NIST Cybersecurity Framework

Building a Holistic Cybersecurity Program

by Alison Furneaux

Gartner analyst Earl Perkins, research vice president, presented five cybersecurity trends during the Gartner Security & Risk Management Summit in 2017. One of his key takeaways was that cyber programs need to try a more holistic approach to cyber program strategy.

Getting hacked isn't an "If" anymore but a "When." Stop Focusing on Protection and Prevention Alone.

“Take the money you’re spending on prevention and begin to drive it more equitably to detection and response,” said Mr. Perkins. “The truth is that you won’t be able to stop every threat, and you need to get over it.”

In the past year, it's become clear that even the largest enterprises can be subject to data breaches. Therefore, this year if you're wondering where to focus your attention, spending time on making and testing your response plans, remediation plans, and detection methods is key. Still, focus on the latest protection and prevention methods, but realize that you have to have all of your best practices in place holistically to implement a cybersecurity program.

A Holistic Approach: The NIST Cybersecurity Framework

The NIST Framework is the most thorough and holistic approach to cyber security program best practices. However, it's the most complex framework to implement, covering over 900 security controls over 5 major functions. The functions are important because they allow security teams to prioritize all areas of a holistic program equitably. Identify, Protect, Detect, Respond, and Recover are the five functions, and they cover all areas that you would want to address.

Gartner reports that the framework is used by 30% of U.S. organizations, with a projected use of 50% by 2020. [Download the Free NIST Cybersecurity Framework Guide]

Use of the framework is usually attributed to three key motivations: aligning with cybersecurity best practices (70%), business partner requirements (29%), and federal contract requirements (28%) - according to Gartner.

It's clear that more and more organizations are aligning with the NIST Framework and requiring their partners, vendors, and suppliers to do so. If you're interested in learning more about the Framework and building a holistic approach to managing security, let us know, and we can give you the advice to get your security plan started. The CyberStrong Platform can baseline your program against the Framework in just a few hours.