Security Standards
As a standards organization, also known as a standards-setting organization or a standards-development organization, ISAUnited is an institutional body that develops and establishes standards for enterprise security architecture framework and technical processes. ISAUnited’s standards are guidelines or specifications that ensure consistency, interoperability, quality, and security in products, services, systems, and solutions.
ISAUnited's mission is developing and disseminating standards that set the bar for excellence in security architecture and risk mitigation. By leveraging collective expertise and industry insights, ISAUnited strives to deliver comprehensive frameworks that empower organizations to safeguard their assets, protect sensitive data, and ensure operational continuity in the face of emerging threats. These standards serve as invaluable resources for companies seeking guidance on implementing effective security measures, navigating regulatory requirements, and building resilient infrastructure.
ISAUnited's Complimentary Content
Security Standard:
Comprehensive Security Architecture Review
Date:
2024
The Comprehensive Security Architecture Review (CSAR) standard provides a structured, holistic approach to evaluating and enhancing an organization's security posture, encompassing strategic alignment, cloud security, secure design principles, and regulatory compliance. Through its six-phase methodology—Discovery, Collect, Analyze, Remediate, Operate and Maintain, and Oversee and Govern—CSAR enables security architects to systematically assess, improve, and maintain robust security architectures that adapt to evolving threats while aligning with business objectives.
Document Management: ISAU-STD-409-v1.2024-CSAR
Security Guide:
Enterprise Segmentation Strategy
Date:
2024
Enterprise segmentation emerges as a potent strategy to fortify defenses and safeguard critical assets. This holistic approach involves meticulously segmenting an organization's network, cloud, and IT infrastructure into isolated zones, each governed by granular access controls and tailored security policies. By adopting a comprehensive enterprise segmentation strategy, organizations can enhance their security posture, limit the potential impact of cyber threats, and ensure regulatory compliance – all while aligning with unique business requirements and risk appetites. This comprehensive guide delves into the intricate implementation phases, from conducting thorough infrastructure assessments and identifying critical assets to designing and deploying segmentation controls across network, cloud, and identity and access management solutions.
Document Management: ISAU-SG-201-v1.2024-ESS
Security Standard:
Cloud Security Architecture (HLA)
Date:
2024
The HLA standard outlined in this document provides a consistent and standardized approach that aligns with industry frameworks, methodologies, and principles, enabling organizations to effectively mitigate risks and protect their critical assets in cloud environments. It serves as a blueprint for developing DLAs that address the unique requirements, configurations, and security controls specific to the chosen cloud solution(s) and deployment models.
Task Group: ISAU-TG33-2025
Security Standard:
API Security Standard
Date:
2024
As organizations increasingly rely on APIs to facilitate seamless communication and data exchange between disparate systems and applications, the need to secure these interfaces against evolving cyber threats and vulnerabilities becomes paramount. This technical standard aims to provide comprehensive guidance and best practices for implementing robust API security measures within DevOps environments.
Document: ISAU-STD-405-v1.2024-API
Security Standard:
Security Artifacts Management (SAM)
Date:
2024
Security architecture is critical to delivering architecture artifacts that safeguard digital assets, infrastructure, and data against various threats in today's interconnected world. As technology evolves and threats become increasingly sophisticated, the need for comprehensive security architecture has never been more pronounced. Security architecture designers are tasked with developing, delivering, and maintaining architecture artifacts to ensure the effectiveness of security measures across various systems and networks.
Document: ISAU-STD-406-v1.2024-SAM
Foundational Standard:
Enterprise Security Architecture Body of Knowledge (ESABOK)
Date:
2024
The primary objective of this principle is to empower security architects to systematically identify and fortify the weakest links within the organizational architecture, including infrastructure and network components. The focus is on developing a comprehensive understanding of potential vulnerabilities and points of exploitation that could compromise the security posture of the organization.
Task Group: ISAU-TG14- 2023
Security Principle:
Proactive Weakest Link Discovery-RP-203
Date:
2024
The primary objective of this principle is to empower security architects to systematically identify and fortify the weakest links within the organizational architecture, including infrastructure and network components. The focus is on developing a comprehensive understanding of potential vulnerabilities and points of exploitation that could compromise the security posture of the organization.
Task Group: ISAU-TG14- 2023
Security Principle:
Threat Intelligence Preparation-RP-212
Date:
2024
Security architects must possess an intimate understanding of potential adversaries, and technical exigencies underscore the significance of this knowledge in navigating the broader threat landscape. Technical acumen regarding potential attackers' motives, tactics, and techniques is indispensable for preemptively addressing vulnerabilities. This proactive and technically informed approach fortifies the organization's resilience and ensures that security strategies are intricately adaptive to the ever-shifting contours of cyber threats.
Task Group: ISAU-TG14- 2023
Security Standard:
Data Flow Security Standard
Date:
2024
Interconnected digital landscape, organizations must have a comprehensive understanding of how sensitive data moves within and across their systems, applications, and cloud environments. By implementing a structured approach to data flow mapping, access control, encryption, and real-time monitoring, enterprises can gain the necessary visibility and control to protect their most valuable information assets.
Document: ISAU-STD-404-v1.2024-DFS
Security Principle:
Minimize Your Attack Surface-RP-215
Date:
2024
Understanding the attack surface in this context involves a meticulous examination of potential entry points, vulnerabilities, and avenues for exploitation that may be accessible from the internet. By scrutinizing the attack surface of these assets, organizations can identify and prioritize security measures to fortify against external threats. This encompasses securing exposed ports, validating user inputs, implementing robust access controls, and regularly assessing for vulnerabilities.
Task Group: ISAU-TG14- 2023
Security Principle:
Know Your Architecture-RP-216
Date:
2024
Technical architecture encompasses infrastructure, networks, and associated components and systems. This recommended principle (RP) establishes the base requirements of architecture security for organizations that design, operate, implement, and support architecture for use in on-premises, cloud, and or hybrid. This RP provides security practitioners with an enhanced framework to reveal and manage risk, promote a learning environment, and continually improve architecture security and integrity by using this principle.
Task Group: ISAU-TG14- 2023
Security Principle:
Structured Layered Defense-RP-208
Date:
2024
Prioritizing the imperative to ‘Structured Layered Defenses aka Defense in Depth’, this approach centers on identifying segments within an organization's architecture, particularly its infrastructure, and network. Due to potential Internet security risks occurring at various levels, you need to set up security measures that provide multiple layers of defense against these risks. This RP provides security practitioners with an enhanced framework to reveal and manage risk, promote a learning environment, and continually improve architecture security and integrity by using this principle.
Task Group: ISAU-TG14- 2023
Security Operational Tool:
Security Tool Lifecycle Template
Date:
2024
Security Tool Lifecycle, this term encompasses the entire life cycle of a security tool, including its purpose, configuration, calibration standards, and maintenance history. It reflects the proactive and continuous nature of documenting key aspects of security tools, serving as a valuable resource for audits and troubleshooting throughout their operational life.
Library
Publications
ISAU Library is your platform for the latest in security architecture design and practice. This core collection covers all technical areas of security architecture. ISAU’s Library includes:
Foundational and Technical Standards
E-books
Journals
Manuals and Reports
and more.
ISAU continues to respond to practitioners’ needs for reliable professional tools. We will continue to share updates on our standards transformation.
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