NIST 800-53 REV 5 • SYSTEM AND SERVICES ACQUISITION
SA-17 — Developer Security and Privacy Architecture and Design
Require the developer of the system, system component, or system service to produce a design specification and security and privacy architecture that: Is consistent with the organization’s security and privacy architecture that is an integral part the organization’s enterprise architecture; Accurately and completely describes the required security and privacy functionality, and the allocation of controls among physical and logical components; and Expresses how individual security and privacy functions, mechanisms, and services work together to provide required security and privacy capabilities and a unified approach to protection.
Supplemental Guidance
Developer security and privacy architecture and design are directed at external developers, although they could also be applied to internal (in-house) development. In contrast, PL-8 is directed at internal developers to ensure that organizations develop a security and privacy architecture that is integrated with the enterprise architecture. The distinction between SA-17 and PL-8 is especially important when organizations outsource the development of systems, system components, or system services and when there is a requirement to demonstrate consistency with the enterprise architecture and security and privacy architecture of the organization. ISO 15408-2, ISO 15408-3 , and SP 800-160-1 provide information on security architecture and design, including formal policy models, security-relevant components, formal and informal correspondence, conceptually simple design, and structuring for least privilege and testing.
Practitioner Notes
Require developers to produce and maintain a security architecture and design document that describes how the system implements security requirements. The architecture should be designed before code is written.
Example 1: Require a security architecture document for every new system that covers: trust boundaries, authentication and authorization design, encryption strategy, audit logging approach, network segmentation, and data flow diagrams showing where sensitive data is processed, stored, and transmitted.
Example 2: Use architecture review boards that include security expertise to evaluate designs before development begins. Review proposed architectures against NIST, OWASP, and organization-specific security standards. Document review findings and require resolution before development proceeds.