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How to Implement NIST Cybersecurity Framework: Step-by-Step Guide
Organizations worldwide use the National Institute of Standards and Technology Cybersecurity Framework (NIST CSF) to mitigate risk by strengthening their security and compliance posture. The framework is voluntary, but it offers proven best practices that are applicable to nearly any organization. However, it can seem daunting at first because it includes so many components.
If you’ve been looking for straightforward, practical knowledge of NIST CSF principles and practices, your search is over. This guide will help you build a step-by-step implementation plan tailored to the unique characteristics of your organization, including your current cybersecurity posture and available resources.
Unlock the keys to resilient business management in the dynamic cybersecurity landscape with this comprehensive guide.
Inside, you’ll learn:
· The 5 core functions of the NIST CSF: Identify, Protect, Detect, Respond and Recover
· How to use the framework to assess your organization’s existing cybersecurity policies and activities
· Simple steps for identifying and prioritizing strategies that will improve your cybersecurity posture
· How the Netwrix Data Security Platform can help you implement the NIST CSF
People often ask, “How to use the NIST Cybersecurity Framework effectively?” The answer is simple: Most other frameworks rely on binary measurements and focus solely on compliance. In contrast, implementing NIST Cybersecurity Framework principles helps you build a strategy and maturity model tailored to your unique risk landscape. Cybersecurity programs today must go beyond checkboxes - and the NIST CSF enables exactly that.
Moreover, the NIST CSF offers these unique advantages:
· Customizable – The NIST CSF can be completely customized however you want; no other framework allows for such flexibility.;
· Easily understandable – The language was written to be easily understood by everyone, not just auditors.;
· Risk-based – As part of your customization, you get to decide where the priorities should be, and not all of the controls have equal weighting.
Understanding the major NIST CSF components is key to implementing the NIST Cybersecurity Framework effectively.
The NIST CSF is made up of 3 major components: core, tiers and profiles.
The Core is the bulk of the NIST CSF and is preferably the most recognizable portion. The core is meant to be written in common and accessible language. The Core is most often identified by its five key functions - groupings of cybersecurity outcomes and activities.
Each of these five functions - Identify, Protect, Detect, Respond, and Recover - is divided into 23 categories. For example, under the Identify function, categories include asset management, business environment, governance, risk assessment, risk management strategy, and supply chain risk management. These 23 categories are further subdivided into 108 sub-categories, offering a highly detailed, outcome-driven structure.
These five core functions serve as the pillars of a well-rounded cybersecurity strategy. When you’re figuring out how to use the NIST Cybersecurity Framework, these functions provide a solid, outcome-driven foundation.
Tiers describe the degree to which an organization’s cybersecurity risk management practices exhibit the characteristics defined in the framework. The tiers range from Partial (Tier 1) to Adaptive (Tier 4). They describe an increasing degree of rigor — specifically, how well cybersecurity risk decisions are integrated into broader risk decisions, and the degree to which the organization shares and receives cybersecurity info from external parties. While the tiers can seem complex, they offer flexibility for organizations to adapt them based on their specific context and maturity goals.
Profiles help determine which areas of the NIST CSF an organization should focus on. More specifically, profiles help organizations prioritize functions, categories, and subcategories based on current capabilities, risk appetite, and available resources.
If you're exploring how to implement the NIST Cybersecurity Framework, this guide is the perfect place to start. Whether you’re running a small business or managing IT security for a large enterprise, the NIST CSF provides a flexible and powerful structure.
The NIST CSF is made up of core, tiers and profiles. The core is the bulk of the NIST CSF and is made up of five categories and 108 sub-categories. Tiers help you measure maturity, and profiles help you set priorities. You do not have to make it any more complicated than that. And remember, you can and should make it your own.
Whether you’re just starting with cybersecurity or looking to elevate your current strategy, implementing the NIST Cybersecurity Framework with tools like Netwrix can provide actionable insights, greater control, and stronger resilience.
If you’ve been looking for straightforward, practical knowledge of NIST CSF principles and practices, your search is over. This guide will help you build a step-by-step implementation plan tailored to the unique characteristics of your organization, including your current cybersecurity posture and available resources.
Unlock the keys to resilient business management in the dynamic cybersecurity landscape with this comprehensive guide.
Inside, you’ll learn:
· The 5 core functions of the NIST CSF: Identify, Protect, Detect, Respond and Recover
· How to use the framework to assess your organization’s existing cybersecurity policies and activities
· Simple steps for identifying and prioritizing strategies that will improve your cybersecurity posture
· How the Netwrix Data Security Platform can help you implement the NIST CSF
Why Choose the NIST CSF?
People often ask, “How to use the NIST Cybersecurity Framework effectively?” The answer is simple: Most other frameworks rely on binary measurements and focus solely on compliance. In contrast, implementing NIST Cybersecurity Framework principles helps you build a strategy and maturity model tailored to your unique risk landscape. Cybersecurity programs today must go beyond checkboxes - and the NIST CSF enables exactly that.
Moreover, the NIST CSF offers these unique advantages:
· Customizable – The NIST CSF can be completely customized however you want; no other framework allows for such flexibility.;
· Easily understandable – The language was written to be easily understood by everyone, not just auditors.;
· Risk-based – As part of your customization, you get to decide where the priorities should be, and not all of the controls have equal weighting.
NIST CSF Components: Core, Tiers, and Profiles
Understanding the major NIST CSF components is key to implementing the NIST Cybersecurity Framework effectively.
The NIST CSF is made up of 3 major components: core, tiers and profiles.
The Core is the bulk of the NIST CSF and is preferably the most recognizable portion. The core is meant to be written in common and accessible language. The Core is most often identified by its five key functions - groupings of cybersecurity outcomes and activities.
Each of these five functions - Identify, Protect, Detect, Respond, and Recover - is divided into 23 categories. For example, under the Identify function, categories include asset management, business environment, governance, risk assessment, risk management strategy, and supply chain risk management. These 23 categories are further subdivided into 108 sub-categories, offering a highly detailed, outcome-driven structure.
These five core functions serve as the pillars of a well-rounded cybersecurity strategy. When you’re figuring out how to use the NIST Cybersecurity Framework, these functions provide a solid, outcome-driven foundation.
Tiers describe the degree to which an organization’s cybersecurity risk management practices exhibit the characteristics defined in the framework. The tiers range from Partial (Tier 1) to Adaptive (Tier 4). They describe an increasing degree of rigor — specifically, how well cybersecurity risk decisions are integrated into broader risk decisions, and the degree to which the organization shares and receives cybersecurity info from external parties. While the tiers can seem complex, they offer flexibility for organizations to adapt them based on their specific context and maturity goals.
Profiles help determine which areas of the NIST CSF an organization should focus on. More specifically, profiles help organizations prioritize functions, categories, and subcategories based on current capabilities, risk appetite, and available resources.
Keep It Simple, Start Today
If you're exploring how to implement the NIST Cybersecurity Framework, this guide is the perfect place to start. Whether you’re running a small business or managing IT security for a large enterprise, the NIST CSF provides a flexible and powerful structure.
The NIST CSF is made up of core, tiers and profiles. The core is the bulk of the NIST CSF and is made up of five categories and 108 sub-categories. Tiers help you measure maturity, and profiles help you set priorities. You do not have to make it any more complicated than that. And remember, you can and should make it your own.
Whether you’re just starting with cybersecurity or looking to elevate your current strategy, implementing the NIST Cybersecurity Framework with tools like Netwrix can provide actionable insights, greater control, and stronger resilience.
