Trading infrastructure combines direct access to money (API keys, wallets), valuable data (order flow, positions), and critical uptime requirements. Attackers know this. Your security posture must assume you are a targeted organization, not a random victim.
Multiple independent layers. One breach doesn't mean total compromise.
Trading engine isolated from the internet. API keys never on order-entry hosts.
Hardware-backed key storage. Rotation policies. Zero plaintext at rest.
The article maps each architectural layer to specific implementation choices: VPC design for trading networks, HashiCorp Vault vs hardware HSMs, intrusion detection patterns, and a complete incident response runbook for a credential compromise scenario.
For teams considering hardware isolation — the article establishes why software-only defenses are structurally insufficient when the signing key is the crown jewel. That gap is precisely what ZeroCopy's Nitro Enclave architecture closes.