Research Report 7: FIMI Defence Standards — Testing the DISARM Framework

The Hybrid CoE's seventh research report evaluates the DISARM framework — a structured vocabulary and methodology for describing FIMI operations, modelled on the MITRE ATT&CK framework used in cybersecurity — for suitability as a common standard among StratCom practitioners and FIMI analysts across EU and NATO member states. The report tests DISARM against real FIMI incidents and assesses whether it can be rapidly adopted by institutions with varying levels of analytical capacity.

The DISARM framework represents one of the most important methodological developments in the FIMI field: the attempt to build a common language that allows analysts in different institutions and countries to describe, compare, and coordinate on FIMI incidents without each organisation reinventing its own taxonomy. This report's evaluation is practically significant — it identifies where DISARM works well, where it needs adaptation, and what training and institutional infrastructure is required for adoption. For organisations building FIMI analytical capacity, this report is the essential guide to the current state of standardisation.