What is Security Requirements Traceability Matrix SRTM?

Understanding Security Requirements Traceability Matrix SRTM

Security Requirements Traceability Matrix (SRTM) provides a structured approach to documenting, tracking, and validating security requirements throughout the system development lifecycle. This tool creates clear linkages between security requirements derived from various sources (regulations, standards, threat models, organizational policies) and the specific controls implemented to satisfy them, ensuring nothing falls through the cracks during implementation. Effective SRTMs typically capture several elements for each requirement: unique identifier, requirement description, source reference, implementation status, verification method, test results, and relationships to other requirements. Organizations use these matrices for multiple purposes: demonstrating regulatory compliance by mapping requirements directly to implemented controls, identifying gaps where requirements lack adequate implementation, and providing audit evidence that requirements have been properly verified. Building effective SRTMs requires cross-functional collaboration between security architects, development teams, and compliance specialists to ensure accuracy and completeness. Common implementation challenges include maintaining the matrix as requirements evolve over time, establishing appropriate granularity (neither too detailed to maintain nor too general to be useful), and integrating with existing development and compliance workflows to ensure the matrix remains a living document rather than a static artifact.