Governance

What is NIST CSF?

The NIST CSF, stands for the National Institute of Standards and Technology Cybersecurity Framework.

NIST CSF is a policy framework that offers private sector organizations computer security guidance, something that’s becoming ever more relevant in the modern business landscape. Importantly, NIST CSF has become compulsory for American federal agencies to implement as of May 2017.

So what do you need to know about this vital cybersecurity framework?

NIST CSF consists of three main sections:

One - The framework Core. This is divided into 5 sections – Identify, Protect, Detect, Respond, and Recover. It’s here that security architects can find a wide range of actions, outcomes and useful references describing the different best practice paths usually employed in raising an organization’s cybersecurity level.

Two - The framework Profile. This is a future state that specifies the objectives the business wants to achieve as part of their approach. And of course, no two company profiles are the same because it takes into account their own unique circumstances, such as budget, threats, and chain of procurement.

Three - Implementation Tiers. These can be used to determine a company’s cybersecurity strategy maturity by comparing the on-site circumstances with the framework’s directives. There are 4 levels of maturity: Partial, Risk Informed, Repeatable, and Adaptive.

The NIST CSF is especially useful because it acknowledges the role of budget in the process, and allows security architects to build a practice that prioritizes their most crucial needs. This enables them to have a significant impact even with reduced funds. So in essence, the NIST CSF is an American framework that clarifies organizations’ exposure to risk, and provides valuable guidance as they seek to improve their ability to prevent, detect, and respond to cyberattacks.

To understand how iServer can easily help you implement the NIST CSF, why not book a demonstration with one of our expert consultants today.