About the SHIRPA Ecosystem
SHIRPA is a meta-model and an ecosystem of tools, techniques, tactics, and templates designed to help leaders design, operate, measure, and continuously realign a cyber security program as an evolving system.
Think of using SHIRPA as the difference between owning a map vs running an expedition.
The ecosystem supports Enterprise Cyber Risk Governance by making intent clearer, execution more disciplined, decisions better informed, and response more deliberate.
What Problem the SHIRPA Ecosystem Solves
Many cybersecurity programs flounder or even fail in predictable ways:
Controls exist, but no one can explain why they matter to leadership
Transformation initiatives drift because why they matter isn’t explicit or clear
Metrics are abundant, but delivered to the wrong people, and decision-useful insights are scarce
GRC, Security Operations, Architecture, Legal, and HR operate in functional silos
Leaders lack confidence that “green” dashboards reflect reality
The SHIRPA ecosystem exists to close these gaps by creating explicit, testable, and continuously confirmed alignment between:
Enterprise Commitments
Control Intent
Operational capability
Verified outcomes
Business value realization
The SHIRPA Lattice: The Structural Backbone
At the core of the ecosystem is the SHIRPA Lattice (referred to operationally as the Catalyst 5 Protocol) that connects all work within five interdependent domains
Commitment — What Is Promised
Control — How Expectations Are Harmonized And Aligned To Control Objectives
Capability — What Actually Gets Done
Confirmation — Validation That Capabilities Match The Spirit And Letter Of The Control Objectives
Conversion — Transformation Support Services That Ensure Security Outcomes Translate To Business Value, At The Right Time For The Right Reason's
Learn more about some of the ecosystem elements and methods: