[Oct 30-Update] The Defensible 10 Standards Enter Final Peer Review

Published by ISAUnited.org

The Defensible 10 Standards (D10S) initiative is entering its final stage of development, transitioning from project status to full production as the world’s first set of engineering-based cybersecurity architecture and engineering standards.

Following more than a year of development and technical drafting, the 2025 Draft Edition of the D10S is now undergoing final peer review through ISAUnited’s Technical Fellow Society.

This stage represents the highest level of technical validation in the standards process, ensuring that every requirement, specification, and verification method meets the institute’s defensibility and engineering discipline criteria.

A Milestone for Cybersecurity Engineering

The transition from project to production marks a defining moment for ISAUnited’s mission to formalize cybersecurity as a true engineering discipline. Each of the ten Parent Standards, covering domains from Network Security Architecture to DevSecOps & Secure SDLC Engineering, has been structured to deliver measurable, testable, and auditable guidance for practitioners worldwide.

When published later this year, the Defensible 10 Standards (2025 Edition) will provide cybersecurity professionals, architects, and engineers with an unprecedented framework for designing and validating defensible systems, moving security from policy-based compliance to evidence-based engineering.

Peer Review and Technical Integrity

The peer review process is conducted by the ISAUnited Technical Fellow Society, a group of senior architects, engineers, and subject-matter experts responsible for ensuring that every standard adheres to ISAUnited’s Defensible Standards Schema Function (D-SSF).

This process includes evaluating engineering clarity, measurable outputs, and alignment with globally recognized frameworks such as ISO and NIST, while maintaining technical independence and neutrality.

Once approved, the 2025 edition will be prepared for publication under Defensible10.org, where practitioners will have free access to download and implement the standards.

Looking Ahead to Open Season 2025

Following publication, ISAUnited will open the first Open Season for Sub-Standards Development in Fall 2025.  This initiative invites practitioners, engineers, and researchers worldwide to contribute domain-specific Sub-Standards that expand upon the ten parent standards, ensuring the framework evolves with emerging technologies and modern architectural practices.

A Global Step Forward

The move from project to production underscores ISAUnited’s leadership as the first Security Standards Development Organization (SDO) for cybersecurity architecture and engineering. The 2025 publication of the Defensible 10 Standards is more than a milestone; it is the beginning of a global shift toward clarity, discipline, and defensibility in how security is designed and practiced.

For updates and publication details: Visit www.defensible10.org/news or follow the institute at www.isaunited.org.