The NIST Cybersecurity Framework (CSF) is a voluntary framework developed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to help organizations manage and reduce cybersecurity risk. NIST CSF Profiles are a set of implementation tiers that organizations can use to measure their current cybersecurity practices against the desired level of cybersecurity risk management. There are four levels of NIST CSF Profiles, as follows:
Profile 1 - Partial Implementation: Organizations at this level have limited awareness of their cybersecurity risks and a limited ability to manage them. They may have some basic cybersecurity measures in place, but they are not fully integrated or coordinated.
Profile 2 - Risk-Informed: Organizations at this level have an awareness of their cybersecurity risks and are taking steps to manage them. They have established policies and procedures for cybersecurity, but they may not be fully implemented or enforced.
Profile 3 - Repeatable: Organizations at this level have a formalized and proactive approach to managing cybersecurity risk. They have established processes for cybersecurity that are consistently followed and regularly reviewed for effectiveness.
Profile 4 - Adaptive: Organizations at this level have a dynamic and continuous approach to managing cybersecurity risk. They have integrated cybersecurity into their overall business strategy and are able to quickly adapt to changes in the threat landscape.
Organizations can use the NIST CSF Profiles to assess their current cybersecurity practices and identify areas for improvement. By adopting higher levels of the Profiles, organizations can improve their cybersecurity risk management capabilities and better protect their assets and information.