When to Use
- Implementing authentication controls (MFA, certificates, biometrics, tokens)
- Hardening applications and platforms (configuration, patches, encryption)
- Managing credential lifecycle (rotation, pinning, scrubbing, policies)
- Validating input and enforcing domain/operational logic
- Securing source code (memory safety, pointer validation, dead code elimination)
- Reviewing boot integrity, driver signing, and firmware protections
When NOT to Use
- Detection engineering or monitoring →
d3fend-detect - Network segmentation or access mediation →
d3fend-isolate - Decoy and deception operations →
d3fend-deceive - Incident response or eviction →
d3fend-evict - Secure coding deep dives →
devsecops/senior-software-engineer
Core Workflows
1. Authentication Hardening
| Control | Implementation |
|---|---|
| Multi-factor Authentication | TOTP, WebAuthn, hardware keys |
| Certificate-based Auth | mTLS, client certs, PKI |
| Biometric Auth | Fingerprint, face, behavioral |
| Token-based Auth | JWT with short expiry, rotation |
| Password Policy | Length, complexity, breach check |
See references/authentication.md
2. Application & Platform Hardening
- Application config hardening (disable unused features, remote access)
- Control flow integrity (CFI, stack canaries, ASLR, pointer auth)
- Bootloader authentication, TPM boot integrity
- Disk/file encryption, hardware write protection
- Software update management, driver load integrity
See references/application_platform.md
3. Credential & Message Hardening
- Credential rotation (certs, passwords, tokens)
- Certificate pinning (mobile, embedded)
- Message authentication (HMAC, MAC) and encryption
- Token binding to prevent session hijacking
See references/credential_message.md
4. Source Code Hardening
- Input validation (range, type, pointer, null checks)
- Memory safety (initialization, nullification, bounds)
- Use trusted libraries, eliminate dead code
- Exception handler validation, domain logic checks
See references/source_code.md
When to load references
- Authentication →
references/authentication.md - Application & platform →
references/application_platform.md - Credential & message →
references/credential_message.md - Source code →
references/source_code.md