Software Engineering Institute

Decision makers (such as development and acquisition program and project managers) lack confidence in the security of their software-reliant systems unless they have established methods to measure this security. We address this need through the Software Security Measurement and Analysis (SSMA) project.

The goal of this research is to develop a risk-based approach for measuring and monitoring the security characteristics of interactively complex, software-reliant systems across the lifecycle and supply chain. To help achieve this goal, we have developed the following:

The SEI Integrated Measurement and Analysis Framework (IMAF) integrates performance data for individual components, including targeted analysis, status reporting, and measurement activities, to provide a consolidated view of the performance of software-reliant systems. The IMAF can also highlight where additional data need to be collected. The framework can be applied in a variety of contexts, including software security, operational security, acquisition program management, and software development.

The Mission Risk Diagnostic (MRD) is a versatile method for assessing risk in interactively complex software-reliant systems that can be applied across the lifecycle (acquisition, development, operations) and supply chain. It analyzes a set of systemic risk factors to aggregate decision-making data and provides decision makers with a benchmark of a system's current state. The resulting gap between a system's current and desired states points to specific areas where additional investment is warranted. The MRD method can be used to assess risk in a variety of domains, including software security, supply chain assurance, cyber security processes, software acquisition and development programs, and business portfolio management.

See the publications below for more information about measuring and analyzing data about the security of systems: