6 Functions of the NIST Cybersecurity Framework - SCA Security

More than half of Americans, 61%, have been impacted by a cyber security incident such as a data breach. 44% of those individuals have had it happen more than once. As a result, and understandably, many folks are concerned about the safety of the data they share with organizations and businesses with whom they interact.

Those businesses and organizations are, also, rightfully concerned. Cyber threats are evolving at an unprecedented pace, and the pressure to protect sensitive data, maintain regulatory compliance, and ensure operational continuity is immense. Enter the NIST Cybersecurity Framework (CSF), a comprehensive guide designed to help organizations manage and mitigate cybersecurity risks effectively.

What is the NIST CSF?

This framework, established by the National Institute of Standards and Technology, lays out a clear, structured approach to fortifying an organization’s cybersecurity posture.

Version 2.0 of the framework, released in February of 2024, breaks down the complex landscape of cybersecurity into six core functions—Identify, Protect, Detect, Respond, Recover, and Govern—providing a strategic roadmap organizations can tailor to fit their unique cybersecurity needs and challenges. 

Why the NIST CSF?

Implementing the NIST CSF is voluntary, however it is becoming mandatory for some sectors such as Florida local government entities. It is based on best established cybersecurity practices drawn from a variety of sources including: CIS CSC, COBIT, ISA, ISO 27001 and NIST 800-53.

Because most of the cybersecurity topics covered in this framework are, typically, common to a variety of sectors, it’s a particularly useful starting point for most organizations building or strengthening their cybersecurity posture.

In fact, the NIST CSF stands out as a preferred choice for many organizations, for several compelling reasons:

1. Comprehensive and Flexible Approach
As noted above, having a cybersecurity plan tailored to meet specific challenges and needs is essential. The NIST CSF is comprehensive, covering the entire spectrum of cybersecurity, from identifying risks to recovering from incidents. Its structure—organized into six core functions: Identify, Protect, Detect, Respond, Recover, and Govern—provides a holistic view of cybersecurity. Additionally, the framework is flexible, allowing organizations of any size and sector to tailor its guidelines to their specific needs and risk profile.

2. Alignment with Industry Standards and Regulations
The NIST CSF aligns with a wide range of other industry standards and regulations, such as ISO/IEC 27001, HIPAA, and CIS Critical Controls. This alignment makes it easier for organizations to comply with multiple regulatory requirements simultaneously, reducing the burden of compliance management and ensuring comprehensive protection.

3. Focus on Risk Management
At its core, the NIST CSF emphasizes risk management, helping organizations prioritize their cybersecurity efforts based on their specific risk landscape. By focusing on the highest risks and the most critical assets, companies can allocate resources more efficiently and effectively, improving their overall security posture.

4. Scalability and Universality
One of the key strengths of the NIST CSF is its scalability. It’s designed to be applicable to organizations of all sizes and industries, from small businesses to multinational corporations. This universality makes it a versatile tool that can grow and evolve with the organization, adapting to evolving threats and business changes.

5. Continuous Improvement
The NIST framework encourages a culture of continuous improvement through its iterative process. By regularly assessing and improving cybersecurity measures, organizations can stay ahead of emerging threats and evolving technologies. This proactive approach not only enhances security but also builds resilience, ensuring that organizations can quickly recover from and adapt to cybersecurity incidents.

6. Proven Track Record and Government Backing
Because it was developed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology, a respected authority in cybersecurity, the framework benefits from rigorous research and a solid foundation in best practices. Its adoption by government agencies and private sector organizations alike underscores its reliability and effectiveness as a cybersecurity tool.

For many organizations, choosing the NIST Cybersecurity Framework equips them with a robust, adaptable strategy to safeguard their organizations in an increasingly complex digital world. 

The 6 Core Functions of the NIST Cybersecurity Framework

The six core functions in the NIST CSF are the pillars that support the creation of a holistic and successful cybersecurity plan. Each of the six NIST functions work conjointly to help organizations form a strong foundation and establish the essential elements to build a cyber security plan to minimize risks, decrease the attack surface, address vulnerabilities, and build a comprehensive plan for both protection and response in the face of a cyber attack.

1. Identify (Your Cybersecurity Risks)

To establish any comprehensive cybersecurity plan, organizations must first fully understand their current risks, including threats and vulnerabilities related to data, systems, and assets.

The key categories in this identification function include:

• Business environment – Establish the organization’s mission, objectives, general activities, and stakeholders.
• Asset management – Identify devices, data, personal, facilities, and systems used to conduct the core company purposes.
• Governance – The procedures, processes, and policies necessary to manage and monitor the company’s cyber security risks as well as legal, operational and regulatory needs.
• Risk assessment – Understanding the specific cybersecurity risks that may face organizational assets, operations, and employees.
• Risk management plan – Establishing a company’s risk tolerances, priorities, and constraints, and using that data to support critical operational decisions.

2. Protect (Your Digital Assets and Tech Resources)

Once organizations have a better understanding of their cybersecurity risks, they can evaluate whether their cybersecurity safeguards offer sufficient protection, or if changes or additional controls are needed.

The NIST Cybersecurity Framework’s protect function underpins the capability to contain or limit any impacts arising from cybersecurity events. Including:

• Access Controls – Limit both physical and logical access to your assets and network. Follow the principle of least privilege- users should have the least access possible they need to perform their job roles.
• Training and awareness – Provide sufficient training and cybersecurity awareness to empower your team members to perform their responsibilities in alignment with your company’s information security compliance policies and procedures.
• Data security – Managing the organization’s critical data based on your risk assessment strategy designed to safeguard the confidentiality, availability, and integrity of critical data.
• Information protection procedures and processes – The processes, policies, and methods used to protect the company’s information systems and assets effectively.
• Maintenance – Includes repairs of the information system elements, completed based on a company’s procedures and policies, with minimal impact and on operations. Further, maintenance should also include close monitoring to ensure there are no additional exposed security vulnerabilities or unauthorized access during maintenance windows.
• Protective technology – Implement network segmentation to protect highly sensitive data. Further, intrusion detection and prevention systems should be employed to block potential threats while hardware and software should be configured to decrease vulnerabilities. 

3. Detect (Cyber Security Events and Suspicious Activity)

Speed is critical in threat mitigation. The detection part of the NIST CSF defines the essential processes necessary to identify cybersecurity events. Timely detection is crucial as it allows the proper response to be initiated.

• Detecting any anomalies – Ensuring all events or anomalies are quickly detected
• Continuous monitoring – Tracking your information and assets to detect cybersecurity events rapidly
• Detection processes – Maintain your detection processes to guarantee their availability and reliability to detect any anomalies

4. Respond (To Cyber Security Incidents)

The NIST CSF also includes guidelines for organizational response from containing or limiting the attack to reporting, ensuring business continuity, and mitigating future cybersecurity events. It, in short, includes all steps initiated by an organization once cybersecurity threats or incidents are detected.

• Response planning – Ensure timely response using properly executed procedures and processes.
• Communication – Covers response activities related to communication between external and internal stakeholders
• Analysis – Includes the reviews done while response actions are underway to make sure correct procedures are followed
• Risk mitigation – The activities that prevent the cybersecurity event from expanding while eradicating or neutralizing its effects
• Improvements – Every time an organization deals with response activities, it presents new opportunities for strengthening the process by reviewing the lessons learned and making improvements.

5. Recover (And Restore Business Continuity and Cyber Confidence)

This function of the NIST CSF identifies the best processes to achieve business resilience. It seeks to quickly restore impaired services, capabilities, and capacities to ensure everything is working as intended.

• Recovery planning – Organizing recovery procedures based on priority.
• Improvements – Review of events and response to update the recovery strategy.
• Communication – Coordinating communication with all stakeholders to ensure the successful restoration of services.

6. Govern (And Develop Cybersecurity Policies and Protocols)

In the past, the NIST CSF traditionally highlighted five core functions, but, more recently, version 2.0 of the framework now recognizes the importance of a sixth function: Governance. Governance ensures that cybersecurity policies, procedures, and controls align with the organization’s overall objectives, risk appetite, and regulatory requirements. 

• Cybersecurity Policy Development – Establishing comprehensive cybersecurity policies helps define the organization’s approach to security.
• Risk Management Strategy – Develop A clear strategy to identify, assess, and manage cybersecurity risks. 
• Roles and Responsibilities – Defining and assigning roles and responsibilities for cybersecurity across the organization. This includes ensuring key stakeholders are accountable for specific aspects of the cybersecurity program.
• Compliance and Regulatory Alignment – Ensuring the organization complies with relevant laws, regulations, and industry standards. 
• Performance Measurement and Reporting – Implementing metrics and key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure the effectiveness of the cybersecurity program. Regularly report these metrics to executive leadership and the board of directors to maintain transparency and accountability.
• Continuous Improvement – Establishing a framework for continuous improvement in cybersecurity practices including conducting regular reviews and updates of cybersecurity policies, procedures, and controls based on lessons learned from incidents, threat intelligence, and changes in the threat landscape.
• Third-Party Risk Management –  Managing cybersecurity risks associated with third-party vendors and partners. 
• Cybersecurity Awareness and Culture –  Fostering a culture of cybersecurity awareness across the organization including regular training and awareness programs to ensure all employees understand their role in maintaining security.

Conducting a NIST Cybersecurity Framework assessment can help your team not only align with the  6 functions but also help address cybersecurity risks specific to both your industry and business.

Contact SCA for More Information About the NIST Cybersecurity Framework

Learning about the NIST Cybersecurity Framework core functions is a starting point to help you review your company’s cybersecurity posture to make the necessary changes for cyber threat prevention. Building cybersecurity confidence requires a strong foundation and SCA is ready to help you with a thorough NIST Cybersecurity Framework assessment. Let’s improve your current security state by creating a roadmap to achieve cybersecurity confidence!