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Layered Defense Pattern(LDP)
Multi-layered security architecture implementing the Swiss Cheese Model for AI safety
In 30 seconds
- What
- Stacks independent safety checks across API, application, and model layers so no single failure exposes the system.
- When to use
- High-stakes domains like finance or healthcare where one compromised defense cannot bypass all protections.
- Watch out
- Each layer adds latency and operational overhead; misaligned rules across layers create false security feelings while actual gaps remain.
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Layered Defense Pattern: Overview
Multi-layered security architecture implementing the Swiss Cheese Model for AI safety
- External API-level constraints and rate limiting
- Secondary input/output validation and content filtering
- Internal model-level safety mechanisms and alignment
- Defense-in-depth security approach
- Failure isolation between layers
- Redundant safety mechanisms
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References
The papers, specifications, and repositories this pattern is based on.
- ArXiv:2408.02205v3 (2024)arXiv:2408.02205
- NIST AI 600-1 (2024)
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