Brutalist Security Worldview

These five principles boil down the Brutalist Security mindset into actionable, non-negotiable doctrine: Identity. Data. Patching. Simplicity. Response. Everything else is implementation detail.

1. Control Identity Relentlessly

If you control identity, you control access.

• Enforce strong authentication (MFA everywhere).
• Least privilege by default.
• Monitor and review access continuously.

2. Protect Data Like It's Already Stolen

Assume adversaries are inside — encrypt, isolate, and monitor access.

• Know where your critical data lives.
• Encrypt at rest and in transit.
• Log and audit all access.

3. Patch Fast or Die Slow

Every unpatched system is an open door.

• Aggressively manage vulnerabilities.
• Automate patching where possible.
• Track and eliminate technical debt.

4. Minimize and Segment Everything

Complexity is the enemy of security.

• Remove unnecessary systems, tools, and privileges.
• Isolate workloads and networks.
• Reduce the blast radius of any compromise.

5. Detect, Respond, Repeat

Prevention will fail — detection and response must not.

• Centralize logs, monitor aggressively.
• Automate response to known threats.
• Practice incident response like it’s inevitable — because it is.