Acuity Health Security Architecture
An 8-part operational blueprint translating enterprise healthcare defense into actionable code, architecture, and policies.
Key Learning Outcomes & Architecture Capabilities
- Architect resilient Zero Trust perimeters for distributed healthcare clinics under NIST SP 800-207
- Build automated shift-left DevSecOps pipelines with ephemeral runners and NIST SSDF (SP 800-218)
- Execute sprint-based STRIDE threat models to eliminate Broken Object Level Authorization (BOLA) in FHIR APIs
- Construct automated CI/CD security quality gates mapped to ISO 27001 risk management controls
- Deploy active defense tripwires using honeytokens, canary databases, and automated containment
- Conduct digital forensics and incident response (DFIR) investigations into insider EHR breach scenarios
- Operationalize Cyber Threat Intelligence (CTI) feeds and MITRE ATT&CK healthcare adversary profiles
- Synthesize technical architectures into board-level risk metrics, HIPAA compliance, and CISO hotwash reports
🗺️ Series Roadmap & Part Execution
A sequential, part-by-part engineering roadmap translating architecture into code. Published parts are live and open access; upcoming parts follow our weekly publication runway.
Acuity Health: Part 1 — Securing the 2 AM Urgent Care (Zero Trust for Distributed Clinics)
Zero Trust clinic architecture, port-level 802.1X dynamic VLANs, gloved-hand MFA, EDR micro-isolation, and immutable WORM backups.
Acuity Health: Part 2 — Zero Trust DevSecOps & NIST SSDF
Isolated developer landing zones, ephemeral build runners, and proxy-scanned package caches adhering to NIST SP 800-218.
Acuity Health: Part 3 — STRIDE Threat Modeling & BOLA Elimination
Mini-STRIDE threat modeling in sprint planning and data-layer context checks against Broken Object Level Authorization.
Acuity Health: Part 4 — CI/CD Quality Gates & ISO 27001 Risk
Automated SAST/SCA/DAST pipeline quality gates and operationalizing the 10-step ISO 27001:2013 risk assessment.
Acuity Health: Part 5 — Active Defense & Canary Deception
Deploying canary database credentials, honeytokens, and automated containment playbooks to intercept threat actors.
Acuity Health: Part 6 — Digital Forensics & EHR VIP Breach
Step-by-step digital forensics walkthrough investigating an insider exfiltration event targeting VIP patient records in OpenEMR.
Acuity Health: Part 7 — Cyber Threat Intelligence & Flare Operations
Operationalizing the Cyber Threat Intelligence lifecycle, commercial TIP tooling, and dynamic flare operations against ransomware.
Acuity Health: Part 8 — Executive Leadership Capstone Hotwash
Capstone synthesis: Navigating HIPAA enforcement, justifying security ROI to the board, and formulating strategic executive roadmaps.
🏛️ Academic Research Foundation & Zenodo DOIs
This operational series synthesizes formal cybersecurity research conducted at the University of San Diego. The underlying theoretical frameworks, cryptographic proofs, and architectural blueprints are published with permanent Digital Object Identifiers (DOIs) and full PDF downloads:
Enterprise Healthcare Security Architecture: The Acuity Health Blueprint
Formal graduate research paper developing the multi-layered Zero Trust security architecture for regional clinic networks.
Designing a Secure Software Development Program: Acuity Health AppSec Framework
Formal AppSec framework incorporating NIST SSDF, developer enablement, and automated CI/CD compliance gates.
Active Blue-Team Defense, Applied Cryptography & Security Operations
Operationalizing active defense deception, post-quantum cryptography roadmaps, and unified SOC telemetry.