Security architecture design: blueprint a reference architecture
Security architecture design means placing controls before the system is built: tiers, connections, trust boundaries and which framework control covers each risk. Draw a system on an editable canvas — or start from the blueprint wizard or a built-in reference architecture — and get a live compliance coverage read against NIST 800-53, CIS v8, ISO 27001, PCI DSS or SOC 2, generated Architecture Decision Records, and exports including a Terraform scaffold. Three runs with a free account with a free account (3 Pro tool runs in total), then Pro. Downloads are Pro.
What it gives you
Component canvas
Drag edge, gateway, compute, data and ops components onto a free-form board, wire them with labeled connections, resize and annotate — a full diagramming canvas underneath, not a fixed template.
Blueprint wizard & reference architectures
Answer five questions and get a proposed diagram, or load one of the built-in editable references — fintech payments, healthcare, AWS/Azure/GCP security foundations, zero trust, Kubernetes hardening and more — then adapt it.
Live framework coverage
A coverage score against the frameworks you pick (NIST 800-53, CIS v8, ISO 27001, PCI DSS, SOC 2), broken down control-by-control with status, responsibility and confidence — recomputed whenever you re-check it.
Generated ADRs
Ask for a decision record on any topic in the design and get a drafted ADR — decision, rationale, consequences, alternatives — that you can edit, re-status, or delete.
Exports that keep the work
PNG or SVG of the diagram, JSON of the canvas and findings, a CSV statement of applicability, ADRs as Markdown, a Terraform scaffold, and a printable PDF brief.
How it works
- 1Start blank, run the blueprint wizard (pattern, cloud, scale, data classification, compliance regimes), or load an editable reference architecture.
- 2Drag components onto the canvas by tier — edge, gateway, compute, data, ops — and connect them; everything stays editable.
- 3Re-check coverage to get a control-by-control read against your chosen frameworks, and add evidence notes per control.
- 4Draft ADRs for the decisions that matter, then export the diagram, control map, ADRs and a Terraform scaffold.
Honest about what this is
- A fast way to get a real diagram, a first compliance read, and drafted ADRs down — then keep editing.
- Useful for design reviews, a starting statement of applicability, or scaffolding IaC for a new system.
- ✕ Not a certified audit and not a scan of a live environment — nothing connects to your actual cloud account.
- ✕ The Terraform export is a scaffold with TODOs, not apply-ready infrastructure code.
FAQ
What is security architecture design?
Security architecture design is deciding where controls sit in a system before it is built: which tiers exist, how they connect, where the trust boundaries are, and which control in which framework covers each risk. The output is a reference architecture diagram plus the decisions behind it (Architecture Decision Records), which is what this studio produces.
What is an enterprise security architecture?
An enterprise security architecture is the organisation-wide version: the standard patterns, control set and reference designs that every system is expected to follow, mapped to the frameworks the business must meet. Teams usually build it from a few reference architectures (web app, data platform, AI service) that projects copy and adapt; the studio's built-in references are a starting point for that.
What does Architecture Studio actually produce?
A visual reference architecture on an editable canvas — components (edge, gateway, compute, data, ops tiers) wired together with labeled connections — plus a compliance coverage read against NIST 800-53, CIS v8, ISO 27001, PCI DSS or SOC 2, a set of Architecture Decision Records (ADRs), and export files you can keep.
What does the "coverage" score mean?
It is a control-by-control read of your diagram against the frameworks you pick: each control is marked met, partial, or gap, with a responsibility tag (customer / provider / shared) and a confidence rating. It is a starting assessment to challenge and annotate with evidence, not a certified audit.
Is the Terraform export production-ready?
No — it is a deterministic scaffold, one resource block per component with secure-default hints as comments and required arguments left as TODOs. It saves you the blank page; you still fill in real values and review it before applying anything.
Do I need to design from scratch?
No. The blueprint wizard asks five questions (pattern, cloud, scale, data classification, compliance regimes) and an AI proposes a starting diagram, control map and ADRs — or load one of the built-in editable reference architectures (fintech, healthcare, AWS/Azure/GCP security foundations, zero trust, Kubernetes hardening, and more) and adapt it.
Is it free?
It needs Pro, $5/month or $40/year.