SteelToad NIST Cybersecurity Framework (CSF 2.0) Assessments

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) developed the Cybersecurity Framework 2.0 (CSF 2.0) Assessments to provide a structured and risk-based approach to manage cybersecurity across full organizations.  For large or diverse organizations, such as federal agencies, manufacturing organizations, utilities and other regulated organizations, NIST CSF 2.0 provides a way to review cyber maturity through the lens of the entire organization.  SteelToad’s CSF 2.0 assessments will review operational effectiveness and risk, looking at governance, risk management processes, organizational strategy to gain a clear and accurate understanding of the entire organization’s cybersecurity posture and maturity.

CSF 2.0 maps across many other NIST and industry standard cybersecurity frameworks including NIST 800-171, NIST 800-53, CMMC and ISO/IEC 27001.  Leveraging SteelToad’s extensive experience in conducting formal assessments and delivering practical consulting cyber solutions across each of these frameworks, we help organizations uncover  clear and accurate results.  Actionable results, that are consistent, regardless of the business unit and mission, allows companies to create actions and develop solutions that improve the cyber security for the entire organization.  CSF 2.0 is very much a foundation for organizations, giving leadership and technical teams a way to build an overall enterprise- wide strategy for compliance.  It encourages businesses to assess current practices, identify gaps, and prioritize corrective actions to ensure that there is a cohesive structured approach to improving resilience and reducing risk.

NIST CSF 2.0 is based upon six core functions for identifying and aligning business operational risk:

1. Govern (GV)

The Govern function was added as part of the release of CSF 2.0.  The Govern function establishes an organization’s overall cybersecurity risk management strategy, policies with a focus on how governance policies are established, communicated and monitored.  The Govern function defines outcomes that an organization might do to achieve and prioritize outcomes of the next five core categories (Identify, Protect, Detect, Respond and Recover). The CSF 2.0 Govern category addresses the organization’s roles, responsibilities, strategy, authority, policy and management – and how these overall governance prioritizes alignment and strategy for all other categories.

2. Identify (ID)

The Identify function establishes the foundation for effective cybersecurity risk management. It enables organizations to understand their environment, resources, and risk context including:

• Asset Management: Maintaining an accurate inventory of systems, devices, applications, and data.

• Business Environment: Understanding organizational priorities, critical functions, and dependencies.

• Governance: Establishing policies, roles, and responsibilities for cybersecurity and risk management.

• Risk Assessment: Identifying threats, vulnerabilities, and potential business impact.

• Supply Chain Risk Management: Understanding and mitigating risks introduced by third-party vendors or partners.

3. Protect (PR)

The Protect function focuses on implementing safeguards to limit or contain the impact of cybersecurity events. It emphasizes proactive measures across people, processes, and technology including:

• Access Control: Ensuring only authorized individuals or systems can access sensitive resources.

• Data Security: Protecting information through encryption, classification, and secure handling practices.

• Awareness and Training: Educating personnel on cybersecurity responsibilities and threat awareness.

• Protective Technology: Deploying and maintaining security technologies, such as firewalls, endpoint protection, and intrusion prevention systems.

• Maintenance: Regularly updating and patching systems to mitigate vulnerabilities.

4. Detect (DE)

The Detect function enables organizations to discover cybersecurity events in a timely manner. Detection is essential for rapid response and mitigation of threats including:

• Anomalies and Events: Identifying unusual activity or deviations from expected behavior.

• Continuous Monitoring: Implementing monitoring solutions to track network, system, and user activity.

• Detection Processes: Establishing documented processes to analyze events and escalate potential incidents.

5. Respond (RS)

The Respond function focuses on containing the impact of detected incidents and restoring normal operations including:

• Response Planning: Developing and maintaining incident response policies and procedures.

• Communications: Coordinating internal and external communication during an incident.

• Analysis: Investigating incidents to determine scope, impact, and root causes.

• Mitigation: Containing threats to prevent further damage.

• Improvements: Incorporating lessons learned into future response planning.

6. Recover (RC)

The Recover function focuses on restoring capabilities and services impaired by cybersecurity incidents. Recovery planning ensures resilience and continuous improvement including:

• Recovery Planning: Establishing and maintaining processes to restore systems and operations.

• Improvements: Incorporating lessons learned into recovery strategies and resilience planning.

• Communications: Ensuring timely and accurate communication with stakeholders during recovery.

The NIST CSF 2.0 provides a structured path to align overall strategic cyber governance and business objectives, ensuring that an organization’s cybersecurity maturity is measurable, actionable, sustainable and effective across a business organization.