Architectures That Pass Audits (Every Time)
Regulatory Networks are end-to-end architectures built to meet and prove compliance—HIPAA, PCI DSS, CJIS, FedRAMP, IRS 1075, SOX/GLBA, NERC CIP, FDA 21 CFR Part 11/GxP, CMMC, ITAR/EAR, GDPR/CCPA, COPPA, and more.
SolveForce designs networks where controls are structural (not bolt-ons): Zero Trust, segmentation, encryption, data residency, immutable evidence, and rehearsed incident/DR runbooks.
Connective tissue:
🔒 Security → Cybersecurity • 📊 Evidence/Automation → SIEM / SOAR
👤 Identity → IAM / SSO / MFA • 🧰 PAM → PAM • 🔏 DLP → DLP
🔐 Crypto → Encryption • 🔑 Keys → Key Management / HSM • 🗝️ Secrets
🖧 Access → NAC • 🛡️ ZTNA/SASE → ZTNA / SASE • 🧩 Microseg → Microsegmentation
☁️ Cloud & On-ramps → Cloud • Direct Connect • 🖥️ DCI → Wavelength / Lit Fiber / Dark Fiber
💾 Continuity → Cloud Backup • Backup Immutability • DRaaS
🧪 Detection → EDR / MDR / XDR • NDR
🎯 Outcomes (What you get)
- Least-privilege by design: identity-, device-, and workload-aware access everywhere.
- Data sovereignty: traffic pinned to approved regions; residency guardrails; lawful processing.
- Provable encryption: in transit (TLS/mTLS/IPsec/MACsec/L1) and at rest (CMK/HSM, envelope).
- Immutable evidence: logs, configs, decisions, backups—WORM and exportable for auditors.
- Rehearsed recovery: ransomware-safe backups & DRaaS with clean-point verification.
🧭 Scope (Controls we embed)
- Access & Identity: SSO/MFA, Conditional Access, JIT via PAM, device posture gates (MDM/UEM + EDR). → IAM • PAM • MDM / UEM • EDR / MDR / XDR
- Network: 802.1X/NAC, VRF/SGT segmentation, microsegmentation, ZTNA/SASE for users, SD-WAN with class-based SLOs. → NAC • ZTNA • SASE • SD-WAN • Microsegmentation
- Crypto & Keys: TLS/mTLS, IPsec/MACsec/L1; CMK/HSM, KMIP, dual-control; secrets from vault. → Encryption • Key Management / HSM • Secrets Management
- Data: classification & labels, DLP, tokenization, retention & deletion; lawful basis & subject rights (GDPR). → DLP
- Logging & Evidence: centralized SIEM, playbooks in SOAR, WORM retention, chain-of-custody. → SIEM / SOAR
- Continuity: Object-Lock backups, MFA Delete, air-gap accounts, orchestrated failover. → Cloud Backup • Backup Immutability • DRaaS
🧱 Control Families → Network Patterns
| Control Family | How it shows up in the network |
|---|---|
| Access Control | 802.1X/NAC, ZTNA per-app, PAM for elevation, RBAC on devices |
| Audit & Monitoring | Full logs to SIEM; WORM storage; SOAR case evidence |
| Encryption | TLS/mTLS, IPsec/MACsec/L1; CMK/HSM keys; cert rotation via PKI |
| Segmentation | VRF/SGT + microsegmentation; east-west least privilege |
| Configuration & Change | IaC/policy-as-code, approvals, diffs to SIEM |
| Vulnerability & Patch | Scheduled windows; attest in SIEM; exceptions w/ compensating controls → Patch Management |
| BC/DR | Immutable backups, runbooks, drills with artifacts |
| Data Governance | Residency pinning, DLP & tokenization, lawful processing → Data Governance / Lineage |
🧰 Reference Architectures (by regulation)
🏥 HIPAA / PHI
- ZTNA for clinicians; NAC on campus; encrypted PHI paths; DLP for ePHI; immutable logs & backups; table-top breach drills.
💳 PCI DSS (CDE)
- CDE as an enclave: VRF + microseg; POS traffic EF; TLS/mTLS; key custody in HSM; WAF/Bot against carding; evidence packs (Req. 10).
🏛️ CJIS / Public Safety
- Dedicated CJIS network with NAC & ZTNA; logging to SIEM with WORM; CJIS-compliant identity; strict supplier access via clientless ZTNA.
☁️ FedRAMP / FISMA (Moderate/High)
- FedRAMP-authorized cloud services; ExpressRoute/Direct Connect to gov regions; AC/SC/AU/IR mapped controls; STIG baselines; immutable audit.
🛡️ DoD CMMC / ITAR-EAR
- Export-controlled enclave; NIST 800-171 alignment; data egress policy, inspection at boundaries; signing/attestation for artifacts; privileged access via PAM.
⚡ NERC CIP (Energy/Utilities)
- BES Cyber System segmentation; one-way data diodes where needed; EACMS controls; incident drills; offline recovery.
🧪 FDA 21 CFR Part 11 / GxP
- Validated environments; time-synchronized logs; electronic records/signatures; change & access evidence.
🌍 GDPR / CCPA
- Residency & purpose limitation; DLP redaction; subject-access workflows; encryption with provable key custody; data deletion evidence.
📐 SLO Guardrails (compliance you can measure)
| SLO / KPI | Target |
|---|---|
| Encryption coverage (in transit/at rest) | = 100% for regulated data paths |
| Identity posture coverage (EDR/UEM) | ≥ 98–99% managed endpoints |
| Evidence completeness (Sev-1/2, audits) | = 100% (logs, configs, approvals, artifacts) |
| Data residency violations | = 0 (blocked/alerted) |
| Access exception TTL | ≤ 24 h (PAM JIT), auto-revoke |
| Backup immutability coverage | = 100% for crown-jewel datasets |
| IR MTTD / MTTC (Sev-1) | ≤ 5–10 min / ≤ 15–30 min → SIEM / SOAR |
SLO breaches open tickets and trigger SOAR (rollback, revoke, re-route, re-key).
🔒 Boundary & App Front Door
- WAF/Bot for OWASP Top-10, scraping, stuffing, carding; DDoS stance; mTLS to origin; signed URLs. → WAF / Bot Management • DDoS Protection
- API: authZ via claims, per-key rate/quotas, HMAC/JWS signatures; PI data redaction.
- Anycast & DNS: health-based withdraw; geo/risk-aware routing.
📊 Evidence Packs (what auditors want)
- Address plans, segmentation diagrams, key custody statements, cipher/policy listings
- SIEM extracts (auth, access, admin actions), SOAR cases & approvals
- WAF/DLP/EDR/NDR reports; IR drill artifacts; backup & restore screenshots/checksums
- Data residency proof (routes, regions, logs); vendor due diligence & SLAs
🛠️ Implementation Blueprint (No-surprise rollout)
1) Regulatory matrix — map in-scope laws/standards, systems, data classes, jurisdictions.
2) Protect surface — crown-jewel apps/data; residency & flow map.
3) Identity & posture — SSO/MFA, MDM/UEM, EDR; PAM JIT for admins.
4) Network controls — NAC + 802.1X, ZTNA/SASE, microseg, encryption policy.
5) Data controls — DLP labels, tokenization, retention/deletion workflows.
6) Evidence plumbing — SIEM/SOAR, WORM, dashboards; policy-as-code in CI.
7) Continuity — immutable backups, DR tiers, clean-point catalog & drills.
8) Pilot rings — limited scope → scale by BU/region; SLO gates and rollback.
9) Operate — monthly compliance health, quarterly drills, annual audit rehearsal.
✅ Pre-Engagement Checklist
- 📚 In-scope regulations & jurisdictions; data classes (PII/PHI/PAN/CUI/export-controlled).
- 👤 Identity posture (SSO/MFA, groups), PAM needs, third-party access.
- 🖧 Current segmentation, ZTNA/SASE/NAC status; encryption gaps.
- ☁️ Cloud regions & on-ramps; residency/sovereignty requirements.
- 💾 Backup immutability, DR RPO/RTO tiers; clean-point criteria.
- 📊 SIEM/SOAR destinations; evidence format; reporting cadence.
- 💰 Budget guardrails; managed vs co-managed operations.
🔄 Where Regulatory Networks Fit (Recursive View)
1) Grammar — rails & routes in Connectivity and Networks & Data Centers.
2) Syntax — realized across Cloud, campus, WAN, and DC.
3) Semantics — Cybersecurity preserves truth with identity, crypto, segmentation, and logs.
4) Pragmatics — SolveForce AI predicts risk, flags drift, and suggests safe control changes.
5) Foundation — definitions via Primacy of Language & the Codex.
6) Map — indexed in the SolveForce Codex & Knowledge Hub.