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MITRE D3FEND™ Learning Center

D3-ODM — Operational Dependency Mapping

Operational dependency mapping identifies and models the dependencies of the organization's activities on each other and on the organization's performers (people, systems, and services.) This may include modeling the higher- and lower-level activities of an organization forming a hierarchy, or layering, of the dependencies in an organization's activities.

1Parent technique
2Related artifacts
6Source references

Model · D3FEND ontology 1.6.0 · Active

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Official D3FEND definition

Definition

Operational dependency mapping identifies and models the dependencies of the organization's activities on each other and on the organization's performers (people, systems, and services.) This may include modeling the higher- and lower-level activities of an organization forming a hierarchy, or layering, of the dependencies in an organization's activities.

Bare Metal Cyber interpretation

Implementation perspective

Operational Dependency 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

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

mapsDependency
mapsOperational Activity Plan
Source record

Authoritative sources

Bare Metal Cyber is an independent educational publisher and is not affiliated with or endorsed by The MITRE Corporation. MITRE D3FEND™ and the D3FEND logo are trademarks of The MITRE Corporation. MITRE ATT&CK® and ATT&CK® are registered trademarks of The MITRE Corporation. Use of D3FEND source material is subject to the official Terms of Use.