Framework for Improving Critical 

Infrastructure Cybersecurity 

12 November 2015 

cyberframework@nist.gov 
Improving Critical Infrastructure Cybersecurity

“It is the policy of the United States to enhance the security and resilience of the Nation’s 

critical infrastructure and to maintain a cyber 

environment that encourages efficiency, 

innovation, and economic prosperity while 

promoting safety, security, business confidentiality, privacy, and civil liberties” 

President Barack Obama 

Executive Order 13636, 12 February 2013
Cybersecurity Framework Components 

4 

Describes how cybersecurity 

risk is managed by an organization 

and degree the risk management 

practices exhibit key characteristics 

Aligns industry standards and 

best practices to the Framework 

Core in a particular 

implementation scenario 

Supports prioritization and 

measurement while 

factoring in business 

needs 

Cybersecurity activities and 

informative references, 

organized around particular 

outcomes 

Enables communication 

of cyber risk across an 

organization 

Framework 

Core 

Framework 

Implementation 

Tiers 

Framework 

Profile 
Implementation Tiers 

Cybersecurity Framework Component

5 

• Allow for flexibility in implementation and bring in concepts of 

maturity models 

• Reflect how an organization implements the Framework Core 

functions and manages its risk 

• Progressive, ranging from Partial (Tier 1) to Adaptive (Tier 4), 

with each Tier building on the previous Tier 

• Characteristics are defined at the organizational level and are 

applied to the Framework Core to determine how a category is 

implemented. 

None	

Par)al	 Repeatable	

Risk	

Informed	

Adap)ve	
Framework Core 

What	processes	and	

assets	need	protec)on?	

What	safeguards	are	

available?	

What	techniques	can	

iden)fy	incidents?	

What	techniques	can	

contain	impacts	of	

incidents?	

What	techniques	can	

restore	capabili)es?	
Core 

Cybersecurity Framework Component 

7 

Func%on Category ID	

Iden%fy	

Asset	Management	 ID.AM	

Business	Environment	 ID.BE	

Governance	 ID.GV	

Risk	Assessment	 ID.RA	

Risk	Management	

Strategy	 ID.RM	

Protect	

Access	Control	 PR.AC	

Awareness	and	Training	 PR.AT	

Data	Security	 PR.DS	

Informa)on	Protec)on	

Processes	&	Procedures	 PR.IP	

Maintenance	 PR.MA	

Protec)ve	Technology	 PR.PT	

Detect	

Anomalies	and	Events	 DE.AE	

Security	Con)nuous	

Monitoring	 DE.CM	

Detec)on	Processes	 DE.DP	

Respond	

Response	Planning	 RS.RP	

Communica)ons	 RS.CO	

Analysis	 RS.AN	

Mi)ga)on	 RS.MI	

Improvements	 RS.IM	

Recover	

Recovery	Planning	 RC.RP	

Improvements	 RC.IM	

Communica)ons	 RC.CO	

Subcategory Informative References

ID.BE-1:	The	

organiza)on’s	role	in	the	

supply	chain	is	iden)fied	

and	communicated

COBIT	5	APO01.02,	DSS06.03	

ISA	62443-2-1:2009	4.3.2.3.3		

ISO/IEC	27001:2013	A.6.1.1	

NIST	SP	800-53	Rev.	4	CP-2,	PS-7,	

PM-11		

ID.BE-2:	The	

organiza)on’s	place	in	

cri)cal	infrastructure	and	

its	industry	sector	is	

iden)fied	and	

communicated

COBIT	5	APO08.04,	APO08.05,	

APO10.03,	APO10.04,	APO10.05	

ISO/IEC	27001:2013	A.15.1.3,	A.

15.2.1,	A.15.2.2		

NIST	SP	800-53	Rev.	4	CP-2,	SA-12	

ID.BE-3:	Priori)es	for	

organiza)onal	mission,	

objec)ves,	and	ac)vi)es	

are	established	and	

communicated	

COBIT	5	APO02.06,	APO03.01	

NIST	SP	800-53	Rev.	4	PM-8	

ID.BE-4:	Dependencies	

and	cri)cal	func)ons	for	

delivery	of	cri)cal	

services	are	established	

COBIT	5	APO02.01,	APO02.06,	

APO03.01	

ISA	62443-2-1:2009	4.2.2.1,	4.2.3.6	

NIST	SP	800-53	Rev.	4	PM-11,	SA-14	

ID.BE-5:	Resilience	

requirements	to	support	

delivery	of	cri)cal	

services	are	established	

ISO/IEC	27001:2013	A.11.2.2,	A.

11.2.3,	A.12.1.3	

NIST	SP	800-53	Rev.	4	CP-8,	PE-9,	

PE-11,	PM-8,	SA-14	
Profile 

Cybersecurity Framework Component

8 

Iden)fy	

Protect	

Detect	

Respond	

Recover	

Ways	to	think	about	a	Profile:	

• A	customiza)on	of	the	Core	for	a	

given	sector,	subsector,	or	

organiza)on	

• A	fusion	of	business/mission	logic	

and	cybersecurity	outcomes	

• An	alignment	of	cybersecurity	requirements	with	

opera)onal	methodologies	

• A	basis	for	assessment	and	expressing	target	state	

• A	decision	support	tool	for	cybersecurity	risk	

management	
Building a Profile 

A Profile Can be Created in Three Steps 

9 

Subcategory 

1	

2	

3	

...	

98	

Mission 

Priority Objective 

1	 A	

2	 B	

3	 C	

Cybersecurity	

Requirements	

Legisla)on	

Regula)on	

Internal	&	External	Policy	

Best	Prac)ce	

Opera%ng	

Methodologies	

Guidance	and	methodology	

on	implemen)ng,	

managing,	and	

monitoring	

1	

2	 3	
Conceptual Profile 

Value Proposition 

10 

Cybersecurity 

Requirements Subcategory Priority 

Operating 

Methodologies 

A	 1	 moderate	 I	

II	

B	

C	 2	 high	 III	

D	

E	 3	 moderate	 IV	V	

F	 ...	 ...	 VI	

VII	

G	 98	 moderate	 VIII	

2	 1	 3	

When	you	organize	yourself	in	this	way:	

• Compliance	repor)ng	becomes	a	byproduct	of	

running	your	security	opera)on	

• Adding	new	security	requirements	is	straighcorward	

• Adding	or	changing	opera)onal	methodology	is	nonintrusive	to	on-going	opera)on	
Resource and Budget Decisioning

What Can You Do with a CSF Profile 

11 

Subcategory Priority Gaps 

Year 1 

Activities 

Year 2 

Activities 

1	 moderate	 small	 X	

2	 high	 large	 X	

3	 moderate	 medium	 X	

...	 ...	 ...	

98	 moderate	 none	 reassess	

As-Is	 Year	1	

To-Be	

Year	2	

To-Be	

...and	supports	on-going	opera)onal	decisions	too	
Key Attributes 

• It’s a framework, not a prescription 

• It provides a common language and systematic methodology for 

managing cyber risk 

• It is meant to be adapted 

• It does not tell a company how much cyber risk is tolerable, nor 

does it claim to provide “the one and only” formula for cybersecurity 

• Having a common lexicon to enable action across a very diverse set 

of stakeholders will enable the best practices of elite companies to 

become standard practices for everyone 

• The framework is a living document

• It is intended to be updated over time as stakeholders learn from 

implementation, and as technology and risks change 

• That’s one reason why the framework focuses on questions an 

organization needs to ask itself to manage its risk. While practices, 

technology, and standards will change over time—principals will not 

12 
Industry Use 

The Framework is designed to complement existing business and 

cybersecurity operations, and has been used to: 

• Self-Assessment, Gap Analysis, Budget & Resourcing Decisions 

• Standardizing Communication Between Business Units 

• Harmonize Security Operations with Audit 

• Communicate Requirements with Partners and Suppliers 

• Describe Applicability of Products and Services 

• Identify Opportunities for New or Revised Standards 

• Categorize College Course Catalogs 

• As a Part of Cybersecurity Certifications 

• Categorize and Organize Requests for Proposal Responses 

• Consistent dialog, both within and amongst countries 

• Common platform on which to innovate, by identifying market 

opportunities where tools and capabilities may not exist today 

13 
Current & Near-Term Framework Activities 

Collect, Reflect, and Connect – understand where 

industry is having success, help others understand those 

successes, and facilitate relationships that support use and 

implementation 

• Continue education efforts, including creation of self-help 

and re-use materials for those who are new to the 

Framework 

• Continue awareness and outreach with an eye toward 

industry communities who are still working toward basal 

Framework knowledge and implementation 

• Educate on the relationship between Framework and the 

larger risk management process, including how 

organizations can use Tiers 
On-Going NIST Community Dialogs 

• Domestic Industry 

• Not only Critical Infrastructure, but also Non-CI 

• Product and Services 

• Standards Organizations 

• British Standards Institute, Cloud Security Alliance, 

AXELOS, etc. 

• Regulator 

• Every Federal Financial Services regulator 

• Auditor 

• Information Systems Audit and Control Association 

• “The Big 4” Audit Firms 

• Insurance 

• Legal 15 
Since the Release of the Cybersecurity Framework... 

6th Cybersecurity Framework Workshop 

Goal: Raise awareness, encourage use as a 

tool, highlight examples of sector-specific efforts, 

implementation efforts, gather feedback Florida Center for 

Oct. 29-30, 2014 

Cybersecurity 

Update on the Cybersecurity Framework 

Summary posted that includes analysis of RFI 

responses, feedback from the 6th workshop, an 

update on Roadmap areas, and next steps December 5, 2014 

Request for Information: Experience with 

the Cybersecurity Framework 

Questions focused on: awareness, experiences, and 

roadmap areas August 26, 2014 

1 Year Anniversary of the Release 

NIST Cybersecurity Framework site update to 

include: FAQs, Upcoming Events, and Industry 

Resources. Ongoing, targeted outreach continues February 12, 2015 

February 13, 2015 

White House Releases 

Fact Sheet on Cybersecurity 

and Consumer Protection
Examples of Industry Resources 

17 

The Cybersecurity Framework 

 in Action: An Intel Use Case

Energy Sector Cybersecurity Framework 

Implementation Guidance

Cybersecurity Guidance 

for Small Firms

Cybersecurity	Risk	Management	and	Best	Prac)ces	

Working	Group	4:	Final	Report

CFORUM and other online communities of interest 
Examples of State & Local Use 

18 

Texas, Department of Information Resources

• Aligned Agency Security Plans with Framework 

• Aligned Product and Service Vendor Requirements with Framework 

Houston, Greater Houston Partnership

• Integrated Framework into their Cybersecurity Guide 

• Offer On-Line Framework Self-Assessment 

North Dakota, Information Technology Department • Allocated Roles & Responsibilities using Framework 

• Adopted the Framework into their Security Operation Strategy 

National Association of State CIOs

• 2 out of 3 CIOs from the 2015 NASCIO Awards cited 

Framework as a part of their award-winning strategy 

New Jersey 

• Developed a cybersecurity framework that aligns controls and 

procedures with Framework 
Framework Roadmap Items 

Authentication 

Automated Indicator Sharing 

Conformity Assessment 

Cybersecurity Workforce 

Data Analytics 

Federal Agency Cybersecurity Alignment 

International Aspects, Impacts, and Alignment 

Supply Chain Risk Management 

Technical Privacy Standards 19 
FIPS - Federal Information Processing Standards 

§ FIPS 199 – Standards for Security Categorization 

§ FIPS 200 – Minimum Security Requirements 

SPs – Special Publications 

§ SP 800-18 – Guide for System Security Plan development 

§ SP 800-30 – Guide for Conducting Risk Assessments 

§ SP 800-34 – Guide for Contingency Plan development 

§ SP 800-37 – Guide for Applying the Risk Management Framework 

§ SP 800-39 – Managing Information Security Risk 

§ SP 800-53/53A – Security controls catalog/assessment procedures 

§ SP 800-60 – Mapping Information Types to Security Categories 

§ SP 800-128 – Security-focused Configuration Management 

§ SP 800-137 – Information Security Continuous Monitoring 

§ Many others for operational and technical implementations 

Standards/Guidelines for FISMA & RM 
SP	800-53	security	controls	

CobIT	controls	

ISO	27002	controls	

Etc...	

Organizing and Communicating Security Controls 

Use Case for Risk Management Framework & Cybersecurity Framework 
Supporting the RMF Categorize Step 

Use Case for Risk Management Framework & Cybersecurity Framework 

FIPS 199/SP 800-60 

FIPS 200/SP 800-53 

Many SPs 

SP 800-53A 

SP 800-37 

SP 800-137/SP 800-53A 

Profile 

A sector, subsector, or organization’s customization 

of the Core for their purposes. Aligns, identifies 

conflicts in organizational inputs, and prioritizes 

cyber objectives commensurate with mission 

objectives

Category 

Business Environment (ID.BE) 

The organization’s mission, objectives, stakeholders, 

and activities are understood and prioritized; this 

information is used to inform cybersecurity roles, 

responsibilities, and risk management decisions.
23 

CSF	Core	 customize	 CSF	Profile	

Tailoring SP 800-53 Security Controls 

Use Case for Risk Management Framework & Cybersecurity Framework 
Building a Notional Profile 

A Profile Can be Created in Three Steps 

24 

Subcategory 

1	

2	

3	

...	

98	

Mission 

Priority Objective 

1	 A	

2	 B	

3	 C	

Cybersecurity	

Requirements	

Legisla)on	

Regula)on	

Internal	&	External	Policy	

Best	Prac)ce	

Opera%ng	

Methodologies	

Guidance	and	methodology	

on	implemen)ng,	

managing,	and	

monitoring	

1	

2	 3	
Applicability to FedRAMP and CDM

25 

Func%on Category ID	 Cloud	

Con%nuous	

Monitoring	

Iden%fy	

Asset	Management	 ID.AM	 X	

Business	Environment	 ID.BE	

Governance	 ID.GV	

Risk	Assessment	 ID.RA	

Risk	Management	Strategy	 ID.RM	

Protect	

Access	Control	 PR.AC	 X	

Awareness	and	Training	 PR.AT	 X	

Data	Security	 PR.DS	 X	

Informa)on	Protec)on	Processes	&	Procedures	 PR.IP	 X	 X	

Maintenance	 PR.MA	 X	

Protec)ve	Technology	 PR.PT	 X	 X	

Detect	

Anomalies	and	Events	 DE.AE	 X	 X	

Security	Con)nuous	Monitoring	 DE.CM	 X	 X	

Detec)on	Processes	 DE.DP	 X	 X	

Respond	

Response	Planning	 RS.RP	 X	

Communica)ons	 RS.CO	 X	

Analysis	 RS.AN	 X	

Mi)ga)on	 RS.MI	 X	

Improvements	 RS.IM	 X	

Recover	

Recovery	Planning	 RC.RP	 X	

Improvements	 RC.IM	 X	

Communica)ons	 RC.CO	 X	
Industry Dialog 

Will it soon be time for a Framework 

update? 

What governance models do you 

believe will work for future 

Framework maintenance and 

evolution? 
The National Institute of Standards and Technology Web 

site is available at http://www.nist.gov

NIST Computer Security Division Computer Security 

Resource Center is available at http://csrc.nist.gov/

The Framework for Improving Critical Infrastructure 

Cybersecurity and related news and information are 

available at www.nist.gov/cyberframework 

For additional Framework info and help 

cyberframework@nist.gov 

Resources 

Where to Learn More and Stay Current