OSSTMM

OSSTMM Defines Security

OSSTMM redefines what it means to know your security. It offers a scientific, measurable, and repeatable methodology for verifying the actual presence, visibility, access, and trustworthiness of safeguards across all environments. It doesn't ask what protections should be there. It proves what protections are there.

The methodology of the OSSTMM uniquely addresses human, physical, wireless, telecommunications, AI, quantum, web, and data networks for measurable security, trust, and privacy as integrated components of a unified operational reality. Its structure is grounded in the core concepts of Visibility, Access, and Trust (VAT), providing a common language for assessing exposure and control with mathematical precision.

With the forthcoming release of OSSTMM 4, the methodology advances even further toward intent-based protection, dynamic trust models, and expanded future-proofing, with FALCON Compliance, making it ideal for leadership to manage complex, hybrid threats.

Introducing FALCON Compliance

Operational Security with Executive Authority

Most compliance frameworks are built for just reporting, not defending.

They offer assurances on paper, but little control in practice. Executives are told they’re secure because a box is checked. Meanwhile, operations staff silently override or fake control implementations just to meet those checklists. This is why compliance is not security and why breaches continue to occur in fully “compliant” environments.

The FALCON is a results-driven compliance framework. It requires reporting of completion levels towards security and privacy focused Key Performance Indicators in operational security, which are entirely subject to adherence to policies and procedures.

FALCON: Operational Security for the Executive Mindset

Formalized Assurance of Logic, Controls, Operations, and Networks, better known as FALCON, is a first-of-its-kind policy-driven, operational security, compliance framework. It provides the controllable, business-risk-aligned governance for executives which directly affect real, verifiable, security requirements at the operational level.

FALCON bridges the credibility gap between security operations and the boardroom by:

• Translating OSSTMM's raw operational metrics into formalized security directives and policies
• Making those policies auditable by paper trail, but enforceable only through functioning, testable controls
• Giving the C-suite ownership of organizational security posture through structured documentation without weakening the technical rigor

This is not checkbox compliance. This offers clear, achievable, and enforceable requirements towards a security goal that is driven by executives.

And all of it is OSSTMM-aligned, meaning it’s measurable, evidence-based, and globally repeatable.

FALCON: A Business-Oriented Compliance Framework for Structured Security and Privacy Assurance

FALCON, Formalized Assurance of Logic, Controls, Operations, and Networks, is a comprehensive framework designed to ensure that technical safeguards are effectively implemented and maintained across an organization's operational landscape. It aligns with the methodologies outlined in current OSSTMM research, emphasizing empirical security assessment and measurable assurance.

FALCON Core Components:

• Formalized Assurance: Establishes a consistent business approach to evaluating security controls, moving beyond anecdotal practices to verifiable testing methods.
• Logic: Focuses on the integrity and correctness of systems' decision-making processes, ensuring that logical operations adhere to defined security policies.
• Controls: Involves the assessment of implemented security measures, including access controls, process controls, and data protection mechanisms, ensuring they function as intended.
• Operations: Examines the day-to-day activities and procedures within the organization, verifying that operational practices support and do not undermine security objectives.
• Networks: Evaluates the security posture of interconnected systems, including data networks and communication channels, to identify and mitigate potential vulnerabilities.

Introduction to the OSSTMM

The Open Source Security Testing Methodology Manual (OSSTMM), is an international standard for security testing that provides a scientific methodology for accurately characterizing and measuring operational security. Developed and maintained by ISECOM, OSSTMM 3 defines how to verify the trust, visibility, access, and control of all systems within an operational environment.

OSSTMM is built upon empirical testing principles. It mandates measurable results derived from controlled interactions with operational infrastructure, human processes, communications, and physical environments.

OSSTMM operates across multiple channels of interaction:

• Human Security - procedures, personnel behavior, and social engineering exposure
• Physical Security - access to facilities, barriers, environmental controls
• Wireless Communications - exposure to signal-based interaction and leakage
• Telecommunications - voice and data carrier infrastructure
• Data Networks - logical structure and transmission security

Each channel is assessed using defined methodologies that focus on three core trust parameters: Visibility, Access, and Trust (VAT). These are further governed by Rules of Engagement, ensuring consistency, repeatability, and scientific validity of results.

FALCON incorporates OSSTMM's emphasis on:

• Operational Security Metrics: Utilizing quantifiable metrics to assess the effectiveness of security controls across various domains.
• Trust Analysis: Evaluating the trust relationships within systems to identify potential weaknesses and areas requiring enhanced security measures.
• Structured Testing Methodology: Following a defined process for security testing that includes preparation, evaluation, testing, reporting, and optimization phases.
• Comprehensive Coverage: Addressing multiple security domains, including human, physical, wireless, telecommunications, and data networks, to provide a holistic security assessment.

By integrating these principles, FALCON offers a robust framework for organizations to systematically assess and enhance their security posture, ensuring resilience against even new and unknown threats.

FALCON leverages this methodology as the foundational framework for formalizing assurance across Logic, Controls, Operations, and Networks. By grounding policy and procedural compliance in OSSTMM’s quantitative rigor, FALCON ensures that each safeguard is:

• Verifiable through controlled testing
• Context-aware within real operational constraints
• Adaptive to dynamic threat environments
• Integrated across human, physical, and technical domains

The result is not simply assurance, but assurance that can be measured, reproduced, and trusted.

Security Conditions

ORIENT
the goal to achieve

The following are the Checklist header items of FALCON that will be the “goal” to be met. We need to create for each one a checklist of operations completed toward achieving each goal.

• Accuracy - all interactions are anticipated and conform to known processes. To achieve, interactions within the scope need to be recognized and categorized while anomalies or unknowns are investigated and either made to conform or their source is addressed to assure they no longer occur.
• Separation - all assets are separated by operational context in such a manner that the assets are not directly or indirectly accessible outside that context.
• Designation - for each operation, the operators, systems, processes or other entities are assigned specific roles or responsibilities.
• Isolation - for each operational control implemented, assure that the resources drawn are independent of the assets being protected.
• Change Control, zero unauthorized changes - detect the cause of such including "default" installs (vuln management too?)
• Verification - interactions are verified for legitimacy based on characteristics determining origin, destination, and purpose.
• Restrain - no operations have free movement between environments.
• Overwatch - operations have defined, specific interactions which cannot be freely changed
• Corral - operations requiring additional resources are automatically put on hold for verification
• Gatekeeping - intentions are verified on ingress and egress, gatekeeping
• Record - events are recorded audit trail - recording of events, can be interactive
• Uniqueness - the environment is unique where no default configurations or processes are in place
• Authenticity - processes are executed with all due requirements to assure operational components are factual and real.
• Contingency - resources are above operational requirements or recoverable.
• Insulation - no uncompartmentalized and unencrypted intentions.

Accuracy

Goal:

All digital interactions conform to expected behavior. No unknown software, devices, or traffic patterns exist within the operational scope. All anomalies are detected, traceable, and resolved.