ABSTRACT
Architectures define the various components and the interactions between those components that comprise the structure of a complete system. This chapter considers the similarities and differences between application architectures, network architectures, information architectures, and of course cryptographic architectures. Application architectures provide a graphical description of the implementation for the business logic which can be portrayed in a wide variety of methods. Network architectures convey equipment, locations, and connectivity information. Equipment includes mainframes, various servers, and a variety of network appliances. Information architectures identify what data is stored or processed, where the data is stored or processed. Many organizations employ a data classification scheme with corresponding security requirements. Modifying network diagrams with cryptography information likewise is helpful to understand the cryptographic architecture. When vulnerabilities affect cryptographic algorithms or protocols, the architectural impacts are unknown. The critical nature of the cryptographic architecture needs to be included by security professionals.
