Converging Security Architecture and Compliance Management in Enterprise Data Center Ecosystems: A Unified Control Framework

Abstract

Pressures for security, privacy, and regulatory compliance continue to mount in enterprise data center ecosystems. Yet security architecture design and compliance management remain decoupled in practice, resulting in redundancies, inefficiencies, and increasing operational expenses. A unified control framework is proposed to converge controls, governance, and security architecture. Environmental and enterprise factors drive the core control principles. Governance structures and mechanisms, risk management, and security architecture layers form the framework foundation. Integrated risk management incorporates role-based ontologies for information assets, risk assessment methodologies, and information asset remediation. An end-to-end data life cycle perspective aligns external compliance requirements with internal policies and supporting controls.
A reference architecture for enterprise data centers recommends design choices and patterns in areas of non-functional and privacy controls. Core capabilities cover governance and oversight, identity and access management, data protection and privacy, encryption and key management, secure development, and data quality controls. Examining information and data flows as interdependent systems clarifies control touchpoints and dynamic dependencies. An external-internal stakeholder mapping identifies actors, responsibilities, and decision-making attribution for major elements. Capability maturity models for controls guide progress monitoring, while a phased approach assists reliance on legacy systems. The framework addresses decision-support and control management needs.