The NIST Cybersecurity Framework is rapidly becoming the de facto standard for all businesses to follow to protect themselves and their data in this modern world. Implementing the NIST Cybersecurity Framework can help your organization become more focused on protecting its critical assets and make you safer from attackers.

Let’s explore what the five Core Functions are, and what they mean!

1. Identity: Companies must develop an understanding of their environment to manage cybersecurity risk to systems, assets, data, and capabilities. To comply with the first Function, it is essential to understand your current risks and exposure and put policies and procedures into place to mitigate those risks.
2. Protect: Organizations wishing to comply with this Function must protect themselves and their assets. To comply, your organization must control access to digital and physical assets, educate users, put processes into place to secure their data, and deploy advanced protective technology to ensure security.
3. Detect: A company that ignores the third Function is doomed to fail in the event of a cybersecurity incident. Continuous monitoring solutions that detect unordinary activity and other incidents or threats to operational continuity are required to comply with this Function. You need to protect your business from these forms of attacks and you’re your organization compliant.
4. Respond: If a cybersecurity event happens, companies must have the ability to contain and stop the incident from spreading. To comply, your organization must craft a response plan, practice it frequently, make back up plans, and set clear delineated response measures for issues. A company is only compliant if it can stop the threat within a reasonable time.
5. Recover: Companies wishing to be compliant with the fifth Function must develop and practice disaster recovery plans. They should have proper backups in multiple locations and ensure that they are regularly going over their disaster recovery options.

Implementing the NIST Cybersecurity Framework can ensure that your company is resilient to cybersecurity threats and attacks.

Contact PCnet today to learn more about our security offerings to keep you and your organization safe from threats and compliant with the NIST Cybersecurity Framework!