Mar 6, 2025 · Understanding how data flows through your network — where it’s stored, how it’s transmitted, and who has access to it — is a critical step in managing risk and strengthening security. What Is a Data Flow Diagram?

Jul 23, 2024 · Learn how Data Flow Diagrams (DFDs) play a critical role in achieving CMMC compliance. This comprehensive guide covers the importance of DFDs, differences from Network Diagrams, best practices, and overcoming common challenges.

Data Flow Diagrams (DFDs) play a crucial role in ensuring the security of systems and protecting sensitive information. Understanding the fundamentals of DFDs, their role in system analysis, and how they enhance security can help organizations design and implement secure systems.

What is a Data Flow Diagram? A data flow diagram illustrates how data flows throughout the system. It answers the questions: How does data enter the system? How and where does data travel within the system? How does data exit the system? How is data changed or transformed throughout the system? Where is data stored?

Mar 19, 2024 · What is the process of destroying sensitive information? Identify relevant system components/elements. What is an authorization boundary? The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) publishes information security standards. Their Risk Management Framework (RMF) is a structured approach to securing information systems.

Information Systems often depend on other Information Systems, but those other Information Systems will be assessed independently, and their risk factored into the current Information System. The short video below provides an introduction on how to create a data flow diagram.

Oct 6, 2022 · In this article, I describe how to use Data Flow Diagrams in threat modeling. Data Flow Diagrams (or DFDs for short) are used extensively in threat modeling. In fact, they are used in many different types of threat modeling methods, such as STRIDE and PASTA threat modeling.

The beauty of a data flow diagram is that it allows you to visualize the interconnected nature of internal systems and external vendor systems so as to ensure data security throughout the process lifecycle. If your payroll processor has you send and receive sensitive data, i.e. employee payroll information, over unencrypted channels, then not

Jun 22, 2022 · Data flow diagrams can support cybersecurity initiatives in many ways: Identify when data is at rest and in transit. Visualize when data is shared with external vendor systems. Know which users and systems have access to which data, at which time.

Data Flow Diagrams (DFDs) are the main input for threat modeling techniques such as Microsoft STRIDE or LINDDUN. They represent system-level abstractions that lack any architectural knowledge on existing security solutions.