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MITRE D3FEND™ Learning Center

D3-DEM — Data Exchange Mapping

Data exchange mapping identifies and models the organization's intended design for the flows of the data types, formats, and volumes between systems at the application layer.

1Parent technique
1Related artifact
3Source references

Model · D3FEND ontology 1.6.0 · Active

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Official D3FEND definition

Definition

Data exchange mapping identifies and models the organization's intended design for the flows of the data types, formats, and volumes between systems at the application layer.

Bare Metal Cyber interpretation

Implementation perspective

Data Exchange Mapping should be treated as a technical defensive capability rather than a product checkbox. In practice, teams should define the protected scope, the conditions under which the technique acts, and the observable evidence that demonstrates the intended behavior. For this technique, likely engineering context includes the relevant system, activity, and evidence sources.

Use the technique to improve the shared model of systems, activities, dependencies, threats, or risk before making defensive decisions.

Questions to ask

  • What system, activity, relationship, or risk is being modeled, and where is the scope boundary?
  • Which authoritative data sources populate the model, and how is their quality assessed?
  • How often is the model refreshed after architectural, operational, or threat changes?
  • Which decisions, analyses, or engineering actions are expected to use the model?

Evidence and validation

  • Documented model scope, assumptions, and ownership
  • Source inventories, data-quality checks, and refresh records
  • Version history showing material changes to the model
  • Examples of decisions or analyses that used the model

Common failure patterns

  • The model is treated as a one-time diagram rather than a maintained decision aid.
  • Unverified or stale source data is accepted without recording uncertainty.
  • The model is comprehensive in appearance but disconnected from engineering or operational decisions.

This implementation perspective is original Bare Metal Cyber educational content. It does not replace the official D3FEND definition or establish that a specific product implements the technique.

Ontology hierarchy

Technique hierarchy

Top-level family

Parent techniques

Direct child techniques

None listed at this level.

D3FEND graph relationships

Artifacts and ontology entities

These relationships describe how D3FEND connects a defensive technique to artifacts or other ontology entities. They describe graph semantics, not a product certification.

Explicit technique relationships

mapsData Dependency
Source record

Authoritative sources