Coverage Patterns and Strategic Deployment

Organizations typically deploy the four layers in different orders based on their starting point and constraints:

Access-first pattern: Organizations with mature cloud architecture teams often start with access controls. Organization policies can be deployed centrally without requiring changes to development workflows. They enforce universally across all accounts immediately. Quick wins demonstrate prevention value before expanding to other layers.

Build-first pattern: Organizations with strong DevOps practices and high IaC coverage often start with build controls. They already use CI/CD pipelines where scanning integrates naturally. Developers accept build-time feedback as normal workflow. Build controls provide immediate value for IaC-covered infrastructure before expanding to runtime for gaps.

Runtime-first pattern: Organizations with limited ability to change development processes or enforce organization policies sometimes start with runtime controls. These can be deployed by security teams without requiring developer workflow changes. They provide comprehensive coverage as the foundation, then build controls and access controls layer on top as organizational readiness grows.

Config-then-runtime pattern: Organizations creating new accounts or standardizing account creation often start with config controls. Secure defaults apply to all new accounts automatically. Runtime controls then monitor existing accounts to catch drift. This combination provides strong baseline coverage before adding build and access controls.

No single pattern is universally best. Organizations choose based on their culture, technical landscape, and political realities. What matters is systematic expansion across layers over time, not which layer starts first.