What is the NIST Cybersecurity Framework 2.0?
The NIST Cybersecurity Framework (CSF) 2.0 is a voluntary guidance document intended to assist organizations in managing and mitigating cybersecurity risks. The CSF provides a common taxonomy and language for understanding, assessing, prioritizing, and communicating cybersecurity risks, as well as links to additional guidance, such as existing standards, guidelines, and best practices for managing those risks . Any organization, regardless of size, sector, or cybersecurity maturity, can use the CSF 2.0.
What are the six core functions of the NIST CSF 2.0?
The six core functions of the CSF are:
– Identify (ID): Develop an understanding of your organization’s systems, assets, data, and cybersecurity risks.
– Protect (PR): Implement safeguards to ensure the delivery of critical services by protecting organizational assets.
– Detect (DE): Develop and implement appropriate activities to identify when a cybersecurity event has occurred.
– Respond (RS): Take action regarding a detected cybersecurity incident.
– Recover (RC): Restore any capabilities or services that were impaired due to a cybersecurity incident.
– Govern (GV): This function was significantly expanded in CSF 2.0 to help organizations better incorporate cybersecurity risk management into their broader enterprise risk management strategies.
These functions provide a high-level, strategic, and dynamic view of an organization’s cybersecurity risk management program.
What are the components of the CSF 2.0?
The CSF 2.0 includes:
– CSF Core: A set of cybersecurity activities and desired outcomes organized as Functions, Categories, and Subcategories. The Core is sector-, country-, and technology-neutral and links to informative references, such as existing standards, guidelines, and practices, for achieving security outcomes .
– CSF Organizational Profiles: Organizations use their unique risk tolerances, mission objectives, and requirements to describe their current and target cybersecurity postures in terms of the Core’s outcomes.
– CSF Tiers: Characterize an organization’s cybersecurity risk governance and management practices, providing context for how they view cybersecurity risks and the processes to manage those risks.
– Online Resources: A suite of resources that organizations can use to help them implement the CSF, such as Informative References, Implementation Examples, Quick Start Guides, Community Profiles, and Organizational Profile Templates.
How has CSF 2.0 changed from previous versions?
CSF 2.0 introduces significant changes, including:
– A new Govern (GV) function emphasizing the importance of cybersecurity governance.
– Updates to existing functions to address current cybersecurity challenges, such as supply chain risks and evolving threats.
– Enhanced guidance on using the framework with other risk management approaches, including enterprise risk management (ERM) and privacy frameworks.
– The addition of Implementation Examples and Informative References linked to each subcategory, providing more specific guidance on achieving desired outcomes.
What are Implementation Tiers, and how are they used?
Implementation Tiers (Tiers) describe the level of rigor of an organization’s cybersecurity risk governance and management practices. There are four Tiers, ranging from least to most mature:
– Partial (Tier 1): Risk management is informal, ad hoc, and applied inconsistently.
– Risk Informed (Tier 2): Organizations recognize cybersecurity risk but lack organization-wide policies and processes for managing it.
– Repeatable (Tier 3): Organizations have formal, organization-wide cybersecurity policies, procedures, and processes that are regularly reviewed and updated.
– Adaptive (Tier 4): Cybersecurity risk management is fully integrated into organizational culture and continuously adapts based on lessons learned and emerging threats.
Tiers are not intended to replace an existing cybersecurity risk management methodology. Instead, they complement an organization’s unique approach to managing risk. For example, an organization can use the Tiers to communicate internally how it approaches cybersecurity risk management. Progression to higher Tiers is encouraged when risks or mandates are greater, or a cost-benefit analysis indicates a feasible and cost-effective reduction of negative risks.
How can my organization use the CSF to improve its cybersecurity posture?
The CSF offers a five-step process for improving cybersecurity posture:
- Scope the Organizational Profile: Define the scope of your cybersecurity efforts based on your organization’s specific needs and priorities.
- Gather Information: Collect information about your organization’s existing cybersecurity practices, resources, risks, and requirements.
- Create the Organizational Profile: Develop a Current Profile outlining your organization’s current cybersecurity posture and a Target Profile outlining your desired cybersecurity goals.
- Analyze Gaps and Create an Action Plan: Compare your Current and Target Profiles to identify gaps and develop a prioritized action plan to address them.
- Implement the Action Plan and Update the Profile: Put the action plan into effect, track progress, and regularly update your Profiles to reflect changes in your cybersecurity posture and goals.
How does the CSF 2.0 address supply chain risks?
The CSF 2.0 highlights the increasing importance of managing cybersecurity risks across supply chains. It includes outcomes related to cybersecurity supply chain risk management (C-SCRM) and provides guidance on how to integrate C-SCRM into broader cybersecurity and enterprise risk management programs. The CSF emphasizes the importance of:
– Identifying, prioritizing, and assessing suppliers based on their criticality to the organization.
– Establishing clear cybersecurity requirements for suppliers in contracts and agreements.
– Understanding, monitoring, and responding to cybersecurity risks posed by suppliers throughout the relationship lifecycle.
– Collaborating with suppliers on incident planning, response, and recovery activities.
Please note that this FAQ is intended to be a starting point for organizations that are interested in learning more about the CSF 2.0. Organizations should consult the full text of the CSF 2.0 and associated NIST resources for detailed guidance.
What are CSF Profiles and Tiers, and how are they used?
– CSF Organizational Profiles: These describe an organization’s current and target cybersecurity posture. Current Profiles reflect the current state, while Target Profiles outline the desired state.
– CSF Tiers: These characterize the rigor of an organization’s cybersecurity risk management practices. They range from Partial (Tier 1) to Adaptive (Tier 4), reflecting a progression from informal, ad hoc approaches to more mature, risk-informed, and continuously improving practices.
Organizations can use Profiles and Tiers to understand their current cybersecurity capabilities, prioritize improvement efforts, and communicate their cybersecurity posture with stakeholders.
What are Informative References and Implementation Examples, and how can they help my organization?
– Informative References: These provide links to specific guidance on achieving each CSF outcome, drawing on existing standards, guidelines, frameworks, and best practices.
– Implementation Examples: These offer concrete, action-oriented suggestions for achieving the desired outcomes outlined in the CSF Subcategories. They are not exhaustive but provide practical examples to help organizations implement the CSF.
These resources offer more detailed and specific guidance on achieving the desired outcomes outlined in the CSF, helping organizations translate the framework into practice.
How does the CSF relate to other risk management approaches like ERM and privacy frameworks?
The CSF is designed to complement and integrate with other risk management approaches:
– Enterprise Risk Management (ERM): CSF 2.0 emphasizes integrating cybersecurity risk management into an organization’s broader ERM strategy.
– Privacy Frameworks: The CSF aligns with privacy frameworks like the NIST Privacy Framework to address the intersection of cybersecurity and privacy risks, providing a holistic approach to managing data protection.
How can small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) benefit from the CSF?
The CSF is adaptable for organizations of all sizes, and NIST offers resources tailored explicitly for SMBs, such as the CSF 2.0 Small Business Quick Start Guide. This guide helps SMBs with limited resources to kick-start their cybersecurity risk management efforts by providing clear steps and prioritizing key activities.
