Dashboard: AWS NIST Cybersecurity Framework (CSF) v2.0

NIST Cybersecurity Framework (CSF) 2.0 Overview

Introduction

The NIST Cybersecurity Framework (CSF) 2.0, published by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in February 2024, provides guidance to organizations of all sizes and sectors for managing and reducing cybersecurity risks. The CSF offers a taxonomy of high-level cybersecurity outcomes, enabling organizations to understand, assess, prioritize, and communicate their cybersecurity efforts. It is designed to be flexible, technology-neutral, and adaptable to any organization's unique mission, risk appetite, and requirements.

Structure of the CSF 2.0

The CSF 2.0 is organized into three main components:

• CSF Core: The nucleus of the framework, consisting of a hierarchy of Functions, Categories, and Subcategories that detail desired cybersecurity outcomes. The CSF Core is not a checklist of actions, but a set of outcomes that organizations can aspire to achieve.
• CSF Organizational Profiles: Mechanisms for describing an organization's current and/or target cybersecurity posture in terms of the CSF Core's outcomes. Profiles help organizations understand, tailor, assess, prioritize, and communicate their cybersecurity posture.
• CSF Tiers: Characterizations of the rigor of an organization's cybersecurity risk governance and management practices, ranging from Tier 1 (Partial) to Tier 4 (Adaptive).

CSF Core Functions

The CSF Core is structured around six high-level Functions, each further divided into Categories and Subcategories:

1. GOVERN (GV): Establishes, communicates, and monitors the organization's cybersecurity risk management strategy, expectations, and policy.
2. IDENTIFY (ID): Understands the organization's current cybersecurity risks, assets, and risk management processes.
3. PROTECT (PR): Implements safeguards to manage the organization's cybersecurity risks, including identity management, data security, platform security, and resilience.
4. DETECT (DE): Enables timely discovery and analysis of cybersecurity attacks and compromises.
5. RESPOND (RS): Takes actions regarding detected cybersecurity incidents, including incident management, analysis, mitigation, and communication.
6. RECOVER (RC): Restores assets and operations affected by cybersecurity incidents, supporting timely restoration and communication during recovery efforts.

Usage and Flexibility

The CSF 2.0 is designed to be used by organizations of any size, sector, or maturity. It is not prescriptive and does not dictate how outcomes should be achieved. Instead, it provides a common language and structure for managing cybersecurity risk, which can be tailored to each organization's unique context. The CSF can be used alongside other frameworks, standards, and risk management tools.

Supplementary Resources

NIST provides a suite of online resources to complement the CSF, including:

• Informative References: Mappings to global standards, guidelines, and regulations.
• Implementation Examples: Notional examples of actions to achieve CSF outcomes.
• Quick Start Guides (QSGs): Actionable guidance for using the CSF and its resources.
• Community and Organizational Profile Templates: Tools to help organizations implement and assess the CSF.

Conclusion

The NIST CSF 2.0 is a foundational resource for managing cybersecurity risk, supporting organizations in understanding, assessing, prioritizing, and communicating their cybersecurity posture. It is intended to be adapted and used in conjunction with other risk management resources to address the evolving landscape of cybersecurity threats and opportunities.

For more information and the latest resources, visit the NIST CSF website.