FV-Unlink. Remove the relationships that expose the asset.
Unlink removes persistent connections, live dependencies and inherited trust relationships that quietly keep sensitive assets reachable. Where the relationship is not needed, it should not exist.
- Persistent connections removed where they are not required
- SeveredPersistent connections removed where they are not required
- Live dependencies replaced with mediated patterns
- DecoupledLive dependencies replaced with mediated patterns
- Trust does not carry over from one context to another
- No inheritanceTrust does not carry over from one context to another
- Every removal is recorded with its reason
- ReviewableEvery removal is recorded with its reason
Most exposure is paid for by relationships nobody chose to keep.
Persistent connections
Always-on connections between systems remain long after the reason for them has passed, available to anyone who later finds them.
Live dependencies
Direct, live dependencies between sensitive systems and convenience services drag the security posture of one onto the other.
Inherited trust
Trust that exists because two systems share a domain, a directory or a network neighbourhood is trust nobody chose to grant.
Control Module - VAULT
An asset is as exposed as its weakest relationship. Remove the relationship and you remove the exposure with it.
The Scenario
Scenario: cutting a quiet path that no longer earns its keep
A review of a sensitive records system shows a long-standing integration with a reporting service that has not been used in over a year, plus an inherited trust relationship with a directory that no longer needs to see those records. Unlink removes both, with the rationale recorded. The records remain available to the work that genuinely needs them and disconnected from the paths that no longer do.
"Unlink is the audit of relationships you forgot you had."
Where Unlink removes inherited trust.
Unlink is the deliberate revocation of a trust relationship. It removes the inherited reach a credential, certificate or federation gave away in the first place.
Grounded in NIST CSF PR.AC-6 and PR.AC-7, ISO 27001 A.5.16 Identity Management and IEC 62443-3-3 SR 1.3.
FV-Unlink
Control layer
Departing-staff trust revocation
Identity and certificate trust is revoked at the boundary, not just disabled in a directory.
Compromised vendor relationship
Severs the standing trust to a compromised vendor's infrastructure. Restoring it is a deliberate act.
Decommissioned system trust
Removes the inherited reach a retired system had into adjacent zones, even after it is unplugged.
Federation and SSO trust review
Periodic Unlink reviews surface unused federations before they become an attack surface.
Relies on · prerequisites
- An accurate inventory of standing trusts in the first place
- An authoritative revocation path that downstream systems honour
- Evidence that the revocation actually took effect
Pairs with · companion modules
Lock
Isolate
Validate
FirebreakFeatured In
Capabilities
What you get with every deployment
Connection removal
Persistent connections that no longer serve a purpose are removed rather than catalogued.
Dependency decoupling
Live dependencies are replaced with mediated patterns so the sensitive asset does not inherit the posture of its dependants.
Trust pruning
Inherited trust relationships are reviewed and removed where the inheritance is no longer warranted.
Sensitive-asset focus
Effort is concentrated on the relationships that touch the assets that matter, rather than spread thinly across the estate.
Authorised removals
Removals require the right authority and are scoped to the relationship under review.
Evidential record
Each removal is recorded with the rationale, the approver and the outcome through Archive.
Demo to Live
Adoption Guide
Inventory the relationships
Catalogue persistent connections, live dependencies and inherited trust touching the sensitive assets.
Review with the owners
Work through the inventory with the relevant owners to identify what is no longer warranted.
Pilot the removals
Remove a defined batch and confirm operational continuity before broadening the work.
Operate and review
Run Unlink as an ongoing discipline, with reviews recorded through Archive.
Inventory the relationships
Catalogue persistent connections, live dependencies and inherited trust touching the sensitive assets.
Review with the owners
Work through the inventory with the relevant owners to identify what is no longer warranted.
Pilot the removals
Remove a defined batch and confirm operational continuity before broadening the work.
Operate and review
Run Unlink as an ongoing discipline, with reviews recorded through Archive.
Questions