"We’ll fix the security later" is the digital equivalent of building a house and deciding to install the locks once you’ve already moved in. It's a disaster waiting to happen.
In a world where cyber threats evolve daily and one misconfigured setting can cost a company millions, building secure systems from the ground up is essential.
That’s where Solution Architects come in.
Who are they?
Solution Architects are the tech world’s planners, translators, and problem solvers.
They live at the intersection of business goals and technical delivery. But more importantly for this conversation . . they are one of the earliest lines of defence when it comes to system security.
Why Security by Design matters
Security by Design means thinking about security from the very first line on the whiteboard (not as a tick-box exercise at the end).
It ensures that security isn’t just an afterthought, patched in with duct tape and crossed fingers. Instead, it's woven into the very DNA of a solution.
This approach reduces risk, saves money, and prevents that all-too-familiar scramble when a penetration test reveals a glaring vulnerability two weeks before go-live.
How do Solution Architects do it?
- Threat modelling, not Fear mongering
Before a single line of code is written, they analyse the system's potential threats. It's like plotting out where the burglars could break in, before building the house. They use structured models like STRIDE to identify common attack vectors, then design controls to neutralise them. - Principle of least privilege
You wouldn’t give every employee a master key to the building, and the same logic applies to digital systems. Solution Architects ensure that users and systems only get access to the data and functions they absolutely need. Nothing more. - Zero Trust Architecture
This isn't about paranoia. It’s about pragmatism. Architects assume that no one (internal or external) is inherently trustworthy. That means building systems that continuously verify identities, encrypt data flows, and isolate components. - Security Patterns and Guardrails
By embedding secure design patterns into reusable templates and guardrails, architects help teams deliver faster without compromising safety. Think of them as the motorway barriers that stop you from veering ff the road . . not as restrictions, but as protections. - DevSecOps and Automation
Good Solution Architects know that security can’t slow delivery. So they bake security into CI/CD pipelines, automate code scans, enforce policy as code, and make sure teams get fast feedback . . without the drama.
A team sport, not a solo gig
One of the biggest myths about security is that it’s the job of the security team alone. It’s not.
When Solution Architects embed security early, they create a shared responsibility model. Developers, testers, product managers - everyone plays a role.
From public sector platforms handling sensitive citizen data to large-scale banking applications processing millions of transactions a day, early security design has saved organisations from breaches, reputational damage, and spiralling remediation costs. More than that, it's helped deliver trusted systems that users actually feel confident using.
Security by Design is a mindset.
And Solution Architects? They’re the champions of that mindset. Building resilient systems that are secure, scalable, and ready for whatever tomorrow brings.
When security is designed in, you don’t just move fast. You move smart.
