Defense in Depth and Layered Security Strategies

Introduction

Defense in depth and layered security are strategies organizations use to secure safe data. Organizations with data implement these security strategies to protect clients’ data from attackers. Defense in depth is a more comprehensive security strategy than layered security, implemented by organizations to complete information security techniques. This paper will contain details of defense in depth and layered security and the advantages and disadvantages of each strategy.

Defense-in-depth strategy

Defense in depth is one of the best security strategies that apply multiple layers of security to enable data protection. This cybersecurity technique brings together many layers of security controls and ensures that company information is secured. The strategy uses numerous layers because clients’ data need to be protected from landing illegal persons; therefore, a single layer cannot be effective (Rahman et al., 2020). Moreover, layered defense equips organizations with ways in which reduction of threats and vulnerabilities are minimized in the organization’s data.

Defense in depth contains important tenets which make the strategy effective, and these tenets include: Protecting privileged access whereby resolutions to some services are achieved. This tenet controls and monitors access to important accounts. Defense in depth uses endpoint privilege solutions to ensure control of lateral movement and provide protection against ransomware and other malware. Also, defense in depth uses secure developer tools for providing security, management, and monitoring necessary credentials used by applications and different non-human identities.

Defense in depth has two categories: control layers and cybersecurity layers, which are further divided into layers. Control layers contain physical, technical, and administrative controls and perform effectively to ensure that data is safe (Mosteiro-Sanchez et al., 2020). Physical layers protect physical access to the organization’s IT network and include CCTV, security guards, and locked doors. Technical controls are hardware and software components, including antivirus software, authentication controls, and software or hardware firewall, and they are all meant to protect data resources. Furthermore, administrative controls are the IT network security policies and procedures which offer safe cybersecurity guidance. The administrative controls include security requirements, hiring practices, and a digital code of conduct.

Defense in depth can be implemented at all levels of IT systems whereby, when in its use, all related cyber attacks are blocked. Security tools offer protection over the entire life cycle, and their implementation is achieved through a study to establish a threat. In this way, NIST, CIS, and OWASP are adopted. Other areas of concern include firewalls, access control, and password protection are essential when implementing.

Layered security

Layered security is one of the best security strategies, which applies many components to offer protection in diverse ways; this approach uses multiple security approaches to ensure safety is achieved (Xu et., 2020). In this approach, digital assets are protected with various layers of applications whereby each layer provides its protection act. This approach is unique because all data will remain safe even if hackers access the network. This approach assumes that any user inside the network is a trusted user.

Layered security has several critical layers and is designed to meet all the required functions. These layers include a firewall whereby the firewall is the primary layer in the network which ensures monitoring of incoming and outgoing network traffic and is controlled by some principles. This layer hinders untrusted attackers from accessing data, providing the information’s security. Another layer is patch management, which ensures the functionality of reporting errors and strength performance, ensuring data security.

Moreover, multi-factor authentication is another layer in layered security that demands the use of many verifications to access an application, account, and others. This layer is essential because it ensures tight security of data from cyberattacks. Endpoint protection is also a critical layer where all devices, such as intelligent devices, scanners, printers, copiers, and security cameras, are included in the organization for protection (Sun & Du, 2018). Another important layer is web content filtering, which hinders users’ access to websites and information that may be termed dangerous. Other layers include email filtering, security awareness training, phishing simulations, dark web monitoring, and physical security.

Layered security offers major controls, including administrative rules comprising policies and procedures the organization applies to reduce attackers’ access to data.

Physical controls involve all that can hinder actual physical access to the IT system and technical management, including software and hardware solutions that control access of data by unauthorized access to the IT network.

Advantages and disadvantages of each strategy

Advantages and disadvantages of layered security

It ensures no security threats; that is, it does not allow attackers to invade due to numerous layers which provide defensive measures. Another benefit is that each layer offers a unique purpose to the IT network. There are also decreased emergency expenses, and a long working duration is provided; this method is effective and efficient for big organizations. One of the disadvantages of layered security is that it complicates simple applications (Sun & Du, 2018). It requires excess multiple mechanisms applications to protect the data from being accessed by attackers. Also, layered security requires much more installation and maintenance than defense in depth.

Advantages and disadvantages of a defense-in-depth strategy

One of the main advantages of a defense-in-depth strategy is that it allows one to protect data safely and reduces threats and vulnerabilities. This strategy is easy to manage compared to layered security. Moreover, redundancy is another benefit; it fills the gaps generated by individual solutions. Disadvantages of defense in depth include: it can be expensive to maintain and access licenses, it is not easy to coordinate, and lastly, defense in depth can give a false sense of security.

Conclusion/summary

Defense in depth and layered security are strategies applied to secure data and promote an organization’s security. Defense in depth is a comprehensive process and can be best compared to layered security. Defense in depth can be a comprehensive plan to protect data, while layered security is one aspect.

References

Mosteiro-Sanchez, A., Barcelo, M., Astorga, J., & Urbieta, A. (2020). Securing IIoT using defense-in-depth: towards an end-to-end secure industry 4.0. Journal of Manufacturing Systems, 57, 367-378.

Rahman, M. Tanjidur, M. Sazadur Rahman, Huanyu Wang, Shahin Tajik, Waleed Khalil, Farimah Farahmandi, Domenic Forte, Navid Asadizanjani, and Mark Tehranipoor. “Defense-in-depth: A recipe for logic locking to prevail.” Integration 72 (2020): 39-57.

Sun, L., & Du, Q. (2018). A review of physical layer security techniques for the Internet of Things: Challenges and solutions. Entropy, 20(10), 730.

Xu, H., Zhou, Y., Ming, J., & Lyu, M. (2020). Layered obfuscation: a taxonomy of software obfuscation techniques for layered security. Cybersecurity, 3(1), 1–18.