A Brutalist Security Program

Note: Originally written for the Security Brutalism website. The version on the main site has additional information.

In general, a Security Brutalism program should focus on:

Transparent and Minimalist Security Design

1. No unnecessary complexity—security measures should be clear, direct, and understandable.
2. Systems should expose their security mechanisms explicitly, rather than hiding them behind abstracted layers.
3. Open-source, auditable security models over proprietary black-box solutions.

Resilient, No-Nonsense Infrastructure

1. Redundancy and robustness over sleekness; favoring simple, hardened systems over fragile, interdependent components.
2. Use of lower level security controls such as hardware-based security and strict access controls, rather than reliance on security software and patches exclusively.
3. Prioritize default security over user convenience: strict authentication, logging, and monitoring as foundational principles.

Function Over Form

1. Security interfaces should be utilitarian, terse, information-dense, and highly functional, akin to command line tools or text-based dashboards rather than polished graphical UIs.
2. No unnecessary distractions; just raw, clear data representation.

Self-Contained Security Units

1. Architecture brutalism often features monolithic, self-reliant structures, which in security means containerized applications, and strict network segmentation.
2. It also means minimized attack surface by stripping unnecessary features: "if it’s not essential, it should be removed."

Hard But Effective Access Controls

1. No tolerance on password policies, multi-factor authentication (MFA), and least privilege access.
2. Clear audit trails and forensic logging. If something happens, it should be instantly traceable.

Raw Exposure Threat Intelligence

1. Systems should not obscure their security status. Real-time threat intelligence feeds, system logs, and alerts should be openly visible to security teams.
2. Aggressive intrusion detection with loud, unmissable alerts rather than subtle warnings.

A Brutalist Approach To Incident Response

1. Incident response is strict, pre-planned, and executed with precision. No hesitation or reliance on reactive, ad-hoc solutions.
2. Harsh containment measures. For example: automatic isolation of compromised systems and immediate credential revocation.

Summary

A brutalist approach to security may feel austere—even unforgiving at times—but it’s also highly effective. Prioritizing simplicity, transparency, and resilience over elegance and convenience creates a sturdier, more reliable foundation for managing risk. Rather than smoothing over complexity with decorative abstractions, Security Brutalism embraces clarity and function, favoring systems and controls that are direct, enforceable, and built to endure.