Economy of mechanism is the concept that a security system’s design should be created as simply and small, as possible. If the design is simple, then less can go wrong since there is less possible ways for something to go wrong. Embrace Simplicity. Keep things as simple as absolutely possible.
Security is a chain of controls; the weakest link breaks it. Simplicity means fewer links. In a complex system, security risks can remain hidden.
For example, one can create a virtual environment with multiple servers on a single host. This would create a complex system. If system malfunctioned, it would be difficult to locate the problem and fix. If each server were placed on a separate host, the design would be simpler. Even though there would be more systems to maintain, each system would have a simpler design and hence, easy to troubleshoot. Again security is a compromise between cost and service.
Security is a chain of controls; the weakest link breaks it. Simplicity means fewer links. In a complex system, security risks can remain hidden.
For example, one can create a virtual environment with multiple servers on a single host. This would create a complex system. If system malfunctioned, it would be difficult to locate the problem and fix. If each server were placed on a separate host, the design would be simpler. Even though there would be more systems to maintain, each system would have a simpler design and hence, easy to troubleshoot. Again security is a compromise between cost and service.