<img src="https://ws.zoominfo.com/pixel/4CagHYMZMRWAjWFEK36G" width="1" height="1" style="display: none;">
Request Demo

Originally posted by NIST in the Cybersecurity Framework, the Framework Profile (“Profile”) is the alignment of the Functions, Categories, and Subcategories with the business requirements, risk tolerance, and resources of the organization.

A Profile enables organizations to establish a roadmap for reducing cybersecurity risk that is well aligned with organization al and sector goals, considers legal/regulatory requirements and industry best practices, and reflects risk management priorities.

Given the complexity of many organizations, they may choose to have multiple profiles, aligned with particular components and recognizing their individual needs. Framework Profiles can be used to describe the current state or the desired target state of specific cybersecurity activities .

Your Current and Target Profile

The Current Profile indicates the cybersecurity outcomes that are currently being achieved. The Target Profile indicates the outcomes needed to achieve the desired cybersecurity risk management goals.

It's important here to loop in goals from all business segments both business and security. That way, you'll have a more well-rounded goal set that aligns with your business's vision for the future.

The Value of Profiles

Profiles support business/mission requirements within your organization to all constituents and also aid in the communication of risk between organizations. If you have a difficult time translating your current and target risk and cyber strength to your partners, vendors, and the like, creating these profiles will be monumental in boosting communication between all parties involved. The better the communication is within and around your organization, the more progress you'll make in building a robust program or even creating a faster response plan.

If you're interested in baselining your organization against NIST Cybersecurity Framework best practices in hours, let us know. You'll be able to see areas for improvement and gaps across all five NIST functions, and you'll have a plan of action on how to close those gaps within and around your organization.

You may also like

Benchmarking Your Cyber Risk ...
on September 25, 2023

Benchmarking your organization against the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Cybersecurity Framework (CSF) is a valuable step towards improving cybersecurity ...

Security Posture Management: The ...
on September 27, 2023

Cybersecurity is a complex and dynamic field, and there are several elements that security teams must continuously monitor and manage to protect an organization's security ...

Stay One Step Ahead: A Guide to ...
on September 1, 2023

Cyber risk monitoring aims to proactively manage and mitigate cyber risk to protect an organization’s valuable assets and sensitive data. This process involves regularly ...

How to Create a Cybersecurity Risk ...
on August 22, 2023

For years, the discourse in IT has been centered around cybersecurity. Yet, with the volume of cyber attacks increasing, professionals have developed a more holistic approach to ...

How to Mitigate Cyber Risks in ...
on August 18, 2023

Supply chains are complex networks of organizations, people, processes, information, and resources, all collaborating to deliver goods and services to end consumers. Due to their ...

Conducting a Cyber Risk ...
on August 11, 2023

Cyber risk has become increasingly pervasive in almost every industry. From the new SEC cyber regulations to industry standards like the NIST CSF and HIPAA, regulatory bodies are ...