October 2025
When computers first came onto the scene more than a half century ago, you could find MITRE iterating on the first formal model for computer security. Today, our cybersecurity capabilities have blossomed into all aspects of daily life—from the microchips operating your cell phone to the complex networks securing traffic in space.
With more than 1,000 of our people dedicated to the mission, it’s nearly impossible to sum up every nook and cranny of cyber at MITRE. Collaboration and sharing are a few threads that run through everything we do.
Why it matters: National resilience is strengthened when organizations respond with a united front— which is especially critical as adversaries become increasingly sophisticated and destructive.
8-minute read time
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
ATT&CKcon 6.0 Was a Hit
There is so much to talk about when it comes to ATT&CK that we created an annual conference to harness all the buzz. ATT&CKcon 6.0, held earlier this month at our McLean headquarters, teemed with productive conversation. Speakers covered a spectrum of topics, from general burnout to hyper-specific defense tactics and loads in between.
Tune in: To quash your fear of missing out, recordings from the event presentations are available here.
New version release: ATT&CK’s v18 update is live this week and features a new model for detection guidance.
STUDENT’S CORNER
Embedded Capture the Flag Registration Open
If you remember playing capture the flag at summer camp, you’re familiar with the triumph of getting your hands on the elusive flag. Swap a wide-open field for the vast cyber landscape, and you can imagine the excitement of high school and college students who participate in our annual Embedded Capture the Flag™ (eCTF) competition. Over the course of a semester, teams are invited to design secure embedded systems and also attack their competition’s work.
Building on 2025: Last year, more than 1,200 students participated on 139 teams, representing 123 schools from 17 countries.
Bottom line: The event provides foundational skills for the next generation to protect critical infrastructure.
PIN DROP
MITRE Hosts Critical Infrastructure Cyber Resilience Workshop
Photo: military.maryland.gov
Turning on the kitchen faucet. Flipping on a light switch. The simple things we expect to function everyday are increasingly threatened by bad actors. Protecting critical systems that power our lives is a group effort. MITRE recently gathered cybersecurity experts for the nation’s first state-led critical infrastructure cyber workshop.
A unified roadmap: Maryland Army National Guard Maj. Gen. Janeen L. Birckhead, adjutant general for Maryland, highlighted the effort: “Maryland is leading the way in showing how state, federal, and private partners can come together to protect critical infrastructure and strengthen national security.”
CYBER SPOTLIGHT
Program Fills Critical Gaps in Cybersecurity Testing
MITRE operates in cyberspace with a ‘rising tide lifts all ships’ approach. It’s also the philosophy of empowerment that underscores ATT&CK® Evaluations (Evals, for short), which test industry’s cybersecurity solutions against known adversaries.
Strengthening industry: End-users should have a clear understanding of the security solutions available for their individual needs. Evals’ transparent third-party testing—to validate technology and provide industry benchmarks—support that goal.
QUOTABLE
“We’re here to learn from people and protect them at the same time.”
—Deanna Caputo, Ph.D., chief scientist for insider threat capabilities and senior principal behavioral psychologist at MITRE, appeared on the Cybercrimeology podcast to discuss her work at the intersection of human behavior and cybersecurity.
Threats from insiders: Some of the nation’s most powerful companies have been impacted by insider breaches (someone from the inside sharing valuable information to the outside). It’s a stark reminder that no organization is exempt from such incidents, which cause millions of dollars in damage and can pose other privacy, reputational, and operational issues.
Psychology meets cybersecurity: Our Insider Threat Research & Solutions™ team leverages behavioral, data, and cyber sciences to advance detection, deterrence, and mitigation. We share our approach with sponsors and industry to fortify their programs.