Secure Architecture & Design
A comprehensive guide to building security into your systems from the ground up through threat modeling, secure design patterns, and defense-in-depth strategies.
What You'll Learn
- Threat modeling methodologies (STRIDE, PASTA, DREAD)
- Architecture risk analysis techniques
- Security design patterns and anti-patterns
- Defense-in-depth strategies
- Zero Trust Architecture principles
- Cloud-native security patterns
- Security frameworks (NIST CSF, ISO 27001, CIS Controls)
- Production-ready reference architectures with IaC
Prerequisites
- • Basic understanding of networking (TCP/IP, DNS, HTTP/S)
- • Familiarity with at least one cloud provider (AWS, Azure, or GCP)
- • Understanding of web application architecture (client-server, APIs)
- • Recommended: Complete the Web Pentest or Network Security guide first
How to Use This Guide
Architects
Start with sections 01-06 for foundational principles, then use 11-12 as reference for framework compliance and production architectures.
Pentesters
Focus on sections 01-02 (threat modeling/risk analysis), 06 (Zero Trust), and 10 (case studies) to understand what defenders build.
DevSecOps
Sections 07-09 (cloud, APIs, SDLC) are most relevant. Section 12 has IaC examples you can adapt directly.
Methodology Overview
Guide Sections
Threat Modeling
STRIDE, PASTA, LINDDUN, DREAD, attack trees, and threat modeling frameworks
Architecture Risk Analysis
Risk assessment methodologies, attack surface analysis, trust boundaries identification
Security Design Patterns
Authentication patterns, authorization models, input validation, data protection patterns
Defense in Depth
Layered security controls, network segmentation, least privilege principles
Secure by Design Principles
Privacy by design, economy of mechanism, fail-safe defaults, psychological acceptability
Zero Trust Architecture
Never trust always verify, identity-centric security, micro-segmentation, continuous verification
Cloud-Native Security
Serverless security, container architecture, service mesh, cloud security posture management
API & Microservices Architecture
API gateway patterns, service-to-service authentication, rate limiting, circuit breakers
Secure SDLC Integration
Security gates, design reviews, threat modeling integration, secure coding guidelines
Real-World Case Studies
Equifax, Capital One, SolarWinds, Log4Shell, MOVEit, Storm-0558, and architecture review templates
Security Frameworks
NIST CSF 2.0, ISO 27001/27002, CIS Controls v8.1, NIST 800-53, OWASP SAMM, cross-framework mapping
Reference Architectures
Production-ready secure architectures with Terraform/YAML: three-tier, hub-spoke, Zero Trust, service mesh, CI/CD
Quick Reference
Core Principles
- • Start with threat modeling before writing code
- • Apply defense in depth — no single control is enough
- • Use Zero Trust — never trust, always verify
- • Fail safe — errors should deny, not allow
Key Standards
- • NIST CSF 2.0 — Core risk management framework
- • CIS Controls v8.1 — Prioritized security actions
- • OWASP ASVS — Application security checklist
- • NIST SP 800-207 — Zero Trust Architecture