The NIST Cybersecurity Framework: Organizational Security Policies

This lesson provides an in-depth overview of the NIST Cybersecurity Framework. It highlights the structure of the framework, its components, and how organizations can use it to assess and improve their cybersecurity maturity. The NIST framework is emphasized because it is freely available and widely adopted, incorporating references to many other cybersecurity standards and frameworks.

1. Overview of the NIST Framework:

• The NIST Cybersecurity Framework helps organizations manage cybersecurity risk by organizing basic cybersecurity functions into a high-level set of five core categories:

1. Identify

2. Protect

3. Detect

4. Respond

5. Recover

• Each category has subcategories that focus on specific cybersecurity outcomes, aligned with the organization’s needs.

2. Functions and Subcategories:

• The five core functions are broken down into categories and subcategories that represent specific management and technical outcomes. For example:

• Identify (ID) includes categories like Asset Management (ID.AM), which involves understanding the physical devices, software, and data flows within the organization.

• Protect (PR) includes Access Control (PR.AC) and focuses on managing identities, controlling access to resources, and ensuring secure remote access.

• Detect (DE) covers processes for monitoring systems for anomalies, attacks, and breaches.

• Respond (RS) outlines steps for incident response, such as planning, communications, and forensics.

• Recover (RC) involves activities after an incident, such as restoring capabilities and improving security strategies.

3. Informative References:

• Each subcategory includes informative references that link to specific standards and best practices. These references provide additional guidance and elaborate on the details of how to achieve the desired outcomes in each subcategory.

4. Example of the Asset Management Subcategory:

• The Asset Management (ID.AM) subcategory under the Identify function is used as an example. It includes six numbered subcategories:

1. ID.AM-1: Inventorying physical devices.

2. ID.AM-2: Inventorying software platforms and applications.

3. ID.AM-3: Mapping data flows.

4. ID.AM-4: Cataloging external information systems.

5. ID.AM-5: Classifying and prioritizing resources.

6. ID.AM-6: Establishing cybersecurity roles and responsibilities.

5. Implementation Tiers:

• The NIST framework defines Implementation Tiers, which allow organizations to assess the maturity and quality of their cybersecurity policies. The tiers are based on three criteria:

1. Risk Management Process: How well the organization manages cybersecurity risks.

2. Integration: How integrated the cybersecurity program is across the organization.

3. External Participation: How well the organization understands its role in the larger cybersecurity ecosystem.

• The four implementation tiers are:

1. Partial: The lowest level, where cybersecurity is reactive and ad hoc.

2. Risk-Informed: Where there is some awareness of cybersecurity risks, but integration is limited.

3. Repeatable: Cybersecurity processes are in place and can be repeated across different parts of the organization.

4. Adaptive: The highest level, where the organization continuously adapts its cybersecurity processes based on evolving threats and lessons learned.

6. Examples of Tiers:

• Partial Tier: At this level, the organization’s cybersecurity management is reactive, often initiated only in response to incidents. Awareness of cybersecurity risk is limited, and there is little to no integration across the organization.

• Adaptive Tier: At the highest level, the organization has formalized cybersecurity processes, continuously improves based on past experiences, and is proactive in adapting to new threats. It also actively engages with the broader cybersecurity community to understand and share risks.

7. Use of the NIST Framework for Self-Assessment:

• Organizations can use the NIST framework to self-assess their cybersecurity maturity and identify areas for improvement. The framework is voluntary, meaning it is not mandatory to comply with specific tiers, but it serves as a useful tool for evaluating and improving cybersecurity practices.

Conclusion:

The NIST Cybersecurity Framework is a flexible and comprehensive tool that helps organizations assess their cybersecurity risks and improve their policies. It aligns cybersecurity efforts with broader business objectives and encourages continuous improvement through its implementation tiers. By using the NIST framework, organizations can effectively manage their cybersecurity risks and align their policies with best practices in the industry.