<!-- Copyright (c) 2026 defconxt. All rights reserved. -->
<!-- Licensed under AGPL-3.0 — see LICENSE file for details. -->
---
name: implementing-detection-lifecycle-management
description: >-
  Manage the full detection rule lifecycle including creation, review,
  deployment, monitoring, tuning, deprecation, and retirement with
  ownership tracking and state management.
domain: cybersecurity
subdomain: detection-engineering
tags:
  - detection-lifecycle
  - rule-management
  - ownership-tracking
  - state-management
  - review-cadence
  - deprecation
version: "1.0"
author: defconxt
license: AGPL-3.0
metadata:
  mitre-attack: []
---

# Implementing Detection Lifecycle Management

## Overview

Detection lifecycle management ensures rules remain effective through
structured creation, review, and retirement workflows. Covers state
management, ownership assignment, review cadence, and retirement criteria.

## Prerequisites

| Requirement | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Rule repository | Version-controlled detection rules |
| Tracking system | Jira or similar for rule ownership |
| Review process | Defined cadence and criteria for reviews |

## Key Concepts

### Detection Rule Lifecycle States

```python
lifecycle_states = {
    "draft": {"next": ["review"], "owner": "author"},
    "review": {"next": ["testing", "draft"], "owner": "reviewer"},
    "testing": {"next": ["production", "review"], "owner": "test_team"},
    "production": {"next": ["tuning", "deprecated"], "owner": "soc_team"},
    "tuning": {"next": ["production", "deprecated"], "owner": "detection_eng"},
    "deprecated": {"next": ["retired", "production"], "owner": "detection_eng"},
    "retired": {"next": [], "owner": "archive"},
}
rule_metadata = {
    "rule_id": "5e1c0d42", "state": "production", "owner": "jsmith",
    "created": "2026-01-15", "last_review": "2026-03-01",
    "next_review": "2026-06-01", "alert_count_30d": 45, "fp_rate": 0.12,
}
```

## Workflow

1. **Create rule** — Author with required metadata and ATT&CK mapping
2. **Peer review** — Detection-specific review checklist
3. **Test validation** — Atomic Red Team or emulation verification
4. **Deploy to production** — Push via CI/CD with monitoring
5. **Monitor performance** — Track alert volume, FP rate, efficacy
6. **Scheduled review** — Quarterly review of all production rules
7. **Deprecate or retire** — Remove rules no longer providing value

## Verification

| Check | Method |
|---|---|
| Workflow completed | All steps executed and documented |
| Output validated | Results match expected format and content |
| Quality assured | Peer review or automated validation passed |

## References

- [NIST Cybersecurity Framework](https://www.nist.gov/cyberframework)
- [MITRE ATT&CK](https://attack.mitre.org/)
