SECURE · Secure Digital Transformation
Modernize with Confidence That Security Keeps Pace.
We embed security into digital programs, from new citizen services to core system replacement.
- Transformation without new exposure
- Security milestones met on time
- Every deployment tested
- 1Scope and Classify
- 2Write Testable Requirements
- 3Review and Threat Model
- 4Engineer Controls in Delivery
- 5Assure and Hand Over
Executive Summary
- 01Security decisions made during requirements and architecture are cheaper and stronger than fixes applied after launch.
- 02Every workstream and supplier needs testable security requirements that appear in contracts and delivery plans.
- 03A go-live decision should rest on test evidence and named risk owners, not on schedule pressure.
The Challenge
Digital transformation programs move fast, and security is often brought in after key design decisions are made.
New platforms, partners and data flows create exposure that legacy controls do not cover.
The DAAKYI Approach
DAAKYI joins transformation programs early, defines security requirements for each workstream and engineers controls alongside delivery.
Security milestones are built into the program plan.
- 01
Security requirements by workstream
- 02
Secure design reviews
- 03
Controls engineering during delivery
- 04
Go-live security assurance
In Depth
How the Discipline Works
Requirements Start with the Program
Secure digital transformation begins by translating business outcomes into security requirements. A citizen portal, a payments integration and a core system replacement each carry different data, users and failure modes. Teams map those assets and flows, classify the data involved, and decide which obligations apply. Each requirement is written so a delivery team can build it and a tester can verify it. For example, 'protect personal data' becomes encryption standards, access rules, retention limits and logging expectations. Requirements are then assigned to named workstreams and suppliers, so no obligation sits in a gap between contracts.
Design Reviews Catch Expensive Flaws Early
Architecture decisions fix most of a program's risk profile. A design review tests those decisions before they harden into code and contracts. Reviewers examine trust boundaries, identity models, network segmentation, third-party connections and data stores. They apply threat modeling to each major flow, asking how an attacker, a careless insider or a failing supplier could abuse it. Findings are rated by impact and fed back as design changes or accepted risks with named owners. Reviews recur at each major design milestone, because requirements shift as scope grows. Fixing a flaw on a diagram costs far less than fixing it in production.
Assurance Gates Control the Go‑Live Decision
Assurance turns security from opinion into evidence. Before launch, testers verify that each requirement was implemented and that the system resists realistic attack. Typical activities include penetration testing, API and application testing, configuration review of cloud and network settings, and checks on logging and alerting. Results feed a go-live decision with explicit criteria: critical findings are fixed, residual risks are signed off by a business owner, and operations teams can detect and respond to incidents. A system that passes gains a documented baseline. A system that fails launches later, not unprotected.
A transformation program that ships on time with unowned security risk has only moved its failures into production.
Capability Matrix
What the Service Includes
| Capability | Coverage | GUIDE | SECURE | OPERATE | Delivered Through |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Secure Digital Transformation | Security embedded in programs. | – | SECURE stage | – | Project Implementation |
| Security Requirements | Defined per workstream and supplier. | – | SECURE stage | – | Project Implementation |
| Go‑Live Assurance | Testing before launch. | – | SECURE stage | – | Project Implementation |
| Secure Migration | Legacy to modern without new gaps. | – | SECURE stage | – | Project Implementation |
Secure Digital Transformation
Security embedded in programs.
- Stage
- SECURE
- Delivered Through
- Project Implementation
Security Requirements
Defined per workstream and supplier.
- Stage
- SECURE
- Delivered Through
- Project Implementation
Go‑Live Assurance
Testing before launch.
- Stage
- SECURE
- Delivered Through
- Project Implementation
Secure Migration
Legacy to modern without new gaps.
- Stage
- SECURE
- Delivered Through
- Project Implementation
How It Works
How Secure Digital Transformation Works
- 01Requirements
- 02Design
- 03Build
- 04Assure
Methodology
The Method, Step by Step
- 1
Scope and Classify
Inventory the systems, data sets, user groups and suppliers each workstream will touch. Classify data by sensitivity and note legal obligations, including data protection law and sector rules. This produces a shared picture of what must be protected and who is accountable, before any architecture choice is made.
- 2
Write Testable Requirements
Convert obligations and risks into specific requirements for each workstream and supplier. Each one states the control, the acceptance test and the owner. Requirements are written into statements of work and procurement documents, so suppliers are contractually bound to deliver them and the program can verify them.
- 3
Review and Threat Model
Examine target architecture against the requirements. Model threats to the highest-value flows, such as authentication, payment, data exchange and administrative access. Record each design weakness with a severity and a recommended change. Agree which changes are made now and which risks are formally accepted.
- 4
Engineer Controls in Delivery
Build controls alongside features rather than after them. This includes identity and access configuration, secrets management, secure pipelines, logging, encryption and network segmentation. Security checks run inside the delivery pipeline, so defects surface during sprints, when they are cheapest to fix, rather than during final testing.
- 5
Assure and Hand Over
Test the finished system against every requirement and against realistic attack paths. Present results to the go-live authority with clear criteria. After launch, hand operations teams runbooks, monitoring use cases and a register of residual risks, so protection continues after the program team disbands.
Operating Model
Delivered from the SECURE Pillar
Pillar position
SECURE
Engineering, Architecture & Implementation
Engagement model
Project Implementation
Design and deployment of security technologies.
Best for · Modernization and transformation
Threat Scenarios
What It Looks Like in Practice
Overprivileged Supplier Account
How It Shows Up
A contractor's service account keeps administrator rights in production after its work package ends. Logins appear outside working hours.
Response
Issue time-bound, individually named supplier access with multi-factor authentication and session recording. Review and expire it at each work package closure.
Exposed API on a New Citizen Service
How It Shows Up
Testing shows that changing an identifier in a request returns another citizen's record.
Response
Enforce object-level authorization and test against OWASP ASVS criteria. Hold the launch until the finding is closed.
Production Data in Test Environments
How It Shows Up
Copies of live personal data appear in development and test systems that have weaker access controls.
Response
Mask or synthesize data for non-production use. Restrict test environments to named users and log their access.
Legacy Interface Left Open After Cutover
How It Shows Up
Old file transfers and firewall rules stay active long after the legacy system is retired.
Response
Write revocation of credentials, routes and rules into the cutover plan. Verify each one during decommissioning.
| Scenario | How It Shows Up | Response |
|---|---|---|
| Overprivileged Supplier Account | A contractor's service account keeps administrator rights in production after its work package ends. Logins appear outside working hours. | Issue time-bound, individually named supplier access with multi-factor authentication and session recording. Review and expire it at each work package closure. |
| Exposed API on a New Citizen Service | Testing shows that changing an identifier in a request returns another citizen's record. | Enforce object-level authorization and test against OWASP ASVS criteria. Hold the launch until the finding is closed. |
| Production Data in Test Environments | Copies of live personal data appear in development and test systems that have weaker access controls. | Mask or synthesize data for non-production use. Restrict test environments to named users and log their access. |
| Legacy Interface Left Open After Cutover | Old file transfers and firewall rules stay active long after the legacy system is retired. | Write revocation of credentials, routes and rules into the cutover plan. Verify each one during decommissioning. |
Outcomes
What Your Institution Gains
- Transformation without new exposure
- Security milestones met on time
- Every deployment tested
Deliverables and Roles
What You Receive, and Who Does What
| Deliverable | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Security Requirements Register | Lists every requirement by workstream and supplier with its owner and acceptance test. |
| Threat Model and Design Review Report | Records design weaknesses, severity ratings and agreed decisions before build begins. |
| Secure Configuration Baselines | Define hardened settings for cloud, network, identity and application components. |
| Go‑Live Assurance Report | Presents test evidence and findings so the launch authority can decide against clear criteria. |
| Residual Risk Register | Names each accepted risk, its business owner and its review date. |
| Role | Responsibility |
|---|---|
| Program Sponsor (Client) | Sets security milestones as launch conditions and backs a delay when criteria are not met. |
| Security Architect (Provider) | Defines requirements and reviews each workstream's design against its threat model. |
| Supplier Delivery Lead | Implements contracted security requirements and supplies evidence that they work. |
| Service Owner (Client) | Formally accepts residual risk and takes responsibility for operating the system after launch. |
Maturity Model
Where Organizations Typically Stand
Stage 1
Reactive
Security reviews occur just before launch, and findings compete with deadlines.
Stage 2
Gated
Reviews exist at set milestones, but requirements vary by project and reach suppliers late.
Stage 3
Embedded
Requirements, design reviews and pipeline checks run inside each workstream with named owners.
Stage 4
Measured
Programs track control coverage, finding closure and residual risk, then use the results to improve standards for the next program.
Frameworks and Regulation
The Standards That Shape This Work
NIST CSF 2.0
Its six functions, Govern, Identify, Protect, Detect, Respond and Recover, help organize the security outcomes of a program. Govern is useful for assigning accountability and supplier risk expectations.
ISO/IEC 27001:2022
Annex A lists 93 controls, which are organized into four themes: organizational, people, physical, and technological. ISO/IEC 27002:2022 provides guidance for implementing these controls in new platforms.
Ghana Data Protection Act, 2012 (Act 843)
It sets eight privacy principles, including data security safeguards, and requires data controllers to register. New services that handle personal data should be designed around those principles.
OWASP ASVS
It provides verifiable requirements for application and API security that can be written into supplier contracts and used in go-live testing.
Buyer Guidance
Choosing the Right Provider
What to look for
- Look for a provider that engages at requirements and architecture, not only at testing.
- Look for requirements specific enough to test and to place in supplier contracts.
- Look for engineers who can build and configure controls, not only write reports.
- Look for a go-live process with defined criteria and the authority to recommend delay.
Questions to ask a provider
- At what stage will your team join, and what do you produce at each stage?
- How do you hold third-party suppliers to security requirements?
- What criteria lead you to recommend that a launch be delayed?
- How do you handle data residency and test data during migration?
Regulatory & Industry Context
The Obligations This Service Supports
Programs address ISO/IEC 27001, data protection law such as Act 843 and sector regulation affecting new digital services.
Frameworks DAAKYI helps clients implement
- ISO/IEC 27001
- Ghana Act 843
- NIST CSF
Framework references describe client implementation support, not DAAKYI certifications.
Technical Detail
For Architects and Security Leads
Framework and regulatory alignment
- ISO/IEC 27001
- Ghana Act 843
- NIST CSF
Programs address ISO/IEC 27001, data protection law such as Act 843 and sector regulation affecting new digital services.
Architecture reference
How Secure Digital Transformation Works: Requirements → Design → Build → Assure.
DAAKYI joins transformation programs early, defines security requirements for each workstream and engineers controls alongside delivery.
Securing Migration from Legacy to Modern Platforms
Migration creates a period when old and new systems run side by side, and that overlap is where gaps appear. Interfaces between them often rely on shared service accounts, flat network paths or unencrypted file transfers. Secure migration inventories every interface and replaces implicit trust with authenticated, encrypted and logged connections. Data moves through staged environments with masking, so test systems never hold live personal data. Access rights are rebuilt rather than copied, which prevents years of accumulated privilege from following users to the new platform. Cutover plans include rollback criteria and a defined point at which legacy credentials, firewall rules and network routes are revoked. Decommissioning completes the work; a retired system left reachable remains an attack surface.
Supplier and API Security in Multi-Vendor Programs
Transformation programs usually involve several vendors, each building part of the system and each holding some privileged access. Controls must follow the data across those boundaries. Start with API design: authenticate every call, authorize at the object level, validate input against a schema and rate-limit consumers. OWASP ASVS gives testable verification criteria, and the OWASP Top 10 frames common failure classes. For suppliers, restrict access to the minimum environments, require individual accounts with multi-factor authentication, record sessions for administrative work and expire access when a work package closes. Contracts should state security requirements, evidence expectations and breach notification duties, so a supplier incident reaches the program quickly rather than through the press.
Glossary
Key Terms
- Security Gate
- A milestone at which defined security criteria must be met before a program proceeds.
- Trust Boundary
- A point in a system where data or control passes between components with different levels of trust.
- Residual Risk
- The risk that remains after controls are applied, which a business owner must formally accept.
- Threat Modeling
- A structured analysis of how an attacker could abuse a design, used to choose controls before build.
Related
Explore Connected Capabilities
Related services
Solutions
Platforms
Proof Points
What We Can Stand Behind
- Every stage of DAAKYI's delivery methodology produces documented, auditable deliverables.
FAQ
Questions Leaders Ask
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