CISA External Dependencies Management (EDM)

[ verb. the procedure of systematically evaluating the cybersecurity practices related to external dependencies within critical infrastructure entities ]

Benefit: Engaging in the External Dependencies Management (EDM) Assessment under SteelToad’s guidance enables organizations to appraise and bolster their cybersecurity practices concerning external dependencies. Such an evaluation is pivotal in ensuring operational resilience, particularly when facing operational challenges or unforeseen circumstances.

A Deeper Dive into the EDM Assessment. In our interconnected world, external dependencies play a crucial role. An organization’s operational success often hinges on managing these dependencies. Recognizing this need, the EDM Assessment is a meticulously structured evaluation tool, focusing mainly on cybersecurity.

Bridging Comprehensive Expertise with Practical Application. SteelToad, with its vast experience in cybersecurity assessments, acknowledges the significance of external dependency management in the modern context. The EDM Assessment finds its roots in the CERT® Resilience Management Model (CERT®-RMM) developed by the prestigious CERT Division at Carnegie Mellon University’s Software Engineering Institute. This model is the epitome of process improvement, drawing from best practices in security, business continuity, and IT operations management.

Unveiling the EDM Assessment. The heart of the EDM Assessment is its emphasis on interviews. It meticulously assesses an organization’s cybersecurity management program, focusing on services’ external dependencies vital for mission accomplishment. Venturing into this assessment with SteelToad guarantees:

  • Clear Insights: Dive deep into the core external dependency cybersecurity practices, ensuring the fortified cyber resilience of your organization.
  • Focused Objectives: The EDM Assessment focuses on protection and sustainability practices, gauging an organization’s operational resilience in regular and challenging operations.
  • Broad Spectrum Evaluation: Whether it’s cybersecurity, operations, physical security, or business continuity, the assessment encapsulates all these areas to provide a holistic view.

Key Domains of the EDM Assessment. The assessment paints a comprehensive picture by delving into specific domains. Each domain underlines crucial capabilities vital for managing external dependencies throughout the lifecycle of external relationships. Here’s a glance:

  • Relationship Formation: Initiating and structuring external partnerships.
  • Relationship Management and Governance: Supervising and steering external connections.
  • Service Protection and Sustainment: Shielding and maintaining essential services.
  • MIL Practices: Investigating the institutionalization of practices within the organization.

The Essence of Domain Architecture. Each domain is enriched with a distinct purpose statement, a collection of particular goals, and related practice questions exclusive to the domain. Moreover, the EDM Assessment employs a uniform set of Maturity Indicator Level (MIL) questions to assess organizational practice institutionalization.

Charting the EDM Assessment Landscape. As depicted in our EDM Assessment domain architecture, the number of goals and practice questions fluctuates by domain. However, the MIL questions and the principles they encapsulate remain consistent across all domains. All the questions in the EDM Assessment can be responded to with three potential answers: “Yes,” “No,” and “Incomplete.”

With SteelToad by your side, organizations can navigate the intricacies of external dependency management, armed with profound insights and fortified by unparalleled expertise.

ENSURING OPERATIONAL RESILIENCE. 

We do also provide Cybersecurity Assessment: NIST 800-53, NIST 800-171, Zero Trust Model (ZTMM).