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Digital Trust Body of Knowledge™ (DTBoK™)

The Canonical Framework of the Digital Trust Profession


The official global standard for governing, assuring, and operating trustworthy digital systems.


Developed and published by The Digital Trust Institute® (DTI®), the DTBoK™ defines the principles, models, and practices that underpin the Digital Trust profession.

 

The Digital Trust Body of Knowledge™ (DTBoK™) is the official canon and global framework for Digital Trust.
 

Developed and published by The Digital Trust Institute® (DTI®), it defines how organisations design, operate, and govern digital systems in a way that earns and sustains trust.

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The DTBoK™ unifies:

  • governance and accountability

  • risk and assurance

  • cybersecurity, privacy and resilience

  • AI and algorithmic governance

  • architecture and systems thinking

  • ethics and societal impact

  • organisational capability and workforce development

  • digital trust operations and practice

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It is the foundational reference for the Digital Trust profession.

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What is Digital Trust?


Digital Trust is the organisational capability to design, operate, and govern digital systems so that they are:

  • safe

  • fair

  • secure

  • transparent

  • resilient

  • accountable

  • ethically governed

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The DTBoK™ provides the structured framework for achieving and evidencing this.

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What is the Digital Trust Body of Knowledge™?


The DTBoK™ is a comprehensive, standards‑aligned body of knowledge that:

  • defines the scope and boundaries of Digital Trust

  • sets out the principles and models of the discipline

  • establishes the role and obligations of the Digital Trust Professional

  • provides governance and assurance structures for organisations

  • aligns Digital Trust with global standards and regulation

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It is not a training course or a generic textbook.

It is the canonical framework of a profession.

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Inside the DTBoK™


The DT‑BoK is structured into ten core chapters:

  • Foundations of Digital Trust  

Definition, scope, principles, and the Digital Trust Professional.

  • Governance, Accountability & Oversight  

Board‑level accountability, executive ownership, trust councils, and regulatory alignment.

  • Digital Trust Risk & Assurance  

Trust risk vs cyber/operational risk, harm models, assurance types, metrics, and trust reporting.

  • Security, Privacy & Resilience as Trust Enablers  

Secure‑by‑design, privacy‑by‑design, resilience, incident response, and trust restoration.

  • AI, Automation & Algorithmic Trust  

AI governance, lifecycle controls, fairness, explainability, oversight, and AI assurance.

  • Digital Trust Architecture & Systems Thinking  

Trust‑by‑design, architectural patterns, behavioural assurance, ecosystem and platform trust.

  • Organisational Capability & Workforce Development  

Competency frameworks, maturity models, capability building, and professional pathways.

  • Ethics, Societal Impact & Public Trust  

Ethical foundations, societal impact assessment, transparency, and public legitimacy.

  • Digital Trust Operations & Practice  

Operating models, workflows, controls, monitoring, communication, and continuous improvement.

  • The Digital Trust Institute Canon  

Professional standards, credential ecosystems, organisational membership, and DTI®’s stewardship role.

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Aligned with Global Standards


The DTBoK™ is designed to be globally interoperable and aligns with major frameworks, including:

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The DTBoK™ does not replace these standards, it integrates and extends them into a unified Digital Trust framework.

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Who the DTBoK™ is for

 

  • Boards & Executives  

To govern digital systems with clear accountability, oversight, and transparency.

  • Digital, Data, AI & Technology Leaders  

To embed Digital Trust into strategy, architecture, and operations.

  • Cybersecurity, Privacy, Risk & Compliance Professionals  

To extend practice into Digital Trust governance and assurance.

  • Regulators & Policymakers  

To understand how Digital Trust can be governed, measured, and assured.

  • Universities & Educators

To teach Digital Trust as a structured, standards‑aligned discipline.

  • Digital Trust Professionals & Candidates  

To develop competence and prepare for DTI® credentials.

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The DTBoK™ and DTI® Credentials


The DTBoK™ is the reference standard for all DTI® credentials and designations, including:

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It underpins:

  • exam blueprints

  • professional competency frameworks

  • organisational membership criteria

  • Digital Trust maturity assessments

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Formats & Pricing

 

The Digital Trust Body of Knowledge™ is available as:

  • Digital Edition (PDF/EPUB)

  • Organisational Licence

  • Academic Licence

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  • Non-Member Price: £150

  • DTI® Member Price: £95  

  • Organisational Licensing: from £12,000 per year

  • Academic Licensing: from £12,500 per year

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Organisational Licensing


Organisations can license the DTBoK™ to:

  • build Digital Trust capability

  • align governance and assurance

  • support workforce development

  • underpin internal frameworks and policies

  • evidence trustworthiness to regulators and stakeholders

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Licensing typically includes:

  • internal distribution rights

  • annual updates

  • alignment briefings

  • preferential access to DTI® programmes for Organisational Members

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Digital Trust Body of Knowledge™ (DTBoK™)

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