The architect evaluates security capabilities through a structured lens: Effectiveness (does it detect the threats we face?), Coverage (which attack techniques does it address?), Cost (licensing, operational overhead), and Integration (does it feed data into Splunk?). Tools selected on marketing alone fail; tools selected against threat models succeed.
The Security Controls framework maps capabilities to detection objectives: Network Detection and Response (NDR) for east-west traffic; Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) for host-level visibility; Cloud Security Posture Management (CSPM) for cloud misconfiguration; Identity Threat Detection and Response (ITDR) for credential-based attacks. The architect ensures each domain has a primary and secondary coverage tool.