NIST Cybersecurity Framework

NIST Cybersecurity Framework compliance guide

The NIST CSF provides a policy framework of computer security guidance for organizations to assess and improve their ability to prevent, detect and respond to cyber attacks. Implement all six functions with clear processes and evidence.

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What is NIST CSF?

The NIST Cybersecurity Framework (CSF) is a voluntary framework consisting of standards, guidelines and best practices to manage cybersecurity-related risk. Originally released in 2014, NIST CSF 2.0 was published in February 2024 with enhanced governance guidance.

Why this matters: NIST CSF is widely adopted across critical infrastructure sectors and required for federal contractors under FISMA. It provides a common language for cybersecurity risk management that executives and technical teams both understand.

Flexible

Adapt to any industry or organization size

Measurable

Track maturity with implementation tiers

Integrates with ISO 27001 and SOC 2 compliance.

Who needs to adopt NIST CSF?

Federal contractors

Required under FISMA and various federal cybersecurity mandates

Critical infrastructure

Energy, healthcare, finance and other essential service providers

Regulated industries

Organizations subject to compliance requirements (HIPAA, PCI-DSS)

Government agencies

Federal, state and local agencies managing sensitive information

Financial services

Banks, credit unions and financial institutions

Healthcare organizations

Hospitals, clinics and health information systems

How VerifyWise supports NIST CSF compliance

Concrete capabilities that address each function's requirements

Asset inventory and system mapping

Maintain comprehensive inventories of information systems, data flows and third-party dependencies. The platform captures asset criticality, ownership and interdependencies that the Identify function requires.

Addresses: Identify function: Asset management, business environment, supply chain

Risk assessment and threat modeling

Identify cybersecurity risks through structured assessments aligned with NIST CSF categories. The platform tracks threats, vulnerabilities and risk scenarios across your technology estate.

Addresses: Identify function: Risk assessment, risk management strategy

Control implementation tracking

Document and monitor security controls across all Protect categories including access control, data security and protective technology. Evidence collection for compliance reviews.

Addresses: Protect function: Access control, data security, protective processes

Monitoring and detection workflows

Track security monitoring coverage, detection processes and anomaly identification. The platform maintains detection baselines and supports continuous security event analysis.

Addresses: Detect function: Anomalies and events, continuous monitoring

Incident response coordination

Manage security incidents with structured workflows covering response planning, communications and mitigation. The platform supports the complete incident lifecycle and lessons learned.

Addresses: Respond function: Response planning, communications, analysis, mitigation

Recovery planning and improvement

Document recovery strategies, improvement plans and resilience measures. The platform tracks recovery objectives, backup procedures and continuity planning required by the Recover function.

Addresses: Recover function: Recovery planning, improvements, communications

All activities are tracked with timestamps, assigned owners and approval workflows. This audit trail demonstrates systematic risk management rather than documentation created after the fact.

Complete NIST CSF categories coverage

VerifyWise provides dedicated tooling for all 100+ subcategories across the six functions

100

NIST CSF categories

100

Categories with dedicated tooling

100%

Coverage across all functions

Identify24/24

Asset management, risk assessment, governance

Protect22/22

Access control, awareness, data security

Detect13/13

Anomalies, monitoring, detection processes

Respond16/16

Planning, communications, analysis, mitigation

Recover14/14

Recovery planning, improvements, communications

Govern11/11

Organizational context, risk strategy, oversight

Built for NIST CSF 2.0 from the ground up

Governance integration

Full support for CSF 2.0's new Govern function

Profile management

Create and track current vs target profiles

Implementation tiers

Track maturity progression from Tier 1 to Tier 4

Multi-framework mapping

Crosswalk to ISO 27001, SOC 2 and other standards

CSF 2.0 core functions

NIST CSF 2.0 organizes cybersecurity activities into six interconnected functions

Govern

Establish and monitor the organization's cybersecurity risk management strategy, expectations and policy.

Organizational context and cybersecurity strategy
Risk management strategy and expectations
Roles, responsibilities and authorities
Policy development and implementation
Oversight and continuous improvement

Identify

Develop organizational understanding to manage cybersecurity risk to systems, people, assets, data and capabilities.

Asset management and inventory
Business environment understanding
Cybersecurity governance structure
Risk assessment methodology
Risk management strategy
Supply chain risk management

Protect

Develop and implement appropriate safeguards to ensure delivery of critical infrastructure services.

Identity management and access control
Awareness and training programs
Data security and privacy protection
Information protection processes
Protective technology deployment
Maintenance and resilience

Detect

Develop and implement appropriate activities to identify the occurrence of a cybersecurity event.

Anomalies and events detection
Security continuous monitoring
Detection processes and procedures

Respond

Develop and implement appropriate activities to take action regarding a detected cybersecurity incident.

Response planning and preparation
Communications coordination
Analysis and root cause investigation
Mitigation and containment
Improvements and lessons learned

Recover

Develop and implement appropriate activities to maintain plans for resilience and restore capabilities or services.

Recovery planning and execution
Improvements integration
Communications during recovery

Implementation tiers

Tiers describe the degree to which an organization's cybersecurity practices exhibit characteristics defined in the framework

Tier 1

Partial

Risk management processes are not formalized. Cybersecurity is reactive.

Characteristics

Ad hoc risk management
Limited awareness
No organizational approach
Reactive threat response

Tier 2

Risk informed

Risk management practices approved but not established as policy. Some awareness.

Characteristics

Risk-informed decisions
Approved but not policy
Limited sharing
Awareness of threats

Tier 3

Repeatable

Risk management practices are formally approved and expressed as policy.

Characteristics

Formal policies
Regular updates
Collaborative approach
Consistent implementation

Tier 4

Adaptive

Organization adapts its practices based on lessons learned and predictive indicators.

Characteristics

Continuous improvement
Real-time threat intelligence
Proactive culture
Advanced capabilities

Framework profiles

Profiles represent cybersecurity outcomes based on business needs selected from framework categories and subcategories

Current profile

The cybersecurity outcomes currently being achieved

Current security control implementation
Existing risk management processes
As-is cybersecurity posture
Baseline for gap analysis

Target profile

The desired cybersecurity outcomes aligned with business requirements

Desired security control implementation
Target risk management maturity
Aligned with business objectives
Roadmap destination

Gap analysis: Compare your current profile against your target profile to identify priorities and create an action plan for closing gaps based on risk and business requirements.

Implementation roadmap

A practical path to NIST CSF adoption with clear milestones

Phase 1Weeks 1-6

Foundation

Establish governance committee
Create current state profile
Complete asset inventory
Assess implementation tier

Phase 2Weeks 7-14

Risk assessment

Conduct risk assessment
Identify gaps and priorities
Create target profile
Develop implementation roadmap

Phase 3Weeks 15-28

Control implementation

Deploy security controls
Implement detection processes
Establish monitoring capabilities
Train security personnel

Phase 4Weeks 29+

Continuous improvement

Monitor and measure effectiveness
Update profiles quarterly
Conduct incident response drills
Advance implementation tier

NIST CSF vs other frameworks

Understanding the relationship between major cybersecurity and compliance frameworks

Aspect	NIST CSF	NIST AI RMF	SOC 2	ISO 27001
Scope	Cybersecurity risk management	AI-specific risk management	Service organization controls	Information security management
Legal status	Voluntary (mandatory for federal)	Voluntary (mandatory for federal AI)	Voluntary attestation	Voluntary certification
Approach	Functional framework with tiers	Risk-based AI lifecycle	Trust service criteria	Management system (ISMS)
Focus	Cybersecurity outcomes and maturity	AI trustworthiness	Service organization security	Systematic security controls
Structure	6 functions, 23 categories, 100+ subcategories	4 functions, 19 categories	5 trust service criteria	10 clauses, Annex A controls
Certification	No formal certification	No formal certification	Third-party attestation	Third-party certification
Timeline	6-12 months typical implementation	4-6 months for AI systems	6-12 months to Type 2 report	9-18 months to certification
Documentation	Profiles, risk assessments, policies	Risk documentation, impact assessments	System description, control evidence	ISMS policies, procedures, records
Best for	Broad cybersecurity framework	AI-specific governance	SaaS/service provider trust	Global security standard

Pro tip: These frameworks are complementary. NIST CSF provides cybersecurity foundations,NIST AI RMFaddresses AI-specific risks,SOC 2builds service provider trust, and ISO 27001 provides global certification.

Discuss multi-framework implementation

Policy templates

Complete cybersecurity policy repository

Access ready-to-use cybersecurity policy templates aligned with NIST CSF 2.0, ISO 27001 and SOC 2 requirements

Govern & Identify

• Cybersecurity Governance Policy
• Risk Management Policy
• Asset Management Policy
• Third-Party Risk Management
• Business Impact Analysis
• Supply Chain Security Policy

Protect

• Access Control Policy
• Data Security Policy
• Awareness & Training Program
• Protective Technology Standards
• Data Backup & Recovery
• Maintenance & Resilience

Detect, Respond & Recover

• Security Monitoring Policy
• Incident Response Plan
• Anomaly Detection Procedures
• Communications Plan
• Recovery Planning Policy
• Post-Incident Review Process

Browse all policy templates

Frequently asked questions

Common questions about NIST CSF implementation

For most private organizations, NIST CSF is voluntary. It becomes mandatory for federal agencies under FISMA and is increasingly required for federal contractors. Many regulated industries adopt it as a best practice standard. See the official NIST Cybersecurity Framework page for complete guidance.

NIST CSF 2.0 (released February 2024) added the Govern function as the sixth core function, emphasizing organizational cybersecurity governance and oversight. It expanded guidance on supply chain security, updated subcategories for modern threats and improved integration with other frameworks. The core structure of functions, categories and subcategories remains.

NIST CSF and ISO 27001 are complementary. NIST CSF provides a flexible, outcome-focused framework while ISO 27001 offers a certifiable management system. Many organizations use NIST CSF for strategic planning and ISO 27001 for operational implementation and third-party certification.

The 6 core functions are Govern, Identify, Protect, Detect, Respond and Recover. CSF 2.0 added Govern in 2024 to address organizational cybersecurity governance. These functions organize cybersecurity activities at their highest level and should be performed concurrently and continuously.

Implementation tiers describe the degree to which cybersecurity risk management practices exhibit characteristics defined in the framework. Tier 1 (Partial) is ad hoc and reactive. Tier 2 (Risk Informed) has approved practices. Tier 3 (Repeatable) has formal policies. Tier 4 (Adaptive) continuously improves based on threat intelligence.

A current profile represents your organization's current cybersecurity posture and outcomes. A target profile represents the desired cybersecurity outcomes aligned with business requirements and risk tolerance. The gap between current and target profiles drives your implementation roadmap and prioritization.

Typical NIST CSF implementation takes 6-12 months depending on organization size, current security maturity and target tier. Smaller organizations or those with existing programs can move faster. Federal contractors often have specific timeline requirements tied to contract obligations.

Not necessarily. NIST CSF is meant to be tailored to your organization's risk profile, business requirements and resources. Your target profile should specify which subcategories are relevant for your context. Prioritize based on risk assessment results and business criticality.

NIST CSF 2.0 strengthened supply chain guidance. The Identify function includes supply chain risk management categories. Organizations should assess vendor cybersecurity practices, include security requirements in contracts, monitor third-party performance and maintain visibility of supply chain risks.

Yes, NIST CSF maps to many regulatory requirements including FISMA, HIPAA and PCI-DSS. It provides a common language for cybersecurity risk management that satisfies many compliance obligations. Organizations often use NIST CSF as their primary framework and map to specific regulations. See also SOC 2 for service provider compliance.

Key documentation includes current and target profiles, risk assessment reports, policies aligned with categories, control implementation evidence, incident response plans, recovery procedures and continuous monitoring reports. Documentation format is flexible based on organizational needs.

NIST CSF addresses general cybersecurity risk while NIST AI RMF addresses AI-specific risks. They are complementary frameworks. Organizations deploying AI systems should implement both, using NIST CSF for infrastructure security and NIST AI RMF for AI trustworthiness and governance.

For private sector, there are no direct NIST CSF penalties since it's voluntary. However, federal contractors face contract consequences and potential exclusion from bids. Regulated industries may face sector-specific penalties for failing to meet cybersecurity requirements. Breach consequences (lawsuits, regulatory fines) are independent of NIST CSF.

Yes, VerifyWise provides tools for NIST CSF implementation including asset inventory, risk assessment, control mapping, profile creation and evidence collection. Our platform maps controls to NIST CSF subcategories and provides crosswalks to ISO 27001, SOC 2 and other frameworks for multi-framework compliance.

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