Top Level Cyber Threat Clusters

The modern cybersecurity landscape is fragmented. Numerous frameworks, standards, and models (like NIST CSF, MITRE ATT&CK (incl CWE & CAPEC), OWASP Top 10, STRIDE, FAIR, etc.) exist, each serving valuable but often distinct purposes. This fragmentation creates significant challenges:

• Communication Gaps: Strategic leaders (Boards, CISOs) struggle to understand technical details, while operational teams (SOC, Threat Intel) find it hard to translate their findings into strategic risk implications.
• Inconsistent Categorization: Different frameworks categorize threats differently, leading to ambiguity, overlap, and difficulty in comparing data or integrating tools.
• Lack of a Universal Foundation: There's no single, logically derived, high-level taxonomy that covers *all* fundamental ways a cyber threat can manifest, independent of specific vulnerabilities or tactics.

TLCTC was created to address these gaps. It provides a stable, comprehensive, and mutually exclusive set of 10 top-level clusters representing the fundamental *mechanisms* of cyber attacks.

Think of it as the "atomic elements" of cyber threats. By establishing this foundational layer, TLCTC aims to:

• Bridge Strategy and Operations: Create a common language understood by all stakeholders.
• Harmonize Existing Frameworks: Act as a "Rosetta Stone" to map and connect different standards and models.
• Improve Clarity and Consistency: Offer unambiguous categories for threat analysis, reporting, and risk management.
• Enable Better Measurement: Provide a stable basis for quantifying threat likelihood and impact (e.g., integrating with FAIR).

Ultimately, TLCTC seeks to bring order and clarity to the complex world of cyber threats, enabling more effective communication, analysis, and defense.