Skip to content

Security Engineering

What is Security Engineering?

The discipline of designing and building systems that remain dependable in the face of malicious actions, errors, and accidents.

Information Security

Frameworks that govern security engineering

ISO 27001:2022View framework →NIST Cybersecurity Framework 2.0View framework →CIS Controls v8View framework →

What the standards actually require on security engineering

Requirements naming security engineering across 6 standards, quoted from the control text.

NIST SP 800-1602 controls

Document trade-offs among security objectives, system performance, cost, and schedule, ensuring decisions are informed and approved by an appropriate authority.

SE-IA · Information Assurance and Security Engineering Trade-offs →
CMMC 2.01 control

Apply architectural design, software development techniques and systems engineering principles that promote effective information security.

SC.L2-3.13.2 · Security Engineering →
NIST SP 800-171 Rev 31 control

Apply security engineering principles in the specification, design, development, implementation, and modification of the system.

03.16.01 · Security Engineering Principles →
NIST SP 800-171A - Assessing Security Requirements for Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI)1 control

Determines whether security engineering principles are applied to the specification, design, development and modification of the system.

171A-03.16.01 · Systems Security Engineering Principles →
Canada ITSG-33 - IT Security Risk Management2 controls

Before planning, the project reviews the concept-phase outputs with the authorizer and obtains approval of the initial assurance requirements, which set the effort, cost and timeline of security engineering and assessment.

canada-itsg-33-it-security-risk-management::A2-3.2.4 · 3.2.4 Approve initial security assurance requirements →
Canada ITSP.10.033 Security and Privacy Controls and Assurance Activities Catalogue1 control

The organisation designs systems, components or services for cyber resiliency by defining resiliency goals, objectives, techniques, implementation approaches and design principles, and implements and reviews them within its risk management or security engineer...

canada-itsp-10-033-security-and-privacy-controls-and-assurance-activities-catalogue::SA-24 · SA-24 Design for cyber resiliency →

Questions people ask about security engineering

What is Security Engineering?
The discipline of designing and building systems that remain dependable in the face of malicious actions, errors, and accidents.
Why is Security Engineering important for compliance?
Security Engineering is a key concept in Information Security. Understanding security engineering helps organizations meet regulatory requirements, reduce risk, and demonstrate due diligence during audits. Our compliance platform maps 1,016 frameworks with 316K cross-framework control mappings.
Which compliance frameworks address Security Engineering?
Security Engineering appears in the requirement text of NIST SP 800-160, CMMC 2.0, NIST SP 800-171 Rev 3, NIST SP 800-171A - Assessing Security Requirements for Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI), Canada ITSG-33 - IT Security Risk Management. Across these standards we have identified 8 controls that name it directly, each linked to the control text on the compliance platform.
Where can I learn more about Security Engineering?
Explore our compliance framework pages to see how security engineering 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 1,016 frameworks.

See how Security Engineering applies across compliance frameworks

Our platform maps 1,016 frameworks with 316K cross-framework control mappings. Explore how this concept is addressed across standards.

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