesProcess overviewKey tasks and milestonesSummary
TerminologyUnderstanding solution buildingEstablishing the context for designsUnderstanding goalsIdentifying business goalsDimensions of successStructures and documentsPolicies, procedures, and standardsApplying to architectural frameworksAdditional frameworksRisk management and complianceRisk management and appetiteComplianceEstablishing a guiding processUnderstanding the business’ high-level goalsUnderstanding the technology goalsDrawing implied goals from existing documentationCapturing (or defining) risk tolerancesAccounting for compliance requirementsSummary
Understanding scopeWhat’s in this chapter?Setting architectural scopeEnterprise security architectureApplication security architectureDefining scope boundariesScope – enterprise securityExisting capabilityRisk managementStrategic planningCase study – enterprise scopingScope – application securityThe development and release processComponents, services, and design patternsTeam/organizational boundariesTechnology considerationsCase study – application scopingThe process for setting scopeStep 1 – consider high-level goalsStep 2 – review contextual or other constraintsStep 3 – set the initial scopeStep 4 – validate and refine initial scopeSummary
Introduction to the architect’s toolboxPlanning toolsAnalytical toolsInformational toolsModeling and design toolsCase study – data gatheringBuilding blocks of secure designInformation security policiesOrganization of information securityHuman resources securityAsset managementAccess controlCryptographyPhysical and environmental securityOperations securityCommunications securitySystem acquisition, development, and maintenanceSupplier relationshipsInformation security incident managementInformation security aspects of business continuity managementComplianceSummary
RequirementsBlueprintsProcessWhy ADM?The visionEstablishing architectural principlesSetting the scopeGetting the desired future (target) stateCase study – shared goals, vision, and engagementCreating a programDiscovery, identification, and validationDocumenting your high-level approachCreating the roadmapArchitecture definitionAccompanying documentationSummary
Application design considerationsLife cycle modelsEnvironmentConsiderations for waterfall projectsRequirements phaseDesign phaseImplementation phaseVerification phaseMaintenance phaseCase study – waterfall developmentConsiderations for Agile projectsConception phaseInception phaseConstruction phaseRelease phaseProduction phaseRetirement phaseCase study – Agile developmentConsiderations for DevOps projectsDevelopBuildUnit testDeploy (integrate)Quality assuranceProductionValidateCase study – DevOps/DevSecOps developmentProcess for application security designSystems security engineeringArchitecture definition processArchitecture definitionDocumentationValidationModifying the SDLC and development processesSummary

Process stepsTechnical designWhat specific provider do we use to do this?Do we need additional infrastructure (VPN, access points, etc.)?What client software do users require (if any)?Creating technical implementation strategiesAssess constraints, synergies, and areas of opportunityValidating against likely threat paths and creating a skeleton solution documentValidating implementation strategiesFinalizing the documentationOperational integrationChanging context and evolutionExecution monitoringCase study – Operational integrationTelemetrySelecting strategic metricsSelecting operational metricsSummary
Overcoming obstacles in project executionScope and requirementsSupport failure and organizational issuesResource shortfallsCommunication failureTechnical and environmental issuesFuture-proofing designsEstablishing a virtuous cycleMonitoring our own environment for changesMonitoring for external changesSpecifics for machine learning projectsCase study – future-proofingSummary
Virtuous cyclesAdapting architectural processesTips and tricksHone your ability to listenCultivate empathyHave just enough processWhen in doubt, over-communicateBe ready to walk awayGotchasBe aware of (but don’t play) politicsDon’t shirk the preparationStay engaged until the endLeave ego at the doorUse a multi-disciplinary approachCase study: gotchasSummary
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Content preview from Practical Cybersecurity Architecture - Second Edition

2 Architecture – The Core of Solution Building

In the first chapter of this book, we went through what a cybersecurity architect is, what they do (that is, the functions they perform), and the value they – and the architecture process itself – can provide to an organization. In this chapter, we will build on that to begin the process of describing how to develop an architecture.

Throughout this chapter, we will explore the structures that organizations set up to ensure key outcomes are achieved. The architect needs to understand these elements because the whole point of architecture is to support the organizational mission – to do that, we have to understand what that mission is and the strategies that the organization has put in place to achieve ...