What is the NIST Cybersecurity
Framework?

The NIST Cybersecurity Framework (CSF) consists of voluntary guidelines and standards to manage the cybersecurity risks across an entire organization or its critical infrastructures. It offers a flexible, repeatable, and cost-effective approach towards managing cybersecurity risks.

The framework was originally imagined as a cybersecurity risk management system for the critical infrastructures of US. Today, it has been widely implemented in private and public sectors across organizational departments and the around the globe.

NIST Cybersecurity Framework Guide

ManageEngine's guide to implementing the NIST Cybersecurity Framework

anageEngine's guide to implementing the NIST Cybersecurity

Download the guide

Why do you need to implement the NIST CSF?

  • Strengthen your cybersecurity posture

    Strengthen your cybersecurity posture

    Organizations can examine their current security posture and prioritize opportunities to strengthen it.

  • Maximize ROI

    Maximize ROI

    Focus on critical service delivery components to make the implementation process cost-effective.

  • Comply with global standards

    Comply with global standards

    Comply with other existing global standards and mandates easily.

  • Understand organizational risks

    Understand organizational risks

    Assess risks objectively and formulate an action plan to bring them to tolerance level.

  • Become risk-informed

    Become risk-informed

    Transform reactive cybersecurity practices into an agile, risk-informed approach.

  • Expand the scope of risk management

    Expand the scope of risk management

    Ensure the products and services from partners meet critical security outcomes.

Components of the framework

NISTCybersecurityFramework
  • Framework core
  • Framework profile
  • Framework implementation tiers

Framework core

Framework core

The framework core consists of key risk management activities that help organizations realize cybersecurity outcomes that align with their business objectives.

The core comprises of five functions: identify, protect, detect, respond, and recover. It offers a holistic strategy to understand potential security threats, mitigate their impact, and recover with minimal business disruption.

The functions are not meant to be a serial path towards a desired state. They outline a set of actions that can be performed concurrently and continuously to develop an organizational culture that addresses emerging cybersecurity risks.

Framework profile

Framework profile

The framework profile represents an organization's desired target cybersecurity posture. An organization can develop its profile by selecting all the most important cybersecurity outcomes outlined under the framework functions based on its business goals, risk tolerances, and resources.

By creating a current profile and comparing it with the target profile, organizations can identify opportunities to improve their cybersecurity program. Based on the priority and estimated cost of the corrective efforts, organizations can plan for cybersecurity improvement measures.

Framework implementation tiers

Framework implementation tiers

The implementation tiers illustrate the degree to which an organization's established cybersecurity program reflects the characteristics outlined in the framework. It helps in understanding the scope of cybersecurity practices implemented to manage risks.

The tiers are not maturity levels. Organizations should move towards a higher tier when they have the resources and budget for reducing their cybersecurity risks.

  • Tier 1: Partial

    Irregular, reactive risk management practices with limited awareness of cybersecurity risks.

  • Tier 2: Risk informed

    Some awareness of cybersecurity risks, but limited establishment of a risk management program at an organizational level.

  • Tier 3: Repeatable

    Consistent cybersecurity risk management program across an organization with processes to respond based on changes in the threat landscape.

  • Tier 4: Adaptive

    Advanced response system capable of effectively improving its risk management program based on previous incidents and predictive indicators.

How can ManageEngine help you implement the NIST CSF?

Identify

  • Asset management
  • Business environment
  • Governance
  • Risk assessment
  • Risk management strategy

Business environment

Define cybersecurity roles and make informed risk management decisions based on organizations' objectives, stakeholders, and operations.

How ManageEngine solutions can help you

Protect

  • Identity management and access control
  • Data security
  • Information protection processes and procedures
  • Maintenance
  • Protective technology

Data security

Manage and safeguard data as per the organizational risk policy to protect confidentiality, integrity, and availability of information.

How ManageEngine solutions can help you

Respond

  • Response planning
  • Communications
  • Analysis
  • Mitigation
  • Improvements

Analysis

Conduct analysis to ensure effective responses to support recovery.

How ManageEngine solutions can help you

Improvements

Integrate lessons learned from incidents to improve organizational response measures.

How ManageEngine solutions can help you

Recover

  • Recovery planning
  • Improvements
  • Communications

Recovery planning

Perform and maintain recovery processes to restore systems affected by cybersecurity incidents.

How ManageEngine solutions can help you

Improvements

Incorporate lessons learned to improve recovery measures.

How ManageEngine solutions can help you

Communications

Coordinate with internal and external stakeholders on restoration activities.

How ManageEngine solutions can help you

Get guidance on implementing the NIST CSF

Download our guide to take a closer look at how your organization can implement
the NIST Cybersecurity Framework.

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Disclaimer:

The complete implementation of the NIST Cybersecurity Framework requires a variety of solutions, processes, people, and technologies. The solutions mentioned above are some of the ways in which IT management tools can help with the NIST Cybersecurity Framework implementation. Coupled with other appropriate solutions, processes, and people, ManageEngine's solutions help comply with the NIST Cybersecurity Framework. This material is provided for informational purposes only, and should not be considered as legal advice for NIST Cybersecurity Framework implementation. ManageEngine makes no warranties, express, implied, or statutory, as to the information in this material.

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