What is Validation?

Understanding Validation

The process of determining whether the requirements for a system or component are complete and correct whether the system as built complies with these requirements and whether the system is fit for its intended use. Validation is the assessment of whether a system meets the intended purpose fulfills stakeholder requirements and functions correctly in its operational environment. In security contexts validation focuses on confirming that security controls actually fulfill their intended security objectives. Validation is distinguished from verification which focuses on meeting specifications. Validation is defined in standards like NIST SP 800-37 ISO/IEC 15408 and various quality frameworks. Organizations implement validation through testing exercises assessments operational evaluations and continuous monitoring. For example a financial organization might validate its security controls by conducting penetration tests that simulate real-world attacks monitoring actual threat data to confirm controls are effective against current threats measuring incident response capabilities through realistic exercises and confirming that implemented security measures actually protect the assets they were designed to safeguard. Related terms Verification Security assessment Security testing Penetration testing Security control validation Security effectiveness Security requirements Security objectives Security metrics Security evaluation.