8.27 Secure System Architecture and Engineering Principles

Principles for engineering secure systems should be established, documented, maintained and applied to any information system development activities.

Secure system architecture and engineering principles in information security refer to the practices and methodologies used to design, develop, and implement secure systems. This includes implementing secure design principles, such as the principle of least privilege and defense in depth, as well as using secure engineering practices, such as threat modeling and vulnerability assessments. It also includes the use of secure coding practices and the implementation of security controls, such as access controls and encryption, to protect against potential threats and vulnerabilities. The overall goal of secure system architecture and engineering is to create systems that are resistant to attack and can withstand attempts to compromise their security.

There are a number of different ways to implement secure system architecture and engineering principles in information security. Some key steps include:

• Conducting a threat modeling exercise: This involves identifying potential threats and vulnerabilities that a system may face, and determining the likelihood and impact of those threats.
• Implementing the principle of least privilege: This principle states that a system should only have the minimum level of access and privileges necessary to perform its intended function.
• Using defense in depth: This involves implementing multiple layers of security controls, such as access controls and encryption, to protect against potential threats and vulnerabilities.
• Conducting regular vulnerability assessments: This involves regularly reviewing the system to identify and address any potential vulnerabilities.
• Using secure coding practices: This includes using secure coding guidelines and frameworks, such as OWASP, and conducting code reviews to identify and fix any potential security issues.
• Incident response planning: Having a plan in place for how to respond to security incidents can help minimize the damage caused by an attack and help quickly get the system back to normal operations.
• Regularly monitoring and reviewing the system: Continuously monitoring the system for any suspicious activty, and regularly reviewing and updating security controls to ensure they are still effective.