Overview#
Layered security controls that provide multiple barriers against attacks. Combines preventive, detective, and corrective measures across people, process, and technology.
Core objectives#
- Establish shared definitions of Defense in Depth for security, engineering, and leadership teams.
- Connect Defense in Depth activities to measurable risk reduction and resilience goals.
- Provide onboarding notes so new team members can quickly understand how Defense in Depth works here.
Implementation notes#
- Identify the primary owner for Defense in Depth, the data sources involved, and the systems affected.
- Document the minimum viable process, tooling, and runbooks that keep Defense in Depth healthy.
- Map Defense in Depth practices to standards such as ISO/IEC 27001, NIST CSF, or CIS Controls.
Operational signals#
- Leading indicators: early warnings that Defense in Depth might degrade (e.g., backlog growth, noisy alerts, or missed SLAs).
- Lagging indicators: realized impact that shows Defense in Depth failed or needs investment (e.g., incidents, audit findings).
- Feedback loops: retrospectives and metrics reviews that tune Defense in Depth continuously.
Related practices#
- Align Defense in Depth with defense-in-depth planning, threat modeling, and disaster recovery tests.
- Communicate updates to stakeholders through concise briefs, dashboards, and internal FAQs.
- Pair Defense in Depth improvements with tabletop exercises to validate expectations.