How many sub categories are there in NIST CSF?

How many sub categories are there in NIST CSF?

The CSF is organized into five main categories, which are then further divided into subcategories. These subcategories provide a detailed breakdown of the specific areas that organizations need to focus on to effectively implement the CSF. Let's take a closer look at each category and the corresponding subcategories within the NIST CSF:

Identify: This category focuses on understanding an organization's cyber risks, establishing a solid foundation for cybersecurity, and identifying the necessary resources to ensure a strong cybersecurity posture. The subcategories within this category include:

• Asset Management: Identifying and managing all physical and digital assets within the organization.
• Business Environment: Understanding the organizational context in which cybersecurity operates.
• Governance: Establishing and adhering to cybersecurity policies, procedures, and processes.
• Risk Assessment: Conducting regular risk assessments to identify potential vulnerabilities and threats.
• Risk Management Strategy: Developing and implementing a risk management strategy based on identified risks.

Protect: This category focuses on the implementation of safeguards to ensure the protection of assets and data. The subcategories within this category include:

• Access Control: Managing physical and logical access to assets and systems.
• Awareness and Training: Providing cybersecurity awareness and training programs for employees.
• Data Security: Protecting and managing data throughout its lifecycle.
• Information Protection Processes and Procedures: Establishing processes and procedures to protect information systems from unauthorized access.
• Maintenance: Maintaining and regularly updating hardware, software, and firmware.
• Protective Technology: Implementing protective technologies to ensure the security of systems and data.

Detect: This category focuses on activities and processes that identify the occurrence of a cybersecurity event. The subcategories within this category include:

• Anomalies and Events: Monitoring systems to detect and analyze unusual activities or events.
• Security Continuous Monitoring: Implementing a process to continuously monitor the security posture of the organization.
• Detection Processes: Establishing processes to timely and efficiently detect cyber events.

Respond: This category focuses on actions that organizations need to take in response to a cybersecurity event. The subcategories within this category include:

• Response Planning: Developing and implementing plans for cybersecurity incident response.
• Communications: Establishing and maintaining communication channels during an incident.
• Analysis: Conducting analysis to determine the impact of a cybersecurity event.
• Mitigation: Implementing activities to prevent the expansion of an incident and to resolve it effectively.

Recover: This category focuses on activities that allow organizations to restore any capabilities or services that were impaired due to a cybersecurity event. The subcategories within this category include:

• Recovery Planning: Developing and implementing recovery plans to restore services.
• Improvements: Incorporating lessons learned from cybersecurity events to improve future response and recovery efforts.

The NIST CSF and its subcategories provide organizations with a structured framework to assess and strengthen their cybersecurity posture. By addressing each subcategory, organizations can effectively manage cybersecurity risks and protect their assets and data from potential threats.

In conclusion, the NIST CSF is divided into five categories, each of which has multiple subcategories. These subcategories provide organizations with a detailed breakdown of the specific areas they need to focus on to strengthen their cybersecurity posture. By implementing the guidelines and best practices outlined in the CSF, organizations can enhance their cybersecurity risk management efforts and protect themselves against evolving cyber threats.

Frequently Asked Questions

There are a total of 108 subcategories in the NIST CSF.

The subcategories provide a more detailed breakdown of cybersecurity outcomes within the categories, helping organizations to identify specific actions and measures to implement.

The subcategories are organized under each category and are labeled with unique alphanumeric codes (e.g., ID.SC-1, PR.AC-2). They represent specific outcomes that organizations should strive to achieve to improve their cybersecurity posture.

Yes, organizations can prioritize the implementation of specific subcategories based on their unique risk assessments, business objectives, and available resources. The NIST CSF is flexible to accommodate organization-specific priorities.

The subcategories in NIST CSF are not exhaustive. Organizations can develop their own subcategories that align with their specific cybersecurity needs and goals. However, it is recommended to leverage the existing subcategories as a starting point before customizing them.