When a hacker attacks your company’s data or resources, a single layer of security is rarely sufficient. Because no one security instrument or protocol can provide total protection against attackers, defense in depth is suggested as a top security architectural method. Given the rise in cybersecurity attacks on DoD companies, the need for managed it services for government contractors has also gone up.
What exactly is Defense in Depth?
Defense in depth is a defensive measure whose purpose is to slow assailants down and generate a chance to prepare and conduct a counterattack instead of depending on a single defensive line to halt attackers. Defense in depth is defined by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) as “the use of various remedies in a multilayer or stepwise manner to meet security goals.”
When adopting the defense-in-depth technique to defend networks, information, and infrastructure, several security measures are stacked to provide more strong security than a single measure could provide. As a result, even if an assailant violates one of the measures, there are still safeguards.
The Advantages of Comprehensive Defense
The NSA’s Information Assurance Technical Framework (IATF) acknowledges defense-in-depth as a feasible security technique for most contemporary enterprises’ highly connected nature.
Because it is a technique instead of a collection of tools, it is applied to use the most recent technology and methods and is updated to meet new requirements as they occur.
The defense in-depth approach also tries to develop a well-balanced security architecture that takes into account all of the following factors:
- Effective defense
- Cost performance Operational requirements
- Defense in depth generates a scenario in which the total of the parts is larger than the sum of its parts.
What Is the Definition of Defense in Depth Architecture?
Layering security mechanisms is the cornerstone of defense in-depth strategy. Each security measure relies on the preceding one, resulting in a more highly secured system. To guarantee your grounds are secured, there are three fundamental kinds of steps to consider:
- Administrative Restrictions
- Technical Restrictions
- Physical Restrictions
Critically, all three operate independently of one another while yet working in unison.
Administrative Controls
Administrative measures are basically the rules, processes, standards, and other requirements outlined in the organization’s security policy.
These can include, in addition to policies and procedures:
- Security checks and hiring methods
- Controls over personnel, coaching, and monitoring
- Security awareness training
- Reports, evaluations, and testing
- Data classification methods
Administrative controls are primarily concerned with corporate processes and people management. They serve as the foundation for the defense in depth methodology, influencing every subsequent layer of security.
Technical Restrictions
Technical control measures, also known as logical controls, pertain to the hardware and software that compose IT systems and related assets. Here are some typical examples:
- Controls for access
- Permission and verification
- System for detecting intrusions
- Routers and firewalls
- IT security procedures
As per managed IT services providers, technical controls act as the next level of protection, directly safeguarding systems, information, and other IT resources while supporting and materializing the goals of administrative controls.
Physical Restrictions
Physical controls are used to secure an organization’s physical resources and facilities by controlling access to them and the larger regions and proximities in which they are situated.
Among these metrics are:
- Seals and locks
- Motion and light sensors
- Guards and their dogs
- Alarms and monitoring equipment
- Cards for physical identity or access
Physical controls are the defense-in-depth platform’s outermost layer. Physical security measures that are strong will supplement technical and organizational controls.