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Fail Secure

What is Fail Secure?

A design principle where a system defaults to a secure state when a failure occurs, maintaining protection even during malfunction.

Information Security

What the standards actually require on fail secure

Requirements naming fail secure across 2 standards, quoted from the control text.

FedRAMP High1 control

Boundary Protection | Fail Secure. Prevent systems from entering unsecure states in the event of an operational failure of a boundary protection device

SC-7(18) · Boundary Protection | Fail Secure. Prevent systems from entering unsecure states in the event of an operational failure of a boundary protection device

Boundary Protection | Fail Secure. Prevent systems from entering unsecure states in the event of an operational failure of a boundary protection device

SC-7(18) · Boundary Protection | Fail Secure. Prevent systems from entering unsecure states in the event of an operational failure of a boundary protection device

Questions people ask about fail secure

What is Fail Secure?
A design principle where a system defaults to a secure state when a failure occurs, maintaining protection even during malfunction.
Why is Fail Secure important for compliance?
Fail Secure is a key concept in Information Security. Understanding fail secure helps organizations meet regulatory requirements, reduce risk, and demonstrate due diligence during audits. Our compliance platform maps 686 frameworks with 311K cross-framework control mappings.
Which compliance frameworks address Fail Secure?
Fail Secure appears in the requirement text of FedRAMP High, FedRAMP Moderate. Across these standards we have identified 2 controls that name it directly, each linked to the control text on the compliance platform.
Where can I learn more about Fail Secure?
Explore our compliance framework pages to see how fail secure applies across different standards and regulations. Our implementation guides provide step-by-step guidance, and the compliance platform offers AI-powered analysis of how this concept maps across 686 frameworks.

See how Fail Secure applies across compliance frameworks

Our platform maps 686 frameworks with 311K cross-framework control mappings. Explore how this concept is addressed across standards.

Written and maintained by Gerard Blokdyk, The Art of Service.