Security Design

Principles
Information Security
Lecture-II
Prepared By: Jawad Ali
Introduction to Security Design
Principles
Definition: The essential principles to be
followed in designing a secure system.
Objective: Reduce vulnerabilities and enhance
security mechanisms.
Key Idea: Aligning functionality with security
needs from the ground up.
Diagram showing the balance between functionality and security.
 1. Confidentiality

Security
2. Integrity
3. Availability
4. Authentication

Design 5. Authorization
6. Least Privilege

Principles
7. Separation of Duties
8. Defense in Depth
9. Accountability
10.Non-repudiation
 1.Fail-Safe Defaults
2.Complete Mediation
3.Open Design

Security 4.Minimization of Attack

Surface

Design 5.Least Common Mechanism

6.Psychological Acceptability

Principles
7.Modularity
8.Resilience
9.Secure Defaults
10.Data Encryption
11.Auditing and Monitoring
 Definition: Protects
sensitive information from
unauthorized access.
Confidentiality
Example: Encrypting emails
between employees to
ensure only intended
recipients can read them.
 Definition: Ensures data is
accurate and has not been
tampered with.
Integrity
Example: Using digital
signatures to ensure that
a software update has not
been altered by hackers.
 Definition: Ensures information
and resources are available
when needed.

Availability
Example: A hospital's patient
database being backed up
regularly to ensure it is
accessible during emergencies.
Authentication

Example: Using
multi-factor
Definition: Verifies
authentication (MFA)
the identity of users.
when logging into a
corporate system.
Definition: Grants access
rights based on user roles.

Authorization
Example: A manager having
access to employee records
while regular staff do not.
Definition: Ensures all actions
can be traced to a responsible
party.

Accountability
Example: Logging user activities
in financial systems to detect
unauthorized transactions.
Definition: Prevents entities from
denying their actions.

Non-
Repudiation
Example: Using digital certificates
in online banking to verify that a
transaction was initiated by a
specific user.
 Example: A cashier at a
Definition: Grants users
store having access only
the minimum necessary
to the sales system but
access to perform their
not to inventory
job.
management.

Least Privilege
A receptionist in a
company does not need Case Study – Least
access to payroll or HR Privilege
records.

Explanation: Had the

Example: Edward NSA limited Snowden’s
Snowden and NSA data access based on least
leaks. privilege, leaks might
have been mitigated.
 Example: A person
Definition: Divides
approving payments
tasks among multiple
cannot also initiate
people to prevent
payments in an
fraud.
accounting system.

Separation of
Duties /
A system requiring
Case Study –
both a password and
Separation of
biometric scan for
Privilege
admin access.

Privilege
Example: Multi-factor
authentication (MFA)
in Google’s zero-trust
security model.
 Example: A company
using firewalls, intrusion
Definition: Uses multiple
detection systems, and
layers of security controls.
encrypted data to protect
its network.

A combination of
firewalls, intrusion
detection systems (IDS),
Case Study – Defense in
Defense in
Depth
Depth
and multi-factor
authentication (MFA).

Explanation: Multiple
failures led to a
Example: Target's data
widespread breach,
breach (2013).
underscoring the need for
layered defenses.
 Example: A server
Definition: Systems
denying access when
default to secure
the user
settings in case of
authentication system
failure.
is down.

If a firewall fails, it
should block all traffic Case Study – Fail-
Fail-Safe
Defaults
instead of allowing Safe Defaults
unrestricted access.

Explanation: A fail-
Example: Heartbleed
safe default would
vulnerability in
have prevented
OpenSSL.
information leakage.
 Example: A web
Definition: Every application rechecking
access request is user permissions
validated. every time a file is
accessed.

Each time a user

accesses a file or Case Study –
Complete
Mediation
system, permissions Complete Mediation
should be revalidated.

Explanation: If tokens
are not checked at
Example: OAuth token
each access, users
vulnerability.
may exploit long-
lasting sessions.
Definition: Security is not reliant on
the secrecy of design or code.

Example: Using open-source

cryptographic algorithms that are
public but secure due to robust Open Design
design.

Open-source software where the

security is derived from robustness,
not secrecy.
Definition: Reducing the number
of potential entry points for
attacks. Minimization
of Attack
Example: Disabling unnecessary
services and ports on a server to
Surface
reduce the risk of hacking.
 Example: Ensuring
Definition: Minimize that sensitive systems
shared mechanisms run in isolated
between users. environments instead
of on shared servers.

Avoid sharing the

Least
same cryptographic
key across multiple
services.
Case Study – Least
Common Mechanism Common
Mechanism
Example: Issues with
shared hosting
environments leading
to vulnerability
exploitation.
 Example: Easy-to-use
Definition: Security
password managers to
mechanisms should
encourage employees
not make the user
to maintain strong,
experience too difficult.
unique passwords.

A password policy that

is too complex may
Case Study –
Psychological
Psychological
Acceptability
result in users writing
Acceptability
down passwords.

Explanation: Secure
and easy-to-use
Example: Apple's
authentication methods
FaceID/TouchID.
that don’t sacrifice
convenience.
 Definition: Systems are
designed with independent
modules to minimize risk.

Modularity
Example: A microservices
architecture where a breach in
one service does not
compromise the entire system.
Resilience

Example: A cloud
Definition: Systems service that
should be able to automatically shifts
recover quickly from workloads to backup
attacks. servers in case of a
breach or failure.
 Definition: Systems should be
configured with security in
mind by default.
Secure
Defaults Example: A new software
application coming with strict
firewall rules pre-configured.
 Definition: Data is encrypted
to protect it from
unauthorized access.
Data
Encryption Example: Credit card details
being encrypted when
processed by online shopping
websites.
 Definition: Systems log and
monitor activities to detect
and respond to security
Auditing and events.

Monitoring Example: A retail company

using security logs to detect
suspicious login attempts on
its e-commerce platform.
Thank You