Data Security Architecture: Why Protecting Your Data Is Not Just Compliance
Keeping your data safe isn’t a compliance exercise. It’s an architectural decision.
How secure do you think your data is? Do you think you could say 100%?
According to IBM’s Cost of a Data Breach Report, the global average cost of a breach is now roughly R80 million. Yet data privacy is still treated like a policy document rather than an intrinsic principle.
Data protection shouldn’t be something bolted on after delivery. It’s something you architect right from the beginning.
Why Data Security Architecture Matters Now
Compliance Requirements Are Tightening
In South Africa, the POPI Act requires organisations to implement appropriate technical and organisational safeguards and policies to ensure data protection. Offences can see fines that can reach R10 million for serious non-compliance.
Data Privacy Is Now a Competitive Advantage
Cisco’s 2024 Data Privacy Benchmark Study found that 94% of organisations say customers would not buy from them if data wasn’t properly protected. Privacy is no longer invisible. It influences customer decisions.
The Modern Cyber Threat Landscape
More than half of all breaches involve a human element. Phishing, credential theft, or social engineering. Breaches today are rarely dramatic “hacks” but are rather permission mistakes, unmonitored systems, and over-privileged users. Small gaps can have big consequences.
What Happens When Data Protection Fails
MOVEit Supply Chain Breach (2023–2024)
A vulnerability in a widely used file transfer tool was exploited, affecting thousands of organisations globally. Payroll and personal data were exposed, not due to recklessness but because third-party software introduced risk.
Equifax Data Breach (2017)
An unpatched vulnerability led to exposure of data belonging to 147 million people. The eventual settlement reached up to $700 million.
These companies were not incompetent nor unaware. The risk is in the complexity of the systems and the many vulnerabilities it leaves open.
The Biggest Security Risks We See in Delivery
Across Power Platform and data-driven implementations, the patterns are consistent:
AI-Driven Phishing Attacks
AI-generated phishing emails are more convincing than ever. Once user accounts are compromised, attackers move laterally through over-permissioned environments.
Over-Permissioned Users
Users accumulate access over time and as roles expand. Temporary permissions become permanent. In many cases, users are given access to far more than they require.
This is why we argue that data privacy is an architectural decision, not an afterthought.
Why Zero Trust Is an Architectural Decision
What Is the Zero Trust Security Model?
Zero trust is a concept as opposed to a single system or product.
It assumes:
No user is automatically trusted
No device is inherently safe
No breach is impossible
It is based on three key principles:
Verify Explicitly
Identity must be continuously validated. Tools like Microsoft Entra ID Conditional Access and Privileged Identity Management enforce MFA, risk-based access, and device compliance.
Enforce Least Privilege Access
Users should only access what they absolutely need. In the Microsoft ecosystem, this is implemented through Role-Based Access Control, Dataverse security roles, and Data Loss Prevention (DLP) policies.
Assume Breach: Continuous Monitoring & Detection
Hope for the best, prepare for the worst. Assuming that your data has already been compromised, or will be in the future, encourages continuous monitoring and investigation into possible threats. Microsoft Defender and Sentinel enable anomaly detection and automated response when suspicious activity occurs.
You stop asking “Are we secure?”, and start asking “If we were breached today, how much would the attacker be able to do or see?”
AI Security Risks in the Age of Automation
AI has introduced new attack vectors:
Automated phishing at scale
Prompt injection attacks
Data leakage through AI chatbots
Model poisoning attempts
In 2023, a U.S. airline’s AI-powered chatbot mistakenly offered a customer a bereavement discount policy that did not exist. The airline was required by a Canadian tribunal to honour the refund because the chatbot represented the company (Moffatt v. Air Canada, 2024). AI systems, if not governed properly, can create financial and reputational risk.
Mitigation requires that data is classified and can only be accessed by authorised users, strict policies and governance is in place, AI activities are constantly logged and monitored, and there is always a human in the loop.
Interesting read: Trusted Ways to Use AI in Business
Our Security Architecture Perspective from Delivery
In one recent engagement involving sensitive financial data, we discovered that nearly half of the user base had broader access than required. No malicious intent — just organic growth over time.
By redesigning role structures and permissions, we reduced exposure significantly without impacting productivity.
Security problems usually aren’t dramatic failures but are slow architectural drifts.
How We Approach Data Security at riivo
Security by Design from the Ground Up
Data classification, role design, and access policies are built into solution architecture, not added later.
Using the Microsoft Security Stack Effectively
Microsoft Entra ID (identity & conditional access)
Microsoft Purview (classification & DLP)
Microsoft Defender (threat protection)
Microsoft Sentinel (SIEM & monitoring)
Power Platform DLP policies
Dataverse role-based security
Tools alone don’t protect your business. Design decisions do.
Designing Security Around Your Business
We understand that every business is different. Some businesses have important client data that must be strictly controlled to ensure legal compliance. Some have proprietary data that ensures they have a competitive edge in their sector. We have to make sure that your security principals both work for your business and are aligned with industry best practices. We consider the tools you use, the processes your employees have, the legal and regulatory compliances that you are required to uphold.
Empowering Your Internal Teams
We know that data privacy is complex, but we also understand the importance of internal knowledge and self-reliance. We don’t keep secrets. We ensure that relevant stakeholders in your business, are given the tools and knowledge to be able to maintain and adapt your security policies without our help.
What Should You Do Right Now?
Evaluate your current security landscape
Ask difficult questions
Attempt to access information you shouldn’t be able to
Invest in a professional security review
If you use Microsoft Entra ID, review your Secure Score
Define what your internal users should see using the Least Privilege principle
Put together a plan
Immediate risk mitigation
Long-term exposure analysis
Ongoing monitoring and governance
Need guidance? Work with us