How CDA Operates
CDA operates cybersecurity as a continuous execution system, not a collection of disconnected services. Execution capacity is allocated, governed, and renewed through fixed time cycles.
Establish Ground Truth
Every engagement begins with a Foundational Recon Mission to establish validated ground truth.
A validated view of your operating environment
A defensible assessment of real risk
Alignment on execution priorities
Eligibility for sustained execution through Campaigns and Wars
Execution does not begin without Recon.
Commit Through Wars
A War defines a long-term strategic commitment to a risk domain where sustained execution is required.
Define enduring objectives
Establish durable priorities
Produce long-term, compounding security outcomes
Persist across leadership changes and budget cycles
Security posture is built through endurance, not bursts.
Coordinate Through Campaigns
A Campaign coordinates multiple Missions across cycles to reduce a defined class of risk.
Coordinates multiple Missions toward a sustained strategic outcome
Produces layered, compounding defenses
Maintains execution momentum across cycles
Reviewed and adjusted quarterly
Campaigns turn effort into progress.
Execute Through Missions
A Mission is a focused, time-boxed unit of execution that consumes capacity toward a specific outcome.
Has a single, clearly defined objective
Produces measurable, reviewable outcomes
Is accountable to a Campaign
Never operates in isolation
This is where progress is made.
How Capacity Is Managed
CDA uses Access Levels to define how much execution capacity your organization can sustain concurrently.
How many Missions you can sustain per month
How many collective programs (Campaigns) can run in parallel
How many strategic directions (Wars) can be sustained at once
This prevents overload, protects quality, and ensures sustainability.
What This Model Enables
Predictable execution cadence.
Clear ownership and accountability.
Durable, compounding outcomes.
Executive-level visibility into execution.
Measurable progress across cycles.
Scales as risk and complexity evolve.
Scope integrity under pressure.
Explicit tradeoffs, no hidden risk.
CDA is not consulting. This operating model is for organizations that:
Clear ownership and accountability.
Are done restarting programs every year
Measure outcomes, not activity
Accept that security requires sustained execution
CDA is not for organizations seeking one-off reports or checkbox compliance
