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TuxCare 블로그Breaking Down the Phases of Cybersecurity Architecture
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November 28, 2024 - Guest Writer
Cybersecurity should always be a priority for any good business. But there’s a lot more to cybersecurity than simply buying and installing antivirus software. A good cybersecurity system involves an entire architectural system that monitors, defends, and protects your data at all times.
To give you a clearer idea of the kind of cybersecurity measures your business should be taking, we’re going to break down the three main phases in building any cybersecurity architecture. From strategy to implementation to ongoing maintenance, there’s a lot that goes into good cybersecurity architecture. Let’s take a look:
What is cybersecurity architecture?
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Your cybersecurity ‘architecture’ is the essential foundation of your cybersecurity system. A lot of this architecture consists of the actual infrastructure of your system – the software and hardware that run your cybersecurity processes – but good architecture also has a strong theoretical, strategic component.
If you think of cybersecurity architecture in terms of physical architecture, the actual bricks and mortar that go into the building work are only part of the process. No good building is made without blueprints, and no building stays in good condition for long if it’s not looked after and maintained. It’s the same with cybersecurity architecture. The infrastructure – the ‘bricks and mortar’ – of cybersecurity architecture are only one aspect of the whole, and implementing the infrastructure is only one phase of creating good cybersecurity architecture.
In this age of increasingly sophisticated cyber-attacks, and the increasingly questionable usefulness of cybersecurity insurance, it’s vital that conscientious businesses know how to develop a good cybersecurity architecture.
Image created by writer
The 3 phases of cybersecurity architecture
There are 3 main phases to creating cybersecurity architecture:
- Development: During this stage, you will think strategically about security needs and risks, about compliance, about staff cybersecurity training, and about all the best practices and protocols that your security system should use.
- Implementation: Building on the strategic foundations laid out in the development phase, this involves putting together the infrastructure of your cybersecurity system.
- Monitoring: Once your system is in place, it will require constant monitoring and optimizing to make sure that it’s working as well as it should.
Let’s go into these three phases in a little more detail:
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Development
People often think that the ‘development’ stage of cybersecurity architecture is all about putting together the software your system will use. In fact, a huge part of the development phase involves building policies, best practices, and protocols.
What does this entail? Well, if you’re starting out in Phase 1 of your cybersecurity architecture, here are some things to consider:
- What constitutes a ‘threat’, in cybersecurity terms?
- What data, programs, or processes are most important to safeguard?
- What data, programs, or processes are most at risk of cyberattack?
- Which staff will have responsibility for which aspects of cybersecurity?
- How will you effectively train staff in cybersecurity?
- What are the biggest risks to cybersecurity in your organization?
- What could the consequences be for a cybersecurity breach?
- Which compliance standards and regulations apply to your organization?
- What’s a good balance between ease of use and cybersecurity for your organization?
Once you’ve considered all of this as fully as possible, you need to work out the best practices you’ll use to mitigate risks, and the protocols and processes you’ll use if anything goes wrong.
At this stage, it’s easy to get into a methodical ‘system by system’ approach in which you comb through your network and assess the risks associated with each system individually. This is a good thing to do, but it’s also important to consider your network as holistically as possible. If you only think of your system as a collection of different processes rather than as a whole, you run the risk of the ‘joints’ being weak to cyberattack.
Let’s say, for example, that you have sophisticated cybersecurity measures for your inbound calling solution, but have failed to consider that it connects to your communications system as a whole. Tightening security to prevent outside attack from inbound communications is no good at all if the rest of your communications solution is weak.
So, don’t get lost in the weeds of cybersecurity. In addition to considering each aspect of your system and each potential point of attack individually, be sure to look at the bigger picture too.
Once you’ve gone through all this strategizing you’ll have a better idea of your cybersecurity needs. You’ll be more able to make an informed decision about the software, hardware, frameworks, and systems that best suit your business.
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Implementation
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Now that you know what you’re aiming for, what risks you’re countering, and so on, you can get down to the practical side of things: implementation. It’s time to turn your strategy into solid cybersecurity architecture.
Implementation is all about turning the strategy and processes you detailed in Phase 1 into the building blocks of your new cybersecurity architecture. A popular way to do this is to design and/or optimize each software component with a focus on security, and then put them all together in the most secure way possible.
This building-block way of working is methodical and effective, but, as we mentioned above, it’s vital not to lose sight of the bigger picture. You need to think about your digital network as a whole in order to truly plug any gaps and strengthen any weak points.
An integration architecture framework could be useful if you have a lot of applications, systems, and connection points. Integration architecture tracks data flows and connections between systems within any given network. This allows you to fit together as many secure blocks of code as you like, knowing that the integration framework will track connections so you can easily go back in and strengthen any weak points.
If you already have a system up and running and don’t want to start again from code, you could simply optimize your existing system according to your development framework. For example, if your development framework suggests limiting users on sensitive applications, your developers would go into these apps and alter their coded rules to account for the new protocols.
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모니터링
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Cybersecurity is an ongoing thing. Even the most secure and sophisticated system in the world needs constant monitoring. Remember, the pace of tech development moves very fast, and cybercriminals aren’t constrained by rules and regulations. They find ways to get around new security measures very quickly. This is why constant monitoring and updating is arguably the most important phase of any cybersecurity architecture.
A good monitoring program should involve:
- Regularly checking that standards are being upheld.
- Spotting and acting on issues that need to be fixed in real time.
- Auditing the entire system thoroughly at regular intervals.
- Updating the system or elements of the system as and when necessary.
- Undertaking regular risk assessments.
- Scheduling regular staff cybersecurity training.
- Checking that the company remains compliant (and taking steps to improve compliance where needed).
- Keeping an eye on industry standards, and making sure that the company is up to date.
- Producing a lifecycle management IT strategy to refer to whenever the system needs support.
- Watching emerging technological developments, and acting to either utilize or combat them where needed.
Monitoring doesn’t just help you to spot and deal with risks as and when they arise. It also makes your cybersecurity system more agile. With constant monitoring, you can pivot to change and update elements of your system very quickly, which in turn stops your cybersecurity system from weighing down your processes or your UX.
A lot of monitoring and updating can be done automatically. AIs and automation technologies are capable of constantly watching your system in the background and flagging problematic patterns, changes, or risks in real time. For real peace of mind, choose a cybersecurity SaaS provider with a dedication to constant monitoring and updating.
Good cybersecurity architecture keeps your data safe and puts your mind at ease
We all know that cybersecurity is essential. What might be less clear is the kind of effort that needs to go into building cybersecurity architecture that works.
By putting time and brainpower into the development phase and resources into the implementation and monitoring phases, you can create (or choose!) a cybersecurity architecture that works to protect your data from attack, and which will keep you safe and compliant well into the future.
Bio:
Diana Nechita – Director of Product Marketing
Diana is the Director of Product Marketing at Ardoq. Her passion lies in fostering a deep understanding of Ardoq’s value in delivering tangible results for organizations navigating the complexities of digital transformation. Here is her LinkedIn.
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