A cybersecurity framework (CSF) consists of guidelines, best practices, and standards created to assist organizations in safeguarding their information systems and data from potential threats. These frameworks can act as a roadmap, helping businesses navigate the complex digital security landscape and providing a structured approach to managing cyber risks.
Implementing a framework can significantly enhance an organization’s security, reduce the risk of cyberattacks, make it easier to ensure compliance with regulations, and maintain a consistent approach to risk management across all departments.
This article examines the key differences between prevalent cybersecurity frameworks (CSFs) such as NIST, ISO 27001, and the CIS Critical Security Controls. It also guides you in selecting the most suitable framework for your business. By the end of this article, you will clearly understand how you can use these frameworks as the initial step in establishing a robust and resilient digital defense strategy and how the Squalify platform integrates these frameworks to help companies strengthen their security posture.
Key Takeaways
- NIST, ISO 27001, and the CIS Critical Security Controls are globally recognized frameworks that provide a structured approach to managing cybersecurity risks, helping organizations protect their information systems and data from potential threats.
- NIST CSF: Ideal for organizations needing a detailed and flexible framework; widely adopted in the US, mandatory for certain federal government entities and often included as a contractual requirement for government projects.
- ISO 27001: Suitable for organizations seeking formal certification and international recognition; emphasizes a structured approach to governance and risk management, building stakeholder trust.
- CIS Critical Security Controls: These controls are best for organizations looking for a simplified, actionable set of security practices. Due to their layered implementation approaches, they are particularly beneficial for smaller companies or those just starting with cybersecurity.
What are Cybersecurity Frameworks and Why Are They Crucial for Your Business?
Cybersecurity frameworks are structured guidelines and best practices designed to help organizations manage and reduce cybersecurity risks.
Key Benefits of Cybersecurity Frameworks include:
- They provide a comprehensive approach to identifying, protecting, detecting, responding to, and recovering from cybersecurity incidents.
- By adopting a recognized framework, organizations can ensure they address key risk areas and maintain compliance with regulatory requirements.
- Through enterprise-level aggregation and ratings, they provide information on the current security maturity state and facilitate communication with various stakeholders.
- They are one of the key enablers for quantifying cyber risk in financial terms (beyond qualitative risk ratings).
The most popular cybersecurity frameworks include the NIST Cybersecurity Framework (NIST CSF), ISO 27001, and CIS Critical Security Controls.
Key Differences: NIST CSF vs. ISO 27001 vs. CIS Critical Security Controls and When to Choose Which Framework
NIST Cybersecurity Framework (NIST CSF)
Developed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology, the NIST CSF provides a policy framework for computer security guidance. The framework’s six core functions—Identify, Protect, Detect, Respond, Recover, and Govern—provide a comprehensive roadmap for managing cybersecurity risks. The recent update to version 2.0 of the CSF in 2024 introduced the “Govern" function to emphasize the importance of organizational governance around cybersecurity.
NIST CSF is ideal for organizations needing a detailed and flexible framework. Widely recognized and used in the US, it is especially beneficial for companies engaged with government contracts due to its frequent reference in these contracts. While implementation can be resource-intensive, its structured guidance helps organizations build a resilient security posture.
ISO 27001
ISO 27001 is an international standard for information security management systems (ISMS) published by the ISO organization. It provides a systematic approach to managing risks to sensitive company information and assets. This framework covers various aspects, such as legal, physical, and technical controls, involved in an organization’s information risk management processes.
ISO 27001 tends to be more internationally recognized than NIST CSF, making it ideal for global organizations. This standard enables organizations to undergo independent audits and obtain formal certification and international recognition, verifying compliance for their cybersecurity practices. This certification is a powerful endorsement, building trust and confidence among customers, regulatory bodies and other stakeholders by demonstrating a commitment to high cybersecurity standards.
ISO 27001’s structured, systematic approach to information security management makes it ideal for companies that need a robust governance framework. It is designed to be risk-driven, with the core requirements defining how the information security management system is scoped, planned and operated, and an annex of controls that can be used for risk mitigation.
The controls of ISO27001 are defined at a high-level, which provides flexibility but leaves technical implementation details open to interpretation. The ISO 27002 guidance document does however provide implementation guidance for each control. Similar to the NIST CSF, the implementation of ISO 27001 requires a formalized process and is often resource-intensive.
CIS Critical Security Controls
The Center for Internet Security (CIS) Critical Security Controls provides a prioritized set of actions to protect organizations and data from known cyber-attack vectors. Originally known as the SANS Top 20, these controls have evolved into what is now called the Critical Security Controls. The controls are structured into three “Implementation Groups”; the first being Essential Cyber Hygiene, the second and third then building on these essential controls to increase maturity.
The CIS Controls are ideal for organizations seeking a straightforward and actionable set of security practices. CIS Controls are particularly beneficial for smaller companies or those new to cybersecurity, as they provide specific, prescriptive steps that are easier and quicker to implement compared to more comprehensive frameworks like NIST CSF and ISO 27001. The practical nature of CIS Controls makes them accessible to a broad audience, offering a prioritized set of actions that help organizations establish a strong security foundation without the complexity and resource demands of other frameworks.
Challenges and Solutions in Implementing NIST CSF, ISO 27001, and CIS Controls
Implementing cybersecurity frameworks such as NIST CSF, ISO 27001, and CIS Controls can offer significant benefits. Still, organizations often face various challenges during the process. Understanding these challenges can help businesses prepare and navigate implementation complexities effectively.
Executive Buy-In
Strong support from top management is crucial for successful implementation. Ensuring executive buy-in can be challenging, especially in organizations where cybersecurity is a low priority. The ISO framework explicitly requires management support, emphasizing its importance for building and maintaining an effective information security management system.
Key to getting and maintaining Executive Buy-In is explaining the benefits of adopting a structured framework for information security management. These benefits can include winning more business from customers with security requirements, demonstrating to customers that the company takes security seriously, and complying with security related regulations.
Aligning with Business Objectives
Integrating cybersecurity frameworks with existing business objectives and operations can be complex. Organizations must ensure the framework aligns with their needs and regulatory requirements. This alignment is essential for the framework’s effectiveness and for its controls to be relevant and actionable.
Resource Allocation
Securing the necessary resources is one of the biggest challenges in implementing a cybersecurity framework. This includes not only financial investment but also time and personnel. There is both an initial resource demand for the project to setup the framework, but also ongoing demands to ensure the effective operation of the framework when built.
Company-Wide Adoption
Another significant hurdle is achieving company-wide adoption of cybersecurity frameworks. This requires continuous education and training across all departments. Typically these frameworks impact multiple business areas, including governance, human resources, business continuity, and IT/software development. Ensuring all employees understand their roles and responsibilities in cybersecurity is critical.
Iterative Improvement
Building, testing, and continually improving the security framework can be daunting. The iterative, cyclical process (plan-do-check-act) recommended by frameworks like ISO 27001 involves ongoing effort and adaptability. Organizations should prioritize and start with the highest risks, demonstrating risk management to satisfy top management and build a resilient cybersecurity posture.
Responding to Changes
Organizations need to ensure that their chosen framework is flexible to meet changes in their business environments, including new market regulations, mergers, acquisitions, or significant security incidents. For instance, moving into a new market with different regulatory requirements might necessitate confirming which aspects of a current framework are applicable and whether existing controls are sufficient, or any new specific controls are required. Additionally, after a merger or acquisition, aligning the cybersecurity practices of the combined entities can be challenging but essential for standardization.
Living the Framework
Finally, implementing a cybersecurity framework is a continual activity rather than a one-off project. Post-implementation, organizations must live the framework. This means ingraining cybersecurity practices in daily operations. This long-term commitment ensures that the framework is not just a set of documents but an integral part of the organizational culture and operational strategy.
By understanding and preparing for these challenges, organizations can more effectively implement cybersecurity frameworks, enhancing their security posture and ensuring compliance with regulatory standards.
The Role of Cybersecurity Frameworks at Squalify
At Squalify, we have integrated the NIST CSF into our Squalify platform to help companies assess their security maturity and use it as an input for overall risk quantification. The NIST framework’s open standard and wide recognition make it a robust choice for Squalify’s methodology. However, we can translate, map, and integrate more standard frameworks into our platform.
The integration of the NIST CSF into our platform provides organizations with the following benefits:
- Assess Security Maturity: You can evaluate your security posture against NIST controls, identifying business areas where cybersecurity needs improvement.
- Regulatory Compliance: The NIST CSF aligns with many cybersecurity and data privacy regulations, streamlining compliance processes.
- Vendor Risk Management: The NIST framework includes supply chain risk management controls, helping you manage cyber risks associated with critical vendors.
FAQ: Choosing Between NIST CSF, ISO 27001, and CIS Controls
How can businesses perform a NIST CSF maturity assessment?
A NIST CSF maturity assessment evaluates an organization’s cybersecurity practices against the NIST CSF controls list. This helps identify gaps and areas for improvement.
What are the steps to implement the NIST Cybersecurity Framework? The NIST Cybersecurity Framework defines six key functions:
- Govern: Oversee and govern the entire cybersecurity program.
- Identify: Determine and document cybersecurity risks and critical assets.
- Protect: Implement necessary security measures to safeguard assets.
- Detect: Set up systems to identify cybersecurity incidents.
- Respond: Develop and implement plans to respond to incidents.
- Recover: Establish procedures to restore operations post-incident.
These functions can be implemented in any order.
How does the ISO 27001 framework compare to NIST CSF?
The two frameworks are similar in their scope. ISO 27001 provides a formalized, certifiable process for information security management, including risk assessment and treatment. NIST CSF provides a flexible, comprehensive approach to cybersecurity but does not include a formal certification process. Both frameworks emphasize risk management but cater to different organizational needs and contexts.
Why is the NIST CSF controls list important for regulatory compliance?
The NIST CSF controls list aligns with many cybersecurity and data privacy regulations, helping organizations meet compliance requirements. By implementing these controls, businesses can more easily ensure they adhere to regulatory standards and demonstrate their commitment to cybersecurity.
What role does Squalify play in helping organizations implement the NIST CSF?
Squalify assists organizations in implementing the NIST CSF by providing tools and methodologies for assessing security maturity, and quantifying cyber risks using this maturity. This helps clients streamline their cybersecurity efforts, ensuring comprehensive risk management and regulatory compliance.
Final Words: Making the Right Choice for Your Cybersecurity Framework
Choosing the appropriate cybersecurity framework is important for protecting your organization’s digital assets and ensuring regulatory compliance. NIST CSF, ISO 27001, and CIS Critical Security Controls are popular choices, each offering unique advantages. The right choice depends on your business needs, regulatory environment, and customer requirements.
The NIST CSF is well suited for US-based organizations needing a detailed, flexible framework. ISO 27001 provides organizations with formal certification and international recognition. It is best for companies that require a structured, systematic approach to information security management. Finally, the CIS Critical Security Controls can be the right choice for a simplified, actionable set of security practices. It is popular among smaller companies or those just starting with cybersecurity.
The Squalify platform leverages the NIST CSF to capture cyber maturity input for its quantification algorithm. We provide financial insights into cyber risks that enable the boardroom oversight of cyber risk and facilitate company-wide strategic decisions.
