Aero Excellence Framework Mapping and Integration Guide

Overview

The Aero Excellence Framework is a sector-specific standard designed to enhance operational, digital, and cybersecurity excellence in aerospace organisations. Its alignment with the Digital Pathway allows organisations to leverage Aero Excellence assessments to fulfil requirements in the Digital Pathway, streamlining workflows and reducing duplication. This guide provides a detailed mapping of Aero Excellence criteria to relevant Digital Pathway sub-themes, enabling seamless integration and efficient assessment.

Key Integration Areas

The following table outlines how Aero Excellence criteria directly inform the Digital Pathway assessment:

Digital Sub-Theme	Aero Excellence Criterion	Integration Details	Scoring Mechanism
L1.1: Digital Strategy	1.1.1 - Short-term and long-term strategy: Strategy integrates customer satisfaction and is communicated across the organisation.	Confirms the existence of a strategy that aligns with operational and compliance goals, fulfilling SCS requirements.	Score 2 if Aero Excellence answers to questions 1, 3, and 4 are "Yes".
L1.17: Cybersecurity Controls	1.6.2.10 - Security device use: Firewalls and security devices protect internal networks.	Demonstrates foundational cybersecurity measures, such as firewalls and endpoint protection.	Score 2 if Aero Excellence confirms firewalls are implemented and monitored.
L1.18: Data Protection	1.6.2.5 - Automatic backup policy: Critical components have automated backups with tested recovery procedures.	Supports secure data backup and recovery processes in line with Digital Pillar requirements.	Score 2 if Aero Excellence confirms backups are automated and recovery is tested.
L1.19: Incident Response	1.6.2.10 - Incident response tools: Incident response team alerted by security device in case of threats.	Confirms the presence of tools and processes to manage cybersecurity incidents.	Score 2 if Aero Excellence confirms detection and response tools are active.
L1.20: Compliance	1.6.2.1 - Information Security Policy: Policies and audits ensure alignment with regulations.	Demonstrates compliance with industry-specific standards, aligning with GDPR and ISO/IEC 27001 requirements.	Score 3 if Aero Excellence confirms regular audits and updates to policies.

Examples of Integration

1. Digital Strategy Alignment (L1.1):

   • Aero Excellence Question: Does the organisation have a short-term and long-term strategy that integrates customer satisfaction and is cascaded across the organisation?

   • Digital Pathway Application:

     • If answers to Aero Excellence questions 1, 3, and 4 are "Yes," assign Score 2 in the Digital Pathway.

     • Example Evidence: Annual strategy documents, communication records, and cascaded objectives.

   • Integration Benefit: Streamlines the assessment by directly using Aero Excellence evidence to validate Digital Pillar scoring.

2. Cybersecurity Controls (L1.17):

   • Aero Excellence Question: Are security devices such as firewalls and proxies implemented to partition internal networks?

   • Digital Pathway Application:

     • If Aero Excellence confirms firewall implementation (1.6.2.10), assign Score 2 in the Digital Pillar.

     • Example Evidence: Network architecture diagrams and firewall configuration records.

   • Integration Benefit: Eliminates redundancy by aligning cybersecurity evidence across frameworks.

3. Incident Response (L1.19):

   • Aero Excellence Question: Are incident response tools in place, and is an incident response team alerted during a security event?

   • Digital Pillar Application:

     • Aero Excellence evidence supports Score 2 in the Digital Pathway if detection and response tools are confirmed.

     • Example Evidence: Incident response plans, tool configurations, and security team protocols.

   • Integration Benefit: Ensures consistency in incident response practices between Aero Excellence and Digital Pillar assessments.

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How to Use Aero Excellence for Digital Pathway Scoring

1. Identify Relevant Criteria: Use this guide to map Aero Excellence answers to Digital Pathway sub-themes.

2. Leverage Pre-Existing Evidence: Ensure that Aero Excellence documentation (e.g., strategy plans, policy documents, backup logs) is available for validation.

3. Assign Scores Based on Mapping: Apply Aero Excellence answers to pre-fill Digital Pathway scores, as indicated in the Scoring Mechanism column.

4. Validate Scores: Confirm that the evidence aligns with the Digital Pathway’s requirements, especially for compliance and cybersecurity controls.

5. Submit for Digital Pathway Assessment: Use the mapped evidence to streamline the submission process.

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Integration Benefits

• Efficiency: Reduces assessment time by leveraging Aero Excellence results directly.

• Consistency: Aligns digital and cybersecurity maturity across both frameworks.

• Flexibility: Adapts to the specific needs of aerospace organisations while maintaining compatibility with the Digital Pillar.

For further assistance or detailed mapping examples, contact the ADS SCS support team.