Cybersecurity Architecture Requirements
1. Purpose
This work package defines the cybersecurity architecture requirements needed to support a secure, scalable, and resilient technology environment. It provides a structured approach to identifying, validating, and documenting the security capabilities, controls, and design principles required to protect the organisation’s critical assets and enable strategic business outcomes.
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2. Objectives
• Establish a clear set of security architecture requirements aligned to business goals, regulatory obligations, and risk appetite.
• Define baseline and target-state security capabilities across people, process, and technology.
• Ensure architectural decisions are consistent, defensible, and aligned with industry frameworks (NIST CSF, ISO 27001, Zero Trust, CIS).
• Provide a foundation for solution design, procurement, and implementation planning.
• Reduce ambiguity and accelerate secure delivery across programmes and projects.
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3. Scope of Work
3.1 In-Scope
• Enterprise security architecture assessment
• Requirements elicitation workshops
• Mapping business, regulatory, and threat-driven requirements
• Definition of security architecture principles
• Development of functional and non-functional security requirements
• Alignment with enterprise architecture and IT strategy
• Integration with Zero Trust, cloud, and data security models
• Production of a Security Architecture Requirements Document (SARD)
3.2 Out-of-Scope
• Detailed solution design
• Implementation or configuration of security tools
• Penetration testing or red teaming
• Operational runbooks or SOPs (can be added as optional modules)
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4. Methodology
4.1 Phase 1 — Discovery & Current-State Analysis
• Review existing architecture artefacts, policies, and standards
• Identify critical business processes and data flows
• Assess current security capabilities and gaps
• Analyse threat landscape and regulatory drivers
• Stakeholder interviews (IT, security, risk, compliance, business units)
Deliverables:
• Current-State Architecture Summary
• Gap Analysis & Risk Observations
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4.2 Phase 2 — Requirements Elicitation
• Conduct structured workshops with architecture, security, and business teams
• Capture functional requirements (e.g., identity, network, data, application, cloud)
• Capture non-functional requirements (e.g., resilience, performance, auditability)
• Prioritise requirements using MoSCoW or risk-based scoring
• Validate requirements with stakeholders
Deliverables:
• Requirements Catalogue
• Prioritisation Matrix
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4.3 Phase 3 — Architecture Principles & Guardrails
• Define enterprise-wide security architecture principles
• Establish guardrails for cloud, identity, network, and data
• Align with Zero Trust and least privilege models
• Define decision-making criteria for future architecture reviews
Deliverables:
• Architecture Principles & Guardrails Document
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4.4 Phase 4 — Target-State Architecture Requirements
• Develop target-state security architecture requirements
• Map requirements to business outcomes and risks
• Align with enterprise architecture domains
• Ensure compatibility with existing and planned technology roadmaps
• Identify dependencies, constraints, and integration points
Deliverables:
• Target-State Security Architecture Requirements
• Capability Maturity Recommendations
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4.5 Phase 5 — Final Documentation & Handover
• Produce a comprehensive Security Architecture Requirements Document (SARD)
• Present findings to executive and technical stakeholders
• Provide recommendations for next steps (solution design, roadmap, governance)
Deliverables:
• Final SARD
• Executive Summary & Presentation Pack
5. Dependencies
• Access to architecture artefacts, policies, and system documentation
• Availability of key stakeholders for workshops
• Clarity on business strategy, risk appetite, and regulatory obligations
6. Assumptions
• Organisation has an existing enterprise architecture function or equivalent
• Stakeholders will provide timely input and approvals
• Technology roadmaps are available for review
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7. Optional Add-On Modules
These can be added as separate work packages:
• Zero Trust Architecture Blueprint
• Cloud Security Reference Architecture (Azure/AWS/GCP)
• Data Protection & Privacy Architecture
• Identity & Access Management (IAM) Architecture
• Secure SDLC & DevSecOps Architecture
• Network Segmentation & Micro-Segmentation Design
• Security Tooling Rationalisation & Roadmap
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8. Benefits to the Organisation
• Clear, actionable security architecture requirements
• Reduced delivery risk and architectural ambiguity
• Strong alignment with regulatory and industry standards
• Improved decision-making and governance
• Foundation for secure digital transformation
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