Security Patterns in Practice: Designing Secure Architectures Using Software Patterns

CHAPTER 1

Motivation and Objectives

We will bankrupt ourselves in the vain search for absolute security.

Dwight D Eisenhower

1.1 Why Do We Need Security Patterns?

Most modern applications are distributed and connected by some type of network – often the Internet, but also LANs and other specialized network types. Their platforms may support web interfaces, web services and even agents. The complexity of such systems makes them hard to understand, design and maintain. This complexity also brings vulnerabilities which, when coupled with the fact that these applications may handle valuable information, attract security attacks. The increasing use of mobile devices with improved capabilities and the growing use of sensors make this problem even more acute. Every day the press reports attacks on web sites or databases around the world, which result in millions of dollars of direct or indirect losses. Systems are constantly attacked and often breached. There is also the fear that a hostile adversary may try to disrupt the infrastructure systems of an entire country.

Why do we fail to secure such systems? One important reason is their complexity, which makes errors common and vulnerabilities hard to find. Another important reason is that security is built piecemeal: parts of a system are secured using specific products, but there is rarely a global analysis of the complete system. If done, different models may be used in different parts, for example one for the databases and another for ...