BUSINESS POSTURE

Neon is a serverless Postgres platform designed to offer scalability, branching, and cost-efficiency for modern applications. The primary business goal is to provide a developer-friendly, scalable, and reliable database solution that simplifies database management and reduces operational overhead. Neon aims to address the challenges of traditional database systems in cloud-native environments, such as scaling complexity, slow branching, and high operational costs.

Key business priorities for Neon include:

Rapid growth and adoption by developers and businesses.
High availability and reliability of the database service.
Data security and privacy to build trust with users.
Cost-effectiveness for users compared to traditional database solutions.
Innovation and feature development to stay ahead of the competition.

Most important business risks that need to be addressed:

Data loss or corruption leading to business disruption and reputational damage.
Security breaches and data leaks compromising sensitive user data and trust.
Service unavailability impacting user applications and business operations.
Performance bottlenecks and scalability limitations hindering user growth and satisfaction.
Compliance and regulatory risks related to data privacy and security.

SECURITY POSTURE

Existing security controls:

security control: Code reviews are likely implemented as part of the development process, especially for an open-source project like Neon. (Location: GitHub Pull Request process)
security control: Automated testing is expected to be in place, including unit, integration, and potentially performance tests. (Location: GitHub Workflows, CI/CD pipelines)
security control: Containerization using Docker is evident from the repository, providing isolation and consistency in deployment. (Location: Dockerfiles in the repository)
security control: Cloud infrastructure security provided by the underlying cloud provider (e.g., AWS, GCP, Azure). (Location: Cloud provider documentation and configurations)
security control: Network security controls within the cloud environment, such as VPCs, security groups, and network policies. (Location: Cloud provider network configurations)
security control: Access control mechanisms for infrastructure and services provided by the cloud provider. (Location: Cloud provider IAM and access management)

Accepted risks:

accepted risk: Potential vulnerabilities in open-source dependencies.
accepted risk: Risks associated with rapid development cycles and feature releases.
accepted risk: Security misconfigurations in cloud deployments due to complexity.
accepted risk: Insider threats from developers or operators with access to sensitive systems.
accepted risk: Denial of service attacks targeting the database service.

Recommended security controls:

security control: Implement static application security testing (SAST) tools in the CI/CD pipeline to identify vulnerabilities in the codebase.
security control: Implement dynamic application security testing (DAST) tools to test the running application for vulnerabilities.
security control: Integrate software composition analysis (SCA) tools to manage and monitor open-source dependencies for known vulnerabilities.
security control: Implement infrastructure as code (IaC) security scanning to detect misconfigurations in infrastructure deployments.
security control: Regularly perform penetration testing and vulnerability assessments to identify and address security weaknesses.
security control: Implement a security incident and event management (SIEM) system for monitoring and alerting on security events.
security control: Implement robust logging and monitoring of security-relevant events across all components.
security control: Establish a formal security incident response plan.
security control: Implement data encryption at rest and in transit for sensitive data.
security control: Implement strong authentication and authorization mechanisms for accessing the database service and management interfaces.

Security requirements:

Authentication:
- Requirement: Secure authentication mechanism for users and applications accessing the Neon database service.
- Requirement: Support for industry-standard authentication protocols (e.g., OAuth 2.0, API keys).
- Requirement: Multi-factor authentication (MFA) for administrative access.
Authorization:
- Requirement: Granular authorization controls to manage access to database resources and operations.
- Requirement: Role-based access control (RBAC) to simplify authorization management.
- Requirement: Principle of least privilege should be enforced for all access controls.
Input Validation:
- Requirement: Robust input validation for all data entering the system to prevent injection attacks (e.g., SQL injection, command injection).
- Requirement: Input validation should be applied at multiple layers of the application.
- Requirement: Use of parameterized queries or prepared statements to prevent SQL injection.
Cryptography:
- Requirement: Encryption of sensitive data at rest and in transit.
- Requirement: Use of strong cryptographic algorithms and protocols.
- Requirement: Secure key management practices for encryption keys.
- Requirement: Protection of cryptographic keys from unauthorized access.

DESIGN

C4 CONTEXT

flowchart LR
    subgraph Cloud Provider
        A[Neon Platform]
    end
    B[Developers]
    C[Applications]
    D[Monitoring & Logging System]
    E[Identity Provider]

    B -->|Uses| A
    C -->|Connects to| A
    A -->|Sends Metrics & Logs| D
    A -->|Authenticates| E
    style A fill:#f9f,stroke:#333,stroke-width:2px

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Context Diagram Elements:

Element:
- Name: Neon Platform
- Type: Software System
- Description: The Neon serverless Postgres platform, providing scalable and branchable database services.
- Responsibilities:
  - Managing Postgres instances.
  - Providing API for database operations.
  - Handling storage and compute scaling.
  - Ensuring data durability and availability.
  - Providing branching and versioning capabilities.
- Security controls:
  - security control: Authentication and authorization for API access.
  - security control: Input validation for all API requests.
  - security control: Encryption at rest and in transit for database data.
  - security control: Network security controls to isolate the platform.
  - security control: Monitoring and logging of security events.
Element:
- Name: Developers
- Type: Person
- Description: Software developers who use the Neon platform to create and manage databases for their applications.
- Responsibilities:
  - Creating and managing Neon projects and databases.
  - Developing applications that connect to Neon databases.
  - Monitoring database performance and usage.
- Security controls:
  - security control: Strong password policies for developer accounts.
  - security control: Multi-factor authentication for developer accounts.
  - security control: Access control to Neon projects and resources based on roles.
Element:
- Name: Applications
- Type: Software System
- Description: Applications developed by users that connect to and utilize Neon databases for data storage and retrieval.
- Responsibilities:
  - Sending database queries to Neon.
  - Receiving and processing data from Neon.
  - Managing application-level security.
- Security controls:
  - security control: Securely storing database credentials.
  - security control: Implementing application-level authorization.
  - security control: Protecting against application-level vulnerabilities.
Element:
- Name: Monitoring & Logging System
- Type: Software System
- Description: External system used by Neon to collect, aggregate, and analyze logs and metrics for monitoring performance, detecting issues, and security auditing.
- Responsibilities:
  - Collecting logs and metrics from Neon platform components.
  - Providing dashboards and alerts for monitoring.
  - Storing logs for auditing and security analysis.
- Security controls:
  - security control: Secure communication channels for sending logs and metrics.
  - security control: Access control to monitoring data and dashboards.
  - security control: Data retention policies for audit logs.
Element:
- Name: Identity Provider
- Type: Software System
- Description: External system used by Neon for user authentication and identity management. Could be a service like Auth0, Okta, or a cloud provider's IAM.
- Responsibilities:
  - Authenticating users accessing the Neon platform.
  - Managing user identities and credentials.
  - Providing authentication tokens for authorized access.
- Security controls:
  - security control: Secure authentication protocols (e.g., OAuth 2.0, SAML).
  - security control: Secure storage of user credentials.
  - security control: Protection against account takeover attacks.

C4 CONTAINER

flowchart LR
    subgraph Cloud Provider
        subgraph Control Plane
            A[API Gateway]
            B[Orchestration Service]
            C[Metadata Store]
        end
        subgraph Data Plane
            D[Postgres Instances]
            E[Storage Layer]
        end
        F[Load Balancer]
        G[Monitoring Agent]
    end
    H[Developers]
    I[Applications]
    J[Monitoring & Logging System]
    K[Identity Provider]

    H -->|Uses API| A
    I -->|Connects to Postgres| F
    F -->|Routes traffic to| D
    A -->|Manages| B
    B -->|Interacts with| C
    B -->|Provisions & Manages| D
    D -->|Stores data in| E
    G -->|Sends Metrics & Logs| J
    A -->|Authenticates via| K
    B -->|Authenticates via| K
    D -->|Authenticates via| K

    style A fill:#f9f,stroke:#333,stroke-width:2px
    style B fill:#f9f,stroke:#333,stroke-width:2px
    style C fill:#f9f,stroke:#333,stroke-width:2px
    style D fill:#f9f,stroke:#333,stroke-width:2px
    style E fill:#f9f,stroke:#333,stroke-width:2px

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Container Diagram Elements:

Element:
- Name: API Gateway
- Type: Container
- Description: Entry point for all API requests from developers and potentially applications for control plane operations.
- Responsibilities:
  - API request routing and load balancing.
  - Authentication and authorization of API requests.
  - Rate limiting and request throttling.
  - Input validation and sanitization.
- Security controls:
  - security control: Authentication and authorization mechanisms (e.g., API keys, OAuth 2.0).
  - security control: Input validation and sanitization to prevent injection attacks.
  - security control: Rate limiting and DDoS protection.
  - security control: TLS encryption for API communication.
Element:
- Name: Orchestration Service
- Type: Container
- Description: Manages the lifecycle of Postgres instances, including provisioning, scaling, branching, and monitoring.
- Responsibilities:
  - Provisioning and de-provisioning Postgres instances.
  - Scaling compute and storage resources.
  - Implementing branching and versioning logic.
  - Monitoring Postgres instance health and performance.
- Security controls:
  - security control: Secure communication with other control plane components.
  - security control: Access control to manage Postgres instances.
  - security control: Secure configuration management for Postgres instances.
Element:
- Name: Metadata Store
- Type: Container
- Description: Stores metadata about Neon projects, databases, branches, users, and configurations.
- Responsibilities:
  - Storing and retrieving metadata.
  - Ensuring data consistency and durability.
  - Providing data for orchestration and API services.
- Security controls:
  - security control: Encryption at rest for sensitive metadata.
  - security control: Access control to metadata store.
  - security control: Backup and recovery mechanisms.
Element:
- Name: Postgres Instances
- Type: Container
- Description: Individual Postgres database instances serving user data. These are likely ephemeral and managed by the orchestration service.
- Responsibilities:
  - Storing and managing user data.
  - Executing database queries.
  - Ensuring data consistency and integrity within the instance.
- Security controls:
  - security control: Authentication and authorization for database connections.
  - security control: Encryption at rest and in transit for database data.
  - security control: Regular security patching and updates.
  - security control: Database-level access controls (roles, permissions).
Element:
- Name: Storage Layer
- Type: Container
- Description: Underlying storage system used to persist database data. Likely a distributed object storage service (e.g., AWS S3, GCP Cloud Storage).
- Responsibilities:
  - Storing database data durably and reliably.
  - Providing scalable storage capacity.
  - Ensuring data availability and redundancy.
- Security controls:
  - security control: Encryption at rest for stored data.
  - security control: Access control to storage buckets and objects.
  - security control: Data replication and redundancy for high availability.
Element:
- Name: Load Balancer
- Type: Container
- Description: Distributes incoming database connection requests to available Postgres instances.
- Responsibilities:
  - Load balancing database connections.
  - Health checking Postgres instances.
  - Routing traffic efficiently.
- Security controls:
  - security control: DDoS protection.
  - security control: TLS termination for database connections.
  - security control: Network security controls to limit access.
Element:
- Name: Monitoring Agent
- Type: Container
- Description: Agent running within each component to collect metrics and logs and send them to the Monitoring & Logging System.
- Responsibilities:
  - Collecting metrics and logs from the container.
  - Forwarding data to the Monitoring & Logging System.
- Security controls:
  - security control: Secure communication with the Monitoring & Logging System.
  - security control: Minimal permissions to access container resources.

DEPLOYMENT

Deployment Architecture: Cloud-Native Kubernetes Deployment

Neon is likely deployed in a cloud-native environment using Kubernetes for orchestration and container management. This allows for scalability, resilience, and efficient resource utilization.

flowchart LR
    subgraph Cloud Provider Infrastructure
        subgraph Kubernetes Cluster
            subgraph Node 1
                A[API Gateway Container]
                B[Orchestration Service Container]
                G[Monitoring Agent Container]
            end
            subgraph Node 2
                C[Metadata Store Container]
                H[Monitoring Agent Container]
            end
            subgraph Node 3
                D[Postgres Instance Container 1]
                I[Monitoring Agent Container]
            end
            subgraph Node N
                E[Postgres Instance Container N]
                J[Monitoring Agent Container]
            end
        end
        F[Load Balancer Service]
        K[Object Storage Service]
        L[Managed Kubernetes Service]
    end

    F -->|Routes traffic to| Kubernetes Cluster
    D -->|Uses| K
    E -->|Uses| K

    style A fill:#ccf,stroke:#333,stroke-width:1px
    style B fill:#ccf,stroke:#333,stroke-width:1px
    style C fill:#ccf,stroke:#333,stroke-width:1px
    style D fill:#ccf,stroke:#333,stroke-width:1px
    style E fill:#ccf,stroke:#333,stroke-width:1px
    style G fill:#ccf,stroke:#333,stroke-width:1px
    style H fill:#ccf,stroke:#333,stroke-width:1px
    style I fill:#ccf,stroke:#333,stroke-width:1px
    style J fill:#ccf,stroke:#333,stroke-width:1px

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Deployment Diagram Elements:

Element:
- Name: Kubernetes Cluster
- Type: Infrastructure
- Description: Managed Kubernetes cluster provided by the cloud provider (e.g., EKS, GKE, AKS).
- Responsibilities:
  - Container orchestration and management.
  - Resource scheduling and allocation.
  - Service discovery and load balancing within the cluster.
  - Automated scaling and self-healing.
- Security controls:
  - security control: Kubernetes RBAC for access control within the cluster.
  - security control: Network policies to isolate namespaces and pods.
  - security control: Security updates and patching of Kubernetes components.
  - security control: Audit logging of Kubernetes API server events.
Element:
- Name: Node (Node 1, Node 2, Node 3, Node N)
- Type: Infrastructure
- Description: Virtual machines or physical servers that form the worker nodes of the Kubernetes cluster.
- Responsibilities:
  - Running containerized applications (Neon components).
  - Providing compute and memory resources.
  - Networking and storage connectivity.
- Security controls:
  - security control: Hardened operating system images.
  - security control: Security updates and patching of the operating system.
  - security control: Host-based intrusion detection systems (HIDS).
  - security control: Network security controls at the host level (firewall).
Element:
- Name: API Gateway Container, Orchestration Service Container, Metadata Store Container, Postgres Instance Container 1...N, Monitoring Agent Container
- Type: Container Instance
- Description: Instances of the containers described in the Container Diagram, deployed as pods within the Kubernetes cluster.
- Responsibilities:
  - Running the specific Neon component.
  - Communicating with other containers and services.
- Security controls:
  - security control: Container image scanning for vulnerabilities.
  - security control: Principle of least privilege for container runtime.
  - security control: Resource limits and quotas to prevent resource exhaustion.
  - security control: Regular container image updates.
Element:
- Name: Load Balancer Service
- Type: Infrastructure Service
- Description: Cloud provider's managed load balancer service, exposing the API Gateway and Postgres instances to the internet or internal networks.
- Responsibilities:
  - External access point for Neon services.
  - Load balancing traffic to Kubernetes pods.
  - TLS termination.
- Security controls:
  - security control: DDoS protection provided by the cloud provider.
  - security control: Web Application Firewall (WAF) if needed.
  - security control: Access control lists (ACLs) to restrict access.
Element:
- Name: Object Storage Service
- Type: Infrastructure Service
- Description: Cloud provider's managed object storage service (e.g., AWS S3, GCP Cloud Storage) used as the Storage Layer.
- Responsibilities:
  - Durable and scalable storage for database data.
  - Data replication and redundancy.
- Security controls:
  - security control: Encryption at rest provided by the cloud provider.
  - security control: Access control policies (IAM) to restrict access.
  - security control: Data versioning and backup capabilities.
Element:
- Name: Managed Kubernetes Service
- Type: Infrastructure Service
- Description: Cloud provider's managed Kubernetes service (e.g., EKS, GKE, AKS).
- Responsibilities:
  - Managing the Kubernetes control plane.
  - Providing infrastructure for the Kubernetes cluster.
  - Handling upgrades and maintenance of Kubernetes.
- Security controls:
  - security control: Security of the Kubernetes control plane managed by the cloud provider.
  - security control: Compliance certifications of the managed service.

BUILD

Build Process: GitHub Actions CI/CD Pipeline

Neon likely uses GitHub Actions for its CI/CD pipeline, given it's hosted on GitHub. The build process would involve steps for building, testing, security scanning, and publishing artifacts.

flowchart LR
    A[Developer] --> B{Git Repository (GitHub)}
    B --> C[GitHub Actions Workflow]
    C --> D{Build & Test Stage}
    D --> E{Security Scan Stage (SAST, SCA, Linters)}
    E --> F{Container Image Build Stage}
    F --> G{Container Registry (e.g., GitHub Container Registry, Docker Hub)}
    G --> H[Deployment System (Kubernetes)]

    style C fill:#ccf,stroke:#333,stroke-width:1px
    style D fill:#ccf,stroke:#333,stroke-width:1px
    style E fill:#ccf,stroke:#333,stroke-width:1px
    style F fill:#ccf,stroke:#333,stroke-width:1px
    style G fill:#ccf,stroke:#333,stroke-width:1px

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Build Diagram Elements:

Element:
- Name: Developer
- Type: Person
- Description: Software developers writing and committing code changes.
- Responsibilities:
  - Writing code and committing changes to the Git repository.
  - Performing local testing and code reviews.
- Security controls:
  - security control: Secure development practices.
  - security control: Code reviews before merging changes.
  - security control: Developer training on secure coding.
Element:
- Name: Git Repository (GitHub)
- Type: Code Repository
- Description: GitHub repository hosting the Neon project source code.
- Responsibilities:
  - Version control of source code.
  - Collaboration and code review platform.
  - Triggering CI/CD pipelines.
- Security controls:
  - security control: Access control to the repository (branch permissions).
  - security control: Audit logging of repository activities.
  - security control: Branch protection rules.
Element:
- Name: GitHub Actions Workflow
- Type: CI/CD System
- Description: Automated CI/CD pipeline defined using GitHub Actions workflows.
- Responsibilities:
  - Automating build, test, and deployment processes.
  - Running security scans and checks.
  - Publishing build artifacts.
- Security controls:
  - security control: Secure configuration of CI/CD pipelines.
  - security control: Access control to CI/CD workflows and secrets.
  - security control: Audit logging of CI/CD pipeline executions.
Element:
- Name: Build & Test Stage
- Type: Build Stage
- Description: Stage in the CI/CD pipeline responsible for compiling code, running unit tests, and integration tests.
- Responsibilities:
  - Compiling source code.
  - Executing automated tests.
  - Generating build artifacts.
- Security controls:
  - security control: Secure build environment.
  - security control: Dependency management and vulnerability scanning.
Element:
- Name: Security Scan Stage (SAST, SCA, Linters)
- Type: Security Stage
- Description: Stage in the CI/CD pipeline that performs security scans, including static application security testing (SAST), software composition analysis (SCA), and code linters.
- Responsibilities:
  - Identifying potential vulnerabilities in the codebase.
  - Detecting vulnerable dependencies.
  - Enforcing code quality and style guidelines.
- Security controls:
  - security control: Integration of SAST, SCA, and linting tools.
  - security control: Automated vulnerability scanning and reporting.
  - security control: Fail-fast mechanism for critical security issues.
Element:
- Name: Container Image Build Stage
- Type: Build Stage
- Description: Stage in the CI/CD pipeline that builds container images for Neon components.
- Responsibilities:
  - Building Docker container images.
  - Tagging and versioning container images.
  - Pushing container images to a container registry.
- Security controls:
  - security control: Base image selection and hardening.
  - security control: Minimal container image layers.
  - security control: Container image signing and verification.
Element:
- Name: Container Registry (e.g., GitHub Container Registry, Docker Hub)
- Type: Artifact Repository
- Description: Repository for storing and managing container images.
- Responsibilities:
  - Storing container images.
  - Providing access to container images for deployment.
  - Image vulnerability scanning (if supported by the registry).
- Security controls:
  - security control: Access control to the container registry.
  - security control: Container image vulnerability scanning.
  - security control: Image signing and verification.
Element:
- Name: Deployment System (Kubernetes)
- Type: Deployment Target
- Description: Kubernetes cluster used for deploying and running Neon components.
- Responsibilities:
  - Deploying container images to the Kubernetes cluster.
  - Managing application deployments.
- Security controls:
  - security control: Secure deployment configurations.
  - security control: Deployment automation and repeatability.

RISK ASSESSMENT

Critical business processes we are trying to protect:

Data Storage and Retrieval: Ensuring the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of user data stored in Neon databases.
Database Service Availability: Maintaining continuous operation of the Neon platform and database services to avoid service disruptions.
User Authentication and Authorization: Securely verifying user identities and controlling access to Neon resources and data.
Branching and Versioning: Protecting the integrity and consistency of database branches and versions.
Control Plane Operations: Securing the management and orchestration of the Neon platform.

Data we are trying to protect and their sensitivity:

Customer Data: User data stored in Neon databases, including potentially sensitive personal information, financial data, application data, intellectual property. Sensitivity: High (Confidentiality, Integrity, Availability).
Database Credentials: Passwords, API keys, and other credentials used to access Neon databases. Sensitivity: Critical (Confidentiality, Integrity).
Metadata: Information about Neon projects, databases, users, and configurations. Sensitivity: Medium (Confidentiality, Integrity, Availability).
Logs and Metrics: Operational and security logs, performance metrics. Sensitivity: Medium (Confidentiality, Integrity, Availability for security logs, Availability for operational logs).
Source Code: Neon platform source code. Sensitivity: Medium (Confidentiality, Integrity).
Infrastructure Configuration: Infrastructure as Code (IaC) configurations, Kubernetes manifests. Sensitivity: Medium (Confidentiality, Integrity, Availability).

QUESTIONS & ASSUMPTIONS

Questions:

What is the specific cloud provider infrastructure used for Neon deployment (AWS, GCP, Azure)?
What Identity Provider is integrated for user authentication?
What specific monitoring and logging system is used?
What are the data retention policies for logs and backups?
What compliance certifications are relevant for Neon (e.g., SOC 2, GDPR, HIPAA)?
What is the process for security incident response?
Are there specific security tools already in use (SAST, DAST, SCA, SIEM)?
What is the risk appetite of the organization regarding security vs. speed of development?

Assumptions:

Neon is deployed on a major cloud provider (AWS, GCP, or Azure).
Kubernetes is used for container orchestration.
A managed object storage service is used for the Storage Layer.
GitHub Actions is used for CI/CD.
Standard security best practices are generally followed, but there is room for improvement in implementing more proactive security controls.
The target audience includes developers and businesses who require a secure and reliable database service.
Data confidentiality, integrity, and availability are all high priorities.

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sec-design.md

sec-design.md

BUSINESS POSTURE

SECURITY POSTURE

DESIGN

C4 CONTEXT

C4 CONTAINER

DEPLOYMENT

BUILD

RISK ASSESSMENT

QUESTIONS & ASSUMPTIONS

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sec-design.md

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BUSINESS POSTURE

SECURITY POSTURE

DESIGN

C4 CONTEXT

C4 CONTAINER

DEPLOYMENT

BUILD

RISK ASSESSMENT

QUESTIONS & ASSUMPTIONS