You have been asked to describe the steps you would take to improve the resilience of the current architecture?

Please read this scenario prior to answering the question

Your role is that of a senior architect, reporting to the Chief Enterprise Architect, at a medium-sized company with 400 employees. The nature of the business is such that the data and the information stored on the company systems is their major asset and is highly confidential.

The company employees travel extensively for work and must communicate over public infrastructure using message encryption, VPNs, and other standard safeguards. The company has invested in cybersecurity awareness training for all its staff. However, it is recognized that even with good education as well as system security, there is a dependency on third-parly suppliers of infrastructure and software.

The company uses the TOGAF standard as the method and guiding framework for its Enterprise Architecture (EA) practice. The CTO is the sponsor of the activity.

The Chief Security Officer (CSO) has noted an increase in ransomware (malicious software used in ransom demands) attacks on companies with a similar profile. The CSO recognizes that no matter how much is spent on education, and support, it is likely just a matter of time before the company suffers a significant attack that could completely lock them out of their information assets. A risk assessment has been done and the company has sought cyber insurance that includes ransomware coverage. The quotation for this insurance is hugely expensive. The CTO has recently read a survey that stated that one in four organizations paying ransoms were still unable to recover their data, while nearly as many were able to recover the data without paying a ransom. The CTO has concluded that taking out cyber insurance in case they need to pay a ransom is not an option. Refer to the scenario

You have been asked to describe the steps you would take to improve the resilience of the current architecture?

Based on the TOGAF standard which of the following is the best answer?
A . You would determine business continuity requirements, and undertake a gap analysis of the current Enterprise Architecture. You would make recommendations for change requirements to address the situation and create a change request. You would manage a meeting of the Architecture Board to assess and approve the change request. Once approved you would produce a new Request for Architecture Work to activate an ADM cycle to carry out a project to define the change.
B . You would monitor for technology changes from your existing suppliers that could improve resilience. You would prepare and run a disaster recovery planning exercise for a ransomware attack and analyze the performance of the current Enterprise Architecture. Using the findings, you would prepare a gap analysis of the current Enterprise Architecture. You would prepare change requests to address identified gaps. You would add the changes implemented to the Architecture Repository.
C . You would ensure that the company has in place up-to-date processes for managing change to the current Enterprise Architecture. Based on the scope of the concerns raised you recommend that this be managed at the infrastructure level. Changes should be made to the baseline description of the Technology Architecture. The changes should be approved by the Architecture Board and implemented by change management techniques.
D . You would request an Architecture Compliance Review with the scope to examine the company’s resilience to ransomware attacks. You would identify the departments involved and have them nominate representatives. You would then tailor checklists to address the requirement for increased resilience. You would circulate to the nominated representatives for them to complete. You would then review the completed checklists, identifying and resolving issues. You would then determine and present your recommendations.

View Answer

Answer: A

Explanation:

Business continuity is the ability of an organization to maintain essential functions during and after a disaster or disruption. Business continuity requirements are the specifications and criteria that define the acceptable level of performance and availability of the business processes and services in the event of a disaster or disruption. A gap analysis is a technique that compares the current state of the architecture with the desired state, and identifies the gaps or differences that need to be addressed. A change request is a formal proposal for an amendment to some product or system, such as the architecture. A Request for Architecture Work is a document that describes the scope, approach, and expected outcomes of an architecture project123

The best answer is A, because it describes the steps that would improve the resilience of the current architecture, which is the ability to withstand and recover from a ransomware attack or any other disruption.

The steps are:

Determine the business continuity requirements, which specify the minimum acceptable level of

performance and availability of the business processes and services in case of a ransomware attack. This would involve identifying the critical business functions, the recovery time objectives, the recovery point objectives, and the dependencies and resources needed for recovery.

Undertake a gap analysis of the current Enterprise Architecture, which compares the current state of the architecture with the desired state based on the business continuity requirements. This would involve assessing the strengths and weaknesses of the current architecture, the risks and opportunities for improvement, and the gaps or differences that need to be addressed.

Make recommendations for change requirements to address the situation and create a change request. This would involve proposing solutions and alternatives to close the gaps, enhance the resilience, and mitigate the risks of the current architecture. The change request would document the rationale, scope, impact, and benefits of the proposed changes, and seek approval from the relevant stakeholders.

Manage a meeting of the Architecture Board to assess and approve the change request. The Architecture Board is a governance body that oversees the architecture work and ensures compliance with the architecture principles, standards, and goals. The meeting would involve presenting the change request, discussing the pros and cons, resolving any issues or conflicts, and obtaining the approval or rejection of the change request.

Once approved, produce a new Request for Architecture Work to activate an ADM cycle to carry out a project to define the change. The Request for Architecture Work would describe the scope, approach, and expected outcomes of the architecture project that would implement the approved change request. The Request for Architecture Work would initiate a new cycle of the Architecture Development Method (ADM), which is the core process of the TOGAF standard that guides the development and management of the enterprise architecture.

References: 1: The TOGAF Standard, Version 9.2, Part III: ADM Guidelines and Techniques, Chapter

33: Business Scenarios 2: The TOGAF Standard, Version 9.2, Part III: ADM Guidelines and Techniques, Chapter 30: Gap Analysis 3: The TOGAF Standard, Version 9.2, Part III: ADM Guidelines and Techniques, Chapter 31: Architecture Change Management: The TOGAF Standard, Version 9.2, Part II: Architecture Development Method (ADM), Chapter 7: Request for Architecture Work: The TOGAF Standard, Version 9.2, Part III: ADM Guidelines and Techniques, Chapter 34: Business Transformation Readiness Assessment: The TOGAF Standard, Version 9.2, Part III: ADM Guidelines and Techniques, Chapter 30: Gap Analysis: The TOGAF Standard, Version 9.2, Part III: ADM Guidelines and Techniques, Chapter 31: Architecture Change Management: The TOGAF Standard, Version 9.2, Part VI: Architecture Capability Framework, Chapter 50: Architecture Governance: The TOGAF Standard, Version 9.2, Part II: Architecture Development Method (ADM), Chapter 7: Request for Architecture Work