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NIST Cybersecurity Framework, implement


THE NIST CYBERSECURITY FRAMEWORK IMPLEMENTATION TIERS EXPLAINED

by Ethan Bresnahan
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The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Cybersecurity
Framework Implementation Tiers are one of the three main elements of the
Framework - the Framework Core, Profile, and Implementation Tiers. The
implementation tiers themselves are designed to provide context for stakeholders
around the degree to which an organization’s cybersecurity program exhibits the
characteristics of the NIST CSF. NIST explicitly states that the CSF
Implementation Tiers are not designed to be a maturity model. Instead, these
management tiers are designed to illuminate and provide guidance to the
interaction between cybersecurity risk management and operational risk
management processes. In short, the NIST Cybersecurity Framework Tiers are
designed to provide a clear path to roll cyber risk into the overall
organizational risk of the enterprise. Much like the Profiles and the Framework
Core, the Implementation Tiers are designed to act as a benchmark to take stock
of current cybersecurity risk management practices and help organizations
develop plans to improve their cybersecurity posture. In this post, we’ll
explore each of the four Implementation Tiers as you work to understand how your
organizational structure might fit in this scoring model.

Each of the Implementation Tiers is broken down into three main components: Risk
Management Processes, Risk Management Program, and External Participation with
their own respective functions, categories, and subcategories. Risk management
processes point to the processes and ways that the organization approaches
cybersecurity risk. The degree to which an organization practices an integrated
risk management program indicates to top level management the degree to which an
organization has centralized its cyber risk data and can make decisions from
that information. With strategic planning, leadership can make cybersecurity
decisions in conjunction with the company's overall goals and objectives.
Finally, external participation points to the organization’s awareness within
the greater business ecosystem in which they participate.


NIST CYBERSECURITY FRAMEWORK IMPLEMENTATION TIERS


TIER 1 - PARTIAL

 * Risk Management Processes: At Tier 1 organizations, cybersecurity risk
   management is typically performed in an ad hoc/reactive manner. Furthermore,
   cybersecurity activities are typically performed with little to no
   prioritization based on the degree of risk that those activities address.
 * Integrated Risk Management Program: The lack of processes associated with
   cyber risk management makes the communication and management of that risk
   difficult for these organizations. As a result, the organization works with
   cybersecurity risk management on a case-by-case basis because of the lack of
   consistent information.
 * External Participation: These organizations lack a greater understanding of
   their role in the greater business ecosystem - its position in the supply
   chain, dependents, and dependencies. Without an understanding of where it
   sits in the ecosystem, a Tier 1 organization does not share information with
   third-parties effectively (if at all) and is generally unaware of the supply
   chain risks that it accepts and passes on to other members of the ecosystem.


TIER 2 - RISK-INFORMED

 * Risk Management Processes: Risk management practices, while approved by
   management, are typically not established as organizational-wide policies
   within Tier 2 organizations. While risk management practices are not
   standard, they do directly inform the prioritization of cybersecurity
   activities alongside organizational risk objectives, the threat environment,
   and business requirements.
 * Integrated Risk Management Program: The awareness of cybersecurity risk
   exists at the organizational level, but it is not standardized
   organization-wide, and the information around cybersecurity is only shared
   informally. While some consideration for cybersecurity exists in
   organizational objectives, it is not standard. A cyber risk assessment may
   occur, but it is not standard and periodically repeated.
 * External Participation: Tier 2 organizations understand either their role in
   the ecosystem in terms of dependencies or dependents, but not both.
   Organizations like this typically receive information but do not share it
   out, and while they’re aware of the risk associated with their supply chain,
   they do not typically act on it.




TIER 3 - REPEATABLE

 * Risk Management Processes: Tier 3 organizations have formally approved risk
   management practices, and are expressed as policy. These practices are
   regularly updated based on changes in business requirements and changing
   threat landscape.
 *  
 * Integrated Risk Management Program: In this tier, there is a higher-level
   organization-wide approach to managing cybersecurity risk. Risk-informed
   policies, processes, and procedures are defined, implemented, and reviewed.
   There are methods in place to consistently respond effectively to changes in
   risk, and personnel possess the knowledge and skills to perform their roles.
   Senior cybersecurity, board of directors, and business-side executives
   communicate regularly regarding cybersecurity events and risk.
 * External Participation: Tier 3 organizations understand their role in the
   ecosystems and contribute to the broader understanding of risks. They
   collaborate with other entities regularly that coincide with internally
   generated information that is shared with other entities. These organizations
   are aware of the risks associated with their supply chains and act formally
   on those risks, including implementing written agreements to communicate
   baseline requirements, governance structures, and policy implementation and
   monitoring.


TIER 4 - ADAPTIVE

 * Risk Management Processes: These organizations adapt their cybersecurity
   practices based on previous and current cybersecurity activities, including
   lessons learned and predictive factors. They implement a process of
   continuous improvement - including incorporating advanced cybersecurity
   technologies and practices, actively adapting to a changing threat and
   technology landscape.
 * Integrated Risk Management Program: Building on Tier 3, Tier 4 organizations
   clearly understand the link between organizational objectives and
   cybersecurity risk. Senior executives monitor cybersecurity risk in the same
   context as financial risk and other organizational risks. These organizations
   base budgeting decisions on an understanding of the current and potential
   risk environment. Cybersecurity risk is integrated into the organizational
   culture and evolves from an awareness of previous activities and continuous
   awareness.
 * External Participation: Integrating itself further into the ecosystem beyond
   Tier 3, Tier 4 organizations receive, generate, and contribute to the
   understanding of the ecosystem around risk. Further integration of sharing
   information to internal and external stakeholders, the organization uses
   real-time information to understand and regularly act on supply chain risks.
   They also have a formalized process integrated into their documentation wit
   their dependencies and dependents.


WHAT THE IMPLEMENTATION TIERS MEAN FOR YOU

As we’ve discussed, the NIST CSF Implementation Tiers are not meant to be seen
as a maturity model. Instead, look at these as benchmarking tools and clear
directions to improve how your organization approaches cybersecurity. Seek out
NIST CSF assessment solutions that enable you to score using the Implementation
Tiers; this enables you to score your organization as you complete an assessment
rather than after the fact. From there, it is a matter of illustrating your
findings clearly and compellingly, soliciting buy-in from all relevant
stakeholders, and using the CSF to make progress towards your goal Tier.

 

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