Orca Custom Framework

Orca Custom Framework Skill

Answers the question: "How do I create a custom compliance framework tailored to my organization's specific security requirements?"

Given a source (existing framework, list of alert IDs, or a security theme), this skill gathers relevant controls and alerts, organizes them into a structured custom compliance framework with logical sections, and creates it in Orca Security. When gaps exist — controls the user wants but Orca doesn't have a built-in rule for — the skill suggests creating custom discovery alerts to fill them.

Usage

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/orca-custom-framework Supply Chain Security Controls
/orca-custom-framework from:cis_docker_v.1.3.1
/orca-custom-framework alerts:orca-1234,orca-5678,orca-9012
/orca-custom-framework "Zero Trust Architecture"

Or natural language:

• "create a custom compliance framework for supply chain security"
• "build a framework based on CIS Docker + EKS controls"
• "generate a custom framework from these alerts: orca-1234, orca-5678"
• "create a supply chain security framework"
• "build custom compliance from our failing container controls"

How It Works

The skill operates in three phases, using different tools at each stage:

Phase 1: Read (Orca MCP tools — read-only)

Queries the Orca environment to gather existing controls and alerts:

• get_enabled_compliance_frameworks — lists all frameworks and their IDs
• get_compliance_framework_control_tests — pulls controls from relevant source frameworks, each containing a rule_id
• discovery_search — finds alerts matching the theme (e.g., "container registry", "image scanning")
• get_alert — gets full alert details when working from alert IDs

These are read-only MCP queries. They provide the rule_id values needed for the framework.

Phase 2: Organize (assistant logic — no API calls)

Groups the gathered rule_id values into logical sections based on alert categories, asset types, and the requested theme. Assigns priority weights (high/medium/low) and dotted-notation IDs (e.g., 1.1, 2.3).

Also identifies gaps — security domains the user wants covered but where no existing Orca rule exists. For these, suggests creating custom discovery alerts (see Step 7).

Phase 3: Create (Orca REST API — via curl)

There is no MCP tool for creating custom frameworks. The skill calls the Orca REST API directly:

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POST https://api.orcasecurity.io/api/compliance/frameworks
Authorization: <token from .mcp.json>

The token is extracted from .mcp.json (orca-security.headers.Authorization).

Processing Logic

Step 1: Determine Input Mode

Parse user input to determine the source:

• Theme/Topic mode: User provides a theme (e.g., "Supply Chain Security", "Zero Trust", "Data Protection Baseline") → search across multiple existing frameworks for relevant controls
• From-framework mode: User says "from:cis_docker_v.1.3.1" or "based on CIS Docker" → query that framework's controls and adapt/subset them
• Alert-list mode: User provides alert IDs → query each alert and organize into controls/sections
• Hybrid mode: User provides a theme + reference framework → combine both sources

Step 2: Gather Source Data (run queries in parallel based on mode)

Theme Mode — run ALL in parallel:

Query 1-5: Discovery searches with different angles

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discovery_search:
  search_phrase: "<theme> security alerts"
  limit: 10

Run 5+ searches with different angle terms simultaneously to maximize coverage. Vary the search terms across the theme's domains (infrastructure, IAM, data, network, logging).

Query 6: All enabled frameworks

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get_enabled_compliance_frameworks:
  (no filters)

Query 7+: Control tests from relevant frameworks For each framework that relates to the theme, pull all controls:

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get_compliance_framework_control_tests:
  framework_id: <id>

Identify which existing frameworks are most relevant to the theme and pull their controls. For example, a container-focused theme would query cis_docker_v.1.3.1 and cis_eks_1.5.0, while an IAM-focused theme would query aws_cis_6.0.0 and orca_best_practices_2.0.0.

From-Framework Mode — run in parallel:

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get_enabled_compliance_frameworks → get framework IDs
get_compliance_framework_control_tests → pull source controls
get_framework_assets_with_failed_controls_count → context on impact

Alert-List Mode — run in parallel:

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get_alert → for each alert ID, extract rule_id and metadata
get_enabled_compliance_frameworks → for cross-referencing

Step 3: Extract rule_ids and Organize into Sections

CRITICAL: The Orca custom framework API requires rule_id values (internal Orca rule identifiers like r40aa617ef4), NOT alert IDs. Extract rule_ids from:

1. From framework control tests: Each test returned by get_compliance_framework_control_tests has a rule_id field — use these directly. This is the primary and most reliable method.
2. From alerts: Each Orca alert has a RuleId field in its data — query with get_alert and extract it.
3. From discovery_search: Results may reference rules — extract rule IDs from the returned data.

Section Generation

Group controls into logical sections using alert categories, asset types, and domain keywords. Adapt sections to the user's theme — the section names, groupings, and keyword mappings should all reflect what the user asked for.

Default section taxonomy (adapt based on theme):

Use the alert category, description, and asset_types fields from control tests to assign each rule_id to the appropriate section. When the user's theme implies specialized sections (e.g., "Container Image Security" for supply chain, "Training Infrastructure" for AI/ML), create those instead of the generic defaults.

Step 4: Present Framework Preview

ALWAYS show a preview before creating. Display the framework structure, control counts, priority breakdown, and source frameworks.

Step 5: Create Custom Framework via REST API

Only proceed after user confirms the preview.

API Endpoint

Create: POST /api/compliance/frameworks Update: PUT /api/compliance/frameworks/{id} Delete: DELETE /api/compliance/frameworks/{id}

Request Body

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{
  "name": "<framework_name>",
  "description": "<framework_description>",
  "checkedKeys": [],
  "sections": [
    {
      "name": "1. <Section Name>",
      "section_id_in_framework": "1",
      "tests": [
        {
          "rule_id": "<orca_rule_id>",
          "rule_id_in_framework": "1.1",
          "reference_id": "1.1",
          "origin_framework_id": "<source_framework_id>",
          "priority": "high"
        }
      ],
      "sections": []
    }
  ]
}

Field reference:

• rule_id (required) — Orca internal rule ID, NOT an alert ID
• rule_id_in_framework (required) — Dotted control number (e.g., "1.1", "3.4")
• reference_id (optional) — Typically same as rule_id_in_framework
• origin_framework_id (optional) — Source framework ID for traceability
• priority (optional) — "high" / "medium" / "low" — affects framework scoring weight
• section_id_in_framework (optional) — Dotted section number
• sections can be nested recursively for hierarchical frameworks
• checkedKeys — pass [] for API-created frameworks

Execution

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curl -X POST "https://api.orcasecurity.io/api/compliance/frameworks" \
  -H "Authorization: <token>" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '<json_body>'

Response: {"data": {"id": <framework_id>, "name": "<framework_name>", ...}}

Important Notes

• Sections are write-only — GET responses return tests as a flat list, not the section hierarchy
• Priority affects scoring — "high" priority controls impact the overall score more heavily
• Show preview and get explicit user confirmation before creating
• Extract the auth token from .mcp.json (orca-security.headers.Authorization)

Step 6: Post-Creation Validation

Query get_enabled_compliance_frameworks to verify the framework appears. Show the user:

• Framework ID and name
• Initial compliance score
• Number of controls mapped
• Suggest next steps: /orca-compliance-gap <framework_name>

Step 7: Suggest Custom Alerts for Coverage Gaps

After organizing controls, identify security domains the user wants covered but where no existing Orca rule exists. For these gaps, suggest creating custom discovery alerts.

When to Suggest

• The user's theme includes a domain (e.g., "SBOM validation", "code signing verification") but no matching rule_id was found in any framework
• The coverage map shows unmapped areas
• The user explicitly asks for more controls

How to Suggest

Present the gap and offer to create a custom discovery alert:

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GAP DETECTED: No existing Orca rule for "SBOM generation validation"

You can fill this gap by creating a custom discovery alert:
  POST /api/sonar/rules

  {
    "name": "Container image deployed without SBOM attestation",
    "details": "Detects container images in production registries that lack
                an associated SBOM attestation or provenance record.",
    "category": "Best practices",
    "orca_score": 6.0,
    "context_score": false,
    "rule_json": {
      "models": ["ContainerImage"],
      "type": "object_set",
      "with": { ... discovery query ... }
    },
    "compliance_frameworks": [
      {
        "compliance_framework": "<framework_name>",
        "category": "5. Build Pipeline & Artifact Integrity",
        "priority": "high"
      }
    ]
  }

This creates a custom alert AND automatically maps it to the framework.
Want me to create this custom alert?

Custom Discovery Alert API Reference

Key fields:

• name — Alert title
• details — Description (note: API uses details, not description)
• category — From /api/alerts/catalog/category (e.g., "Best practices", "Network misconfigurations")
• orca_score — Severity score (float, e.g., 6.0)
• rule_json — Discovery query in Orca sonar DSL (object_set with models, keys, operators)
• compliance_frameworks[] — Auto-map to framework sections:
  • compliance_framework — Framework name (must match exactly)
  • category — Section name within the framework
  • priority — "high" / "medium" / "low"

The response returns a rule_id which can then be added to the custom framework via PUT /api/compliance/frameworks/{id}.

Example: Supply Chain Security Controls

This example was tested live and created as framework ID 3104 with a 28% initial score.

Input: "create a custom compliance framework for supply chain security"

Source frameworks queried:

• cis_docker_v.1.3.1 — Container/Docker controls
• cis_eks_1.5.0 — Kubernetes/EKS controls
• stig_k8s — Kubernetes STIG controls
• aws_cis_6.0.0 — AWS infrastructure controls
• aws_foundational_security_best_practices — AWS security baselines

Result: 39 controls across 6 sections:

Coverage gaps identified (candidates for custom discovery alerts):

• SBOM generation and validation
• Container image signing and provenance verification (SLSA)
• Dependency vulnerability scanning in CI/CD pipelines
• Third-party library allowlist enforcement
• Build environment isolation and reproducibility

Output Format

Layer 1: Framework Preview (before creation)

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=====================================================================
CUSTOM FRAMEWORK BUILDER
=====================================================================

FRAMEWORK: <framework_name>
DESCRIPTION: <1-2 sentence description>
SOURCE: <theme | framework_name | alert list>

---------------------------------------------------------------------
FRAMEWORK STRUCTURE
---------------------------------------------------------------------

  Section                          Controls    Priority Breakdown
  -----------------------------------------------------------------
  <section 1>                      <N>         <H> high, <M> med
  <section 2>                      <N>         <H> high, <M> med
  ...
  -----------------------------------------------------------------
  TOTAL                            <N>         <H> high, <M> med

SOURCES: <framework_1> (<N> rules), <framework_2> (<N> rules), ...

COVERAGE GAPS (no existing rule — can create custom alerts):
  - <gap 1 description>
  - <gap 2 description>

=====================================================================
Ready to create? (yes / modify / add section / remove)
Drill down: all controls | <section name> | coverage gaps
=====================================================================

Layer 2: Post-Creation Confirmation

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=====================================================================
CUSTOM FRAMEWORK CREATED
=====================================================================

  FRAMEWORK     <framework_name>
  ID            <framework_id>
  CONTROLS      <N> total across <M> sections
  INITIAL SCORE <X>%
  CLOUD         <vendors>

NEXT STEPS:
  - View in Orca Console: Compliance -> <framework_name>
  - Run /orca-compliance-gap <framework_name> for gap analysis
  - Create custom alerts for coverage gaps (see below)

COVERAGE GAPS — fill with custom alerts:
  [1] <gap description>
      Want me to create a custom discovery alert for this? (yes/no)
  [2] <gap description>
      ...

=====================================================================

Edge Cases

No Matching Controls Found

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No controls found matching "<theme>" in any enabled framework.

Try:
  - /orca-custom-framework with specific alert IDs
  - /orca-custom-framework from:<existing_framework>
  - Provide more specific terms

Duplicate Framework Name

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Framework "<name>" already exists (ID: <id>, Score: <X>%).

Options:
  1. Choose a different name
  2. Update existing: PUT /api/compliance/frameworks/<id>
  3. View it: /orca-compliance-gap <name>

MCP Tools Used

Reading data (MCP — read-only)

Writing data (REST API — no MCP tool available)

Framework creation and custom alert creation both use the Orca REST API via curl. The auth token is extracted from .mcp.json.

Implementation Notes

1. Parallelize queries — run discovery searches and framework control queries simultaneously.
2. Deduplicate rule_ids — the same rule may appear in multiple frameworks. Deduplicate before building sections.
3. Smart section assignment — use alert category, asset type, and title keywords to assign controls to the correct section.
4. Cross-framework traceability — always set origin_framework_id so users know where each control came from.
5. Preview before create — ALWAYS show the preview and get user confirmation. This is a write operation.
6. Identify gaps proactively — after organizing, compare the framework sections against the user's theme to find missing domains. Suggest custom discovery alerts for each gap.
7. Link to other skills — after creation, suggest /orca-compliance-gap <framework> for gap analysis and /orca-impact-analysis for fix planning.