Brutalist Security Meets Team of Teams: Part 4 - Brutalist Security Council

(Part 4 of 5)

A Brutalist Security Council serves as the central governing body and driving force behind the Security Brutalism approach within the Team of Teams environment. Its primary purpose is to champion the philosophy, provide guidance, ensure consistency, and drive continuous improvement of the security methods across all teams. This is just one way it could work—there are other options too, and it’s important to think things through to make sure the Council’s makeup fits well with the kind of organization it’s for.

Structure and Membership

Composition

The council should be composed of key stakeholders representing various parts of the organization:

• Security Leadership: The CISO or a designated senior security leader would likely chair the council.
• Security Architecture Team Representatives: Members who are responsible for defining the overall security framework and standards.
• Lead Security Champions: Representatives from different product lines, business units, or significant teams, providing a voice for the practical implementation challenges and successes within their domains.
• Engineering and IT Leadership Representatives: To ensure alignment with development practices and address potential friction points.
• Potentially a Risk/Compliance Representative: To ensure the approach meets regulatory and internal policy requirements.

Size

The council should be large enough to ensure diverse representation but small enough to be effective in discussions and decision-making (ideally around 7-10 members).

Tenure

Members could have staggered terms to ensure continuity and fresh perspectives. Lead Security Champions might rotate periodically to bring in new experiences.

Responsibilities and Functions

• Championing the "Security Brutalism" Vision: The council would be responsible for evangelizing the principles of Security Brutalism across the organization, ensuring everyone understands the rationale and benefits.
• Defining and Refining Security Standards: Based on evolving threats, lessons learned, and input from the security guilds and individual teams, the council would be the ultimate authority for defining and updating the core Brutalist Security standards.
• Ensuring Consistency and Alignment: The council would work to ensure a consistent application of the security standards across all autonomous teams, addressing any deviations or inconsistencies.
• Facilitating Knowledge Sharing: The council would act as a central hub for sharing best practices, successful implementation strategies, and lessons learned across different teams. They could facilitate cross-team communication and collaboration on security matters.
• Reviewing and Approving Security Tooling and Technologies: The council would play a role in evaluating and approving the foundational security tools and technologies that align with the Brutalist Security philosophy, ensuring they meet the organization's needs and standards.
• Addressing Cross-Cutting Security Concerns: The council would tackle security issues that span multiple teams or require organization-wide attention.
• Driving Continuous Improvement: This is a core function. The council would:
• Regularly review security metrics and KPIs to identify areas for improvement.
• Analyze security incident reports and post-mortems to identify systemic weaknesses.
• Solicit feedback from teams on the practicality and effectiveness of the security standards and tools.
• Sponsor pilot programs for new security approaches or technologies.
• Oversee the development and dissemination of updated security guidelines and training materials.
• Mediating Conflicts and Addressing Roadblocks: The council would serve as a point of escalation for any conflicts or roadblocks related to the implementation or adherence to the Security Brutalism approach.
• Reporting to Leadership: The council would regularly report on the state of security, progress on implementation, and any significant challenges or risks to executive leadership

Operational Mechanisms

Regular Meetings: The council should meet regularly (monthly or bi-monthly) to discuss progress, address issues, and plan future activities. The meetings should follow a structured agenda, and detailed minutes should be recorded and shared to ensure transparency and accountability.

Feedback Loops: The council should establish clear feedback loops with the security and technology teams to ensure that their perspectives are considered in the decision-making process. These activities should stay straightforward and focused, always keeping the goal of a no-nonsense, security-first approach in mind.

Decision-Making Process: The council needs a defined decision-making process (consensus-based, majority vote) to ensure efficient progress.

Transparency: The council's activities, decisions, and updated security standards should be communicated clearly and transparently to the entire organization.

Benefits of a Security Brutalist Council

• Centralized Governance: Provides a clear authority for the Security Brutalism approach.
• Consistent Application: Helps ensure a more uniform and effective implementation of security standards across the Team of Teams structure.
• Continuous Improvement Focus: Formalizes the process of reviewing, adapting, and enhancing the security methods.
• Improved Communication and Collaboration: Fosters better communication and collaboration between security leadership, central teams, and individual development teams.
• Enhanced Security Culture: Reinforces the importance of security and promotes a shared responsibility across the organization.
• Effective Escalation Point: Provides a clear channel for resolving security-related conflicts and challenges.

To Close

Establishing a well-structured and clearly defined Brutalist Security Council empowers your organization to take a bold, Brutalist stance on security. This council serves as a central force that drives security strategy, decision-making, and oversight, ensuring that security remains a top priority across all levels of the organization. Embedding this approach into the foundation of the operational model, helps the council uphold strict standards while providing clarity and direction in an increasingly complex threat landscape.

Within a dynamic Team of Teams framework, the council plays a critical role in aligning distributed teams around a shared security vision. It helps bridge gaps between teams and business units, enforces consistent practices, and fosters a culture of accountability without slowing innovation. Through regular governance, continuous improvement, and a focus on simplicity and effectiveness, the Brutalist Security Council supports the resilience and adaptability needed to meet modern security challenges head-on.

Next Part 5.