Security Architecture Review

Purpose

Review system architecture to identify security weaknesses, validate security controls, and ensure security requirements are properly addressed.

When to Use

• After architecture design
• Before implementation
• Major architectural changes
• Security audit preparation

Prerequisites

• Architecture documentation
• Security requirements
• Threat model (if available)

Process

Step 1: Review Architecture Components

Components to review:
- Authentication mechanisms
- Authorization model
- Data protection
- Network security
- Integration points
- Infrastructure

Step 2: Identify Security Concerns

Concern categories:
- Authentication weaknesses
- Authorization gaps
- Data exposure risks
- Injection points
- Configuration issues
- Third-party risks

Step 3: Validate Security Controls

Control validation:
- Are controls appropriate?
- Are controls sufficient?
- Are controls properly placed?
- Defense in depth?

Step 4: Document Findings

Finding format:
- Issue description
- Risk level
- Affected component
- Recommendation

Step 5: Provide Recommendations

Recommendations:
- Required changes
- Suggested improvements
- Best practices
- Implementation guidance

Inputs

Input	Type	Required	Description
architecture_docs	Markdown	Yes	System design
security_reqs	Markdown	Yes	Security requirements

Outputs

Output	Type	Description
security_review.md	Markdown	Review findings
recommendations.md	Markdown	Security recommendations

StudyAbroad-Specific Considerations

• OAuth2 implementation review
• PII data flow analysis
• External API security
• Document storage security

Integration Points

• Architecture Agent: Design feedback
• Developer Agent: Implementation guidance

Examples

# Security Architecture Review - StudyAbroad-v1

## Review Scope
- Authentication and authorization
- Data protection
- API security
- Infrastructure security

## Findings

### HIGH: JWT Token Storage
**Issue**: JWT stored in localStorage is vulnerable to XSS attacks
**Component**: Frontend authentication
**Risk**: High - Token theft enables account takeover
**Recommendation**: 
- Store tokens in httpOnly cookies
- Implement CSRF protection
- Use short-lived access tokens (15 min)

### MEDIUM: API Rate Limiting
**Issue**: No rate limiting on authentication endpoints
**Component**: API Gateway
**Risk**: Medium - Brute force attacks possible
**Recommendation**:
- Implement rate limiting (10 req/min for auth)
- Add exponential backoff on failures
- Log and alert on suspicious activity

### MEDIUM: PII Encryption
**Issue**: PII fields not encrypted at application level
**Component**: Database
**Risk**: Medium - Database breach exposes plaintext PII
**Recommendation**:
- Implement field-level encryption for PII
- Use AWS KMS for key management
- Consider searchable encryption for email

### LOW: CORS Configuration
**Issue**: CORS allows all origins in development
**Component**: API server
**Risk**: Low - Only in development, but could leak to production
**Recommendation**:
- Environment-specific CORS config
- Whitelist specific origins in production
- Add pre-commit hook to prevent * origin

## Summary

| Severity | Count | Action Required |
|----------|-------|-----------------|
| Critical | 0 | - |
| High | 1 | Before launch |
| Medium | 2 | Before launch |
| Low | 1 | Soon |

## Approval Status
Architecture security: **CONDITIONAL APPROVAL**
Conditions: Address High and Medium findings before launch

Validation

• All components reviewed
• Findings documented
• Recommendations actionable
• Risk levels assigned
• Follow-up tracked