The importance of cyber security cannot be overstated. If individuals, groups, companies, and even nations depend on computers and other forms of IT, then cyber security must be a top priority. And since there is no way that people will abandon the online world, its significance will last forever. That’s why we are now focusing our attention on cyber security frameworks. What are they, what different sorts are there, and what do they do? By the end of the post, we hope you will walk away with a firm grasp of these frameworks and what they can do to strengthen your cyber security stance.
So, what exactly is a cyber security framework?
Cyber Security Framework
Cyber security frameworks describe principles, standards, and best practices for managing cyber security risks. The frameworks exist to decrease an organization’s exposure to vulnerabilities and flaws that hackers and other cybercriminals may exploit.
The phrase “framework” implies that it refers to hardware. Still, this is not the case. It doesn’t help that the term “mainframe” exists, implying that we’re dealing with a concrete infrastructure of servers, data storage, etc.
However, just as a framework in the “real world” is a structure that supports a building or other major item, a cyber security framework offers the foundation, structure, and support for an organization’s security techniques and activities.
Cybersecurity frameworks are frequently required, or at the very least significantly encouraged, for businesses seeking to comply with state, industry, and international cybersecurity legislation. For example, a company must pass an audit demonstrating compliance with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards (PCI DSS) framework to process credit card transactions.
Cyber Security Framework NIST
NIST developed its cybersecurity framework, abbreviated as NIST CSF, to improve the security of the United States’ critical infrastructure. The purpose was to create a consistent set of standards, objectives, and vocabulary to enhance information security and lessen the consequences of a cyberattack. A single language leads to better decision-making and helps form a consistent technique across businesses, which is critical for eliminating cyberattacks such as phishing scams and ransomware.
NIST CSF was first released in 2014, with Version 1.1 released in 2018. (While NIST did provide a draft Version 2.0 for public comment in August 2023, a final Version 2.0 is not expected until early 2024.)
Since its inception, the NIST CSF has proven to be so adaptable that the agency invites all organizations, regardless of size or industry, to adopt it voluntarily. The CSF comprises core framework components, implementation layers, and profiles.
The fundamental components are the capabilities that your cybersecurity program should be able to attain. There are five of them:
- Identify
- Protect
- Detect
- Respond
- Recover
These components are then subdivided into categories and subcategories to limit cybersecurity risk.
NIST Cyber Security Framework Controls
From a process standpoint, cybersecurity begins with an awareness of the organization, its objectives, and its risk tolerance. Understanding the organization’s involvement in essential infrastructure is one component of this. Roles, responsibilities, policies, and processes are all defined using these. Technical controls, monitoring, and planned reactions constitute cybersecurity. Based on experience, the processes are examined and enhanced.
From a technical standpoint, cybersecurity begins with managing identities, credentials, and associated rights and access.
The framework provides significant controls and processes in various areas critical to cybersecurity. It establishes the five concurrent functions of Identify, Protect, Detect, Respond, and Recover. A number of these functions are associated with processes and policies. The Protect function, in particular, concerns concrete safeguards that must be applied to systems and data.
Additionally, the framework helps organizations understand, structure, manage, and mitigate cybersecurity threats. Cybersecurity infractions can result in significant financial losses, reputational damage, or disruptions that permanently harm a company’s market position.
Finally, the framework also aids in determining the most vital activities for ensuring critical operations and service delivery. It aids in prioritizing expenditures and provides a consistent language for cybersecurity and risk management within and outside the organization.
Top Cyber Security Framework
There are many options available to you when selecting a cybersecurity architecture. The best frameworks presently employed in the business are listed below. Your decision should be based on your organization’s specific requirements for safety.
Businesses use cybersecurity frameworks as a reference point. IT security teams can intelligently manage cyber risks for their organizations if they have the right framework and use it properly. A business can either modify an already existing framework or create one from scratch.
#1. The National Institute of Standards and Technology’s Cybersecurity Framework
The NIST Framework for Improving Critical Infrastructure Cybersecurity, also known as the “NIST cybersecurity framework” for short, was established under the Obama Administration in response to Presidential Executive Order 13636. The NIST was created to safeguard America’s vital infrastructure (dams and power plants) from cyberattacks.
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is a set of voluntary security standards that private-sector companies can employ to detect, identify, and respond to cyberattacks. The framework also includes recommendations to assist enterprises in preventing and recovering from cyberattacks.
Note: NIST is related to five functions or best practices: Identify, Protect, Detect, Respond, and Recover
#2. The Center for Internet Security’s Critical Security Controls (CIS)
You should use CIS if you plan to start your business on a modest scale and expand later. This framework was created in the late 2000s to help businesses protect themselves from cyber threats. It consists of 20 controls continually updated by security professionals from various disciplines (academic, government, and industrial). The framework starts with the fundamentals, continues to the foundational, and lasts to the organizational.
CIS uses benchmarks based on common standards, such as HIPAA or NIST, to map security standards and provide alternative settings for firms not subject to statutory security rules but seeking to improve cyber security.
#3. The International Standards Organization (ISO) frameworks ISO/IEC 27001 and 27002.
ISO 270K is another name for this system. It is regarded as the internationally acknowledged cyber security validation standard for internal and external scenarios. ISO 270K presumes that the organization has an information security management system. ISO/IEC 27001 demands management thoroughly manage their organization’s information security risks, emphasizing threats and vulnerabilities.
ISO/IEC 270K is an equally rigorous standard. The framework recommends 114 controls divided into 14 categories. As a result, given the labor involved in maintaining the standards, ISO 270K may not be for everyone. It is, nevertheless, worthwhile if applying ISO 270K provides a selling point for gaining new clients.
NIST Cyber Security Framework Certification
NIST Framework for Improving Critical Infrastructure Cybersecurity, also known as the “NIST cybersecurity framework,” is intended to protect critical infrastructure such as power plants and dams from cyber attacks. However, its concepts can be applied to any organization seeking improved security. It is one of numerous NIST cybersecurity standards.
The NIST cybersecurity framework, like most frameworks, is complicated and extensive in scope. The basic description is 41 pages long. The framework’s implementation can take thousands of person-hours and hundreds of pages of documentation, procedures, controls, etc. However, at its core, the architecture is simple to grasp.
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), an agency of the United States Department of Commerce, is in charge of measurement science, standards, and technology in a way that promotes safety and collaboration for industry and government alike. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) considerably influences global standards. It provides a framework for cybersecurity experts to examine and increase their ability to identify, detect, and respond to cyber-attacks.
What Is the Cyber Security Framework?
Cyber security frameworks are collections of documents that describe principles, standards, and best practices for managing cyber security risks. The frameworks exist to decrease an organization’s exposure to vulnerabilities and flaws that hackers and other cybercriminals may exploit.
What Is the Most Cyber Security Framework?
ISO 27001/27002, sometimes known as ISO 27K, is a globally recognized cybersecurity standard.
What Are the 5 Areas of the NIST Cybersecurity Framework?
It outlines several recommended criteria that public and private sector organizations can use to strengthen their cybersecurity profiles. The NIST framework has five important functions: identify, protect, detect, respond, and recover.
What Is an Example of a Cyber Security Framework?
The Center for Internet Security (CIS) Controls, which consists of 20 critical security controls, and the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS), which provides a set of requirements for securing credit card data and transactions, are two examples of control frameworks in cybersecurity.
How Do You Create a Cyber Security Framework?
Implementing the NIST Cybersecurity Framework in Six Steps
- Set your objectives.
- Make a thorough profile.
- Determine your present situation.
- Analyze any gaps and determine the appropriate actions.
- Put your strategy into action.
- Make use of NIST resources.
Is NIST the Best Framework?
The Framework for Improving Critical Infrastructure Cybersecurity (CSF) of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is frequently cited as the gold standard for developing a strong cybersecurity program.
Key Takeaway
Thanks to cybersecurity frameworks, a solid security posture and avoiding data breaches are possible. They can help a company gain official recognition for its compliance with a set of rules. The choice to adopt a framework involves a financial and time investment. However, it’s worthwhile if you do it well. The framework provides an orderly way to become secure and regularly measures the efficiency of the security measures set by the framework.
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