CDCAT® - a service that enables businesses to assess their own cyber defences and identify where any gaps in defence capability may exist and what mitigations can be applied, has been launched in the UK.
APMG International, an independent Certification Body, is working with the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) and its commercialisation company Ploughshare Innovations Ltd, to deliver the new Cyber Defence Capability Assessment Tool (CDCAT®).
Drawing on military, government and industry controls and standards to consolidate the most effective practices, CDCAT® provides a methodology and scoring system for cyber defence preparedness. Reports generated by the tool also provide a detailed roadmap on how any issues identified can be resolved.
Richard Pharro, CEO of APMG, said: “It is critical that businesses get a clear, objective picture of their potential vulnerabilities so that they can reinforce their weak spot – which is what CDCAT® provides”.
The tool features a comprehensive set of best practice standards, including ISO/IEC 27001:2013, the US’s NIST Cyber Security Framework, UK’s 10 Steps to Cyber Security and Cyber Essentials and as a result, CDCAT® is able to provide a thorough cyber security assessment delivered as a .net application, having been reengineered from its initial MoD platform.
Martin Huddleston, now Head of Cyber at APMG (previously Principal Cyber Solutions Architect at Dstl), added: “With CDCAT® we have a dynamic suite which comprises one of the most comprehensive collections of cyber security controls available today. Utilising rules and inputs from government, military and commercial organisations across the world, in its unique assessments.
“Constructing a list of key criteria, CDCAT® then assesses an organisation’s current defensive posture. By factoring current operational risks measurements into its scoring system, CDCAT® both contextualises present risk scenarios and provides output which suggests possible actions to fix issues found. With this output, managers can engage in real-time and repeatable operational risk management assessments, with which to counter changing threats and vulnerabilities,” he continued.
Jim Ashe, VP Commercial at Ploughshare Innovations Ltd, said: “CDCAT® offers organisations from every sector the opportunity to make unbiased assessments of their cyber defence capabilities in ways not previously possible. Along with Dstl and APMG, we have invested a significant amount of time and effort into creating this world-class tool, which will ultimately raise cyber security consciousness among enterprises. We are therefore very pleased to see it come to market.”
CDCAT® is being piloted by a number of high-profile organisations and is now available under general licence. More information about CDCAT®
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NOTES TO EDITORS
About APMG International
The APMG International is a global business providing accreditation and certification services. It has been assessing and certifying practitioners around the world in a variety of different professionalisms since 1993. Providing a wide range of cyber security and information assurance training and certification schemes, APMG aims to provide individuals and organisations alike with the necessary tools and skillsets to effectively police and protect vital, and often-sensitive information.
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@Cyber_APMG
About Dstl
The Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) maximises the impact of science and technology (S&T) for the defence and security of the UK, supplying sensitive and specialist S&T services for the Ministry of Defence (MOD) and wider government.
Dstl is a trading fund of the MOD, run along commercial lines. It is one of the principal government organisations dedicated to S&T in the defence and security field, with three main sites at Porton Down, near Salisbury, Portsdown West, near Portsmouth, and Fort Halstead, near Sevenoaks.
Dstl works with a wide range of partners and suppliers in industry, in academia and overseas. Around 60% of the Defence Science and Technology Programme is delivered by these external partners and suppliers.
Follow us on Twitter @dstlmod
or check the government website: DSTL.
About Ploughshare Innovations Limited
Ploughshare Innovations was formed in 2005 to commercialise and exploit Dstl’s intellectual property generated from its research. Since its establishment, Ploughshare has commercialised more than 110 technologies and launched eleven spin-out
Originally published 14 July 2015
