The difference in one table
| Data-centric security (DCS) | Data-centric interoperability (DCI) | |
|---|---|---|
| Goal | Keep data protected wherever it travels | Let protected data be exchanged and used across nations, organisations and systems |
| Core mechanisms | Labels, binding, encryption, policy-based key release | DCS plus zero trust, federated identity, ABAC, access control framework, common formats such as ZTDF |
| Key question | Who can open this object? | Can a partner's people and systems open it, understand it and act on it, under our rules and theirs? |
| Standards | ACP 240, STANAG 4774, STANAG 4778 | ACP 240 and the NATO Data Centric Reference Architecture, applied through Federated Mission Networking |
| Outcome | Data is safe to move | Data is safe and useful to share, which is what decision advantage needs |
NATO's Data Centric Reference Architecture describes its DCI publication as a guide "to achieve secure data-centric interoperability by leveraging Data-Centric Security (DCS) alongside Zero Trust and federated identity frameworks", including attribute-based access control, an access control framework and the Zero Trust Data Format (NATO C3 Staff).
Why DCI matters now
Protecting data is only half the job. A coalition gains nothing if its partners cannot open, trust or use what it releases. NATO's Digital Transformation Implementation Strategy sets out an Alliance Data Sharing Ecosystem where Allies "share, label, and exploit interoperable data to accelerate mission execution". In the UK, the MOD's Digital Targeting Web has asked industry for data-centric interoperability compliant solutions aligned to FMN Spiral 6.
How Espanaro delivers DCS and enables DCI
Espanaro has shown protected sharing between nations on NATO exercise networks: DCS Level 3 for documents and live video at EFDI Accelerator 2.0, and DCS-enabled SAPIENT camera feeds shared over secure chat between two NATO nations at CWIX 2026.
Status
Espanaro's DCS Level 3 is its own assessment against the ACP 240 levels and has not been independently certified. Espanaro's capability is designed to align with FMN Spiral 6 data-centric interoperability; no formal conformance is claimed. How Espanaro aligns to FMN Spiral 6 DCI.
Common questions
What is data-centric interoperability (DCI)?
Data-centric interoperability means protected data can be exchanged, understood and used across nations, organisations and systems under agreed policy. NATO describes achieving it by combining data-centric security with zero trust, federated identity and attribute-based access control.
What is the difference between DCS and DCI?
DCS protects each item of data wherever it goes. DCI builds on DCS so that partners can open, trust and use that protected data. DCS makes data safe to move; DCI makes it safe and useful to share.
Is it FMN Spiral 6 compliant?
It is designed to align with FMN Spiral 6 data-centric interoperability. Espanaro has not claimed formal Spiral 6 conformance; formal testing against the published specification would follow in the normal way.
What does it mean to give people, systems and networks attributes?
Each person, system, device, network and item of data carries attributes such as nationality, clearance, mission, owner, classification or health. HarbourGuard evaluates them against policy on every request, so access follows the facts of the situation rather than fixed roles.