As a small business owner, trying to understand the NIST Cybersecurity Framework could feel intimidating, but it’s necessary to stay one step ahead of cyberattacks. Considering that cyberattacks are steadily increasing, the NIST Cybersecurity Framework could offer the knowledge and protection your business needs.
So, what exactly is the NIST Cybersecurity Framework? In this blog, we’ll walk you through the basics of NIST, what it comprises, and how your business can implement and benefit from it.
What Is NIST?
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is an agency within the Department of Commerce that promotes innovation and industrial competitiveness by advancing measurement science, standards, and technology. It also works to improve the well-being of the U.S. economy.
The NIST Cybersecurity Framework was published in 2014 and is a set of cybersecurity best practices and standards designed to help organizations reduce the risk of data breaches and other cyber crimes. It essentially acts as an informative guide for organizations to keep their networks, systems, and data safe.
Many public and private sector organizations follow the NIST Cybersecurity Framework. It’s used by many federal agencies as well as state, and local government entities, educational institutions, and healthcare providers.
What Does the NIST Framework Include?
The NIST Cybersecurity Framework includes five essential components for businesses to focus on, which we’ll detail below.
1. Identify
The Identity component is all about understanding your small business’s assets, the vulnerabilities associated with them, and the risks they carry. You should create a “cybersecurity profile” based on this information to understand what data you have, where it lives, who has access to it, and how much protection it needs.
2. Protect
The Protect component focuses on using the right safeguards to protect your sensitive data. It helps you create policies and controls, like encryption and access rights, that will keep your data secure from malicious actors. This is a key part of building out your cybersecurity infrastructure.
3. Detect
The Detect component focuses on monitoring your cybersecurity infrastructure and actively looking for malicious actors who might be attempting to access sensitive data. It includes activities like setting up automated alerts, finding potential malware infections, and using security tools like firewalls.
4. Respond
The Respond component is all about responding quickly and efficiently to malicious activities or data breaches. It includes some of the more proactive steps, like creating an incident response plan, having a crisis communication strategy in place, and building out processes for patching any potential vulnerabilities in your system.
5. Recover
The Recover component focuses on restoring your system after a breach has occurred. This includes activities like analyzing the incident, restoring operations, and updating procedures to help prevent future incidents.
How Your Business Can Get Started?
If you’re looking to implement the NIST Cybersecurity Framework in your business, it can be overwhelming to figure out where to start. Fortunately, there are ways to simplify the process so that your business could be as secure as possible.
Start by evaluating your current cybersecurity strategy and infrastructure. This will give you a better understanding of what data you’re responsible for, the level of protection it needs, and any areas that need improvement.
From there, you should create policies and procedures that follow the guidelines outlined in the NIST Cybersecurity Framework. With a reliable MSP’s assistance, you can ensure that your business can leverage the proper tools and technologies for implementing a robust security strategy.
Partner with AIS for Expert Cybersecurity Strategy
At AIS, we provide comprehensive cybersecurity services that are designed to help protect our clients’ data. Our team of experts will work with you to understand your unique risk profile and create a tailored cybersecurity plan based on the NIST Cybersecurity Framework.
We’re proud to offer award-winning services at competitive rates, and we’ll always be sure to go above and beyond to ensure that your business is secure. We believe in creating partnerships that are designed to last, so you can be confident that your business is in good hands.
Ready to get started? Contact AIS today and learn how we can help you build an effective and expert-approved cybersecurity strategy.