MITRE

MITRE is a United States-based not-for-profit organization that operates several federally funded research and development centers (FFRDCs) under contract with the U.S. government. Its work spans national security, cybersecurity, healthcare, aviation, and civil government programs, applying systems engineering, research, and development to public-interest challenges. The organization is headquartered in Bedford, Massachusetts, with additional offices across the United States.

MITRE performs technical, analytical, and strategic support for federal agencies, including defense, homeland security, transportation, and health services. Through its FFRDCs, MITRE helps design, acquire, and sustain complex systems, develop policy options, and advance technology deployments while maintaining an emphasis on independent, objective analysis.

One of MITRE’s best-known outputs is the MITRE ATT&CK framework, a comprehensive knowledge base of cyber adversary behavior that catalogs tactics, techniques, and procedures used by attackers. ATT&CK is widely used by security practitioners to model attacker behavior, assess defenses, conduct threat hunting, and guide the development of detection and response capabilities. The framework is maintained by MITRE and has influenced tooling and security methodologies across both government and industry sectors.

Governance and funding are structured around its status as a not-for-profit organization. MITRE operates under a board of trustees and receives funding primarily through government contracts to manage and perform research and development activities for national security, public safety, and civil programs. The organization emphasizes collaboration with government, industry, and academia to address complex public-interest problems.