Threat Assessment & Remediation Analysis (TARA): Methodology Description Version 1.0

Mission Assurance Engineering MAE is the subdiscipline of Enterprise Systems Engineering ESE and is intended to provide mission assurance against the advanced persistent threat APT. The APT uses an evolving set of tactics, techniques, and procedures TTPs to establish and maintain a foothold in the enterprises information infrastructure, and to exploit that foothold to ex-filtrate large volumes of sensitive information, to corrupt mission-critical information, andor to deny or degrade mission capabilities. This report describes the Threat Assessment Remediation Analysis TARA methodology, which applies MAE to systems and acquisitions. TARA is a methodology for identifying and assessing cyber threats and selecting countermeasures effective at mitigating those threats. When applied in conjunction with a Crown Jewels Analysis CJA or other means for assessing mission impact, CJA and TARA together provide for the identification, assessment, and security enhancement of mission critical assets, which is the cornerstone of mission assurance.