Cybersecurity Framework (CSF)

The NIST Cybersecurity Framework (CSF) is a voluntary framework that provides organizations with a structured approach to managing cybersecurity risk. It organizes cybersecurity activities into five core functions: Identify, Protect, Detect, Respond, and Recover. Unlike prescriptive standards like 800-171, the CSF is flexible — it helps organizations assess their current state and set goals for improvement.

The CSF is widely used across industries as a common language for cybersecurity. While it's not a compliance requirement for defense contractors (CMMC and NIST 800-171 are the requirements), the CSF's structure helps organizations understand where their security program stands and where it needs to go.

Why It Matters

While CMMC is your primary compliance target, the NIST CSF provides a useful lens for evaluating your overall security program maturity. Many organizations use the CSF alongside CMMC to build a comprehensive, risk-based security program.