The first version of the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s Cybersecurity Framework (NIST CSF) was published in 2014 to provide guidance for organizations looking to bolster their cybersecurity defenses. It was created by cybersecurity professionals from government, academia and various industries at the behest of President Obama and later made into federal government policy by the Trump administration.
While the vast majority of organizations recognize the value in such a universally recommended, collaborative effort to improve cybersecurity in businesses of all sizes, adapting and implementing the framework is easier said than done. The content of the NIST CSF is freely available for all, so we’re not going to discuss it in great depth here. Instead, we’re going to set out five steps to help you turn the NIST CSF into a reality for your organization. (See image 1 above.)