Cyber threats are compounding at an alarming rate with every passing year. Making the security landscape even more fragile, malicious actors have been performing gross cybersecurity threat attacks. Phishing, malware, spoofing, identity-based, denial-of-service attacks, and many other cyber threats are making their way toward a massively dangerous cyberspace. Cybersecurity Ventures reveal that cybercrime is expected to cost the world USD 9.5 trillion in 2024. This marks an urgent need for specialized cybersecurity experts to guard the cybersecurity landscape with stringent tricks and tools in place. Forbes predicts that global cybercrime damage costs will grow by 15% per year over the next year; reaching USD 10.5 trillion annually by 2025. Let us take you closer to understanding cybersecurity.

What are Risk frameworks in cybersecurity?

Risk frameworks in cybersecurity are used by organizations to identify, assess, and manage cybersecurity risks. These provide a structured approach to risk management, allowing organizations to identify and prioritize upcoming cybersecurity threats. It assists organizations in comprehending the risks they face and developing strategies to manage those risks.

Prerequisites for a Risk Framework:

• Define key process steps to assess or manage risk
• Structure program for risk management
• Identify, measure, and quantify risk
• Prioritize security activities
• Must be based on a Zero-trust framework

Effective Security Architecture consists of 3 major components:

1. People- Establishing security goals as they resonate with business goals and identify key growth drivers
2. Processes- Determining the security techniques and policies that perfectly fit the business goals
3. Tools- Technology and tactics with which the architectural framework is developed to suit the business objective

Understanding Cybersecurity Architecture:

Cybersecurity Architecture or network security architecture unveils the structure and behavior of an enterprise’s network security processes, information security systems, personnel, and organizational subunits. It enables easy demonstration of their alignment with the company’s strategic plans.

To alter their status quo, cybersecurity network architecture plans can be drawn up to redesign a company’s infrastructure by building security directly into the company’s network security architecture.

Goals of Cybersecurity Architecture:

• Protecting attack surfaces
• Sensitive data at rest and in transit is encrypted and backed up
• Designing a Zero-trust strategy and architecture
• Establishing Governance Risk Compliance (GRC) technical strategies
• Designing security into the infrastructure

Role of Cybersecurity Architecture:

Cybersecurity architecture is the foundation of a company’s guarding systems; countering cybersecurity threats that are secured by a cybersecurity architecture including:

• Cloud
• Networks
• Internet of Things
• EndPoints
• Mobile

When a cybersecurity architecture adheres to the core principles of the Zero-trust security model ie devices, people, data, networks, workload, automation, orchestration, visibility, and analytics. Cybersecurity frameworks blocking sophisticated attacks before the damage can be inflicted is one of the many impressive roles of it all.

Benefits of Cybersecurity Architecture Frameworks:

• Improves overall security
• Prevents known and unknown zero-day threats in real time
• Automates security across all enforcement points
• Offers complete transparency in an organization’s threat posture with a unified management console
• Increases operational efficiency

3 Popular Cybersecurity Architecture Frameworks:

1. TOGAF

   The Open Group Architecture Framework (TOGAF) plays an incredible role in determining the problem that the business wants to resolve with security architecture. However, it does not give specific guidance on how to address security issues.

2. SABSA

   Sherwood Applied Business Security Architecture (SABSA) is a policy-driven security architecture framework that works wonders in defining the who, what, when, and why. Just like TOGAF, it does not go into specifics regarding the practical implementation of strategies.

3. OSA

   Open Security Architecture (OSA) is related to operational function and technical security controls. It is typically used after the initial planning of security architecture is already in place.

Ways to Build a Strong Cybersecurity Architecture:

• Deploying cybersecurity frameworks
• Risk assessment
• Hiring cybersecurity professionals
• Identifying and assessing management
• Gaining enough knowledge of network security
• Understanding vulnerability assessment
• Authentication and access control
• Gaining incident Response Expertise
• Using Cybersecurity technologies

Final Words:

Gaining skill strength in building strong cybersecurity architecture; it is essential to understand the nuances that go into building them. Revenue from the cybersecurity global market will reach USD 183.10 billion in 2024 (Statista). This showcases the proportional interest levels surge in the cybersecurity industry; which invites a massive number of skilled cybersecurity experts with the world’s top cybersecurity certifications gracing their portfolios. Marking your way up the ladder shall be an easy affair with expert guidance and a comprehensive curriculum to guide you into the field of cybersecurity. Begin with the globally trusted names in the cybersecurity certifications providers arena and gift yourself a great start to a thriving cybersecurity career ahead. Start now to build big!