Profiles in NIST CSF 2.0

In NIST CSF 2.0, a Profile is a powerful tool that allows organizations to customize and align their cybersecurity practices with their specific requirements, risk tolerances, and objectives. Profiles serve as a mechanism for describing an organization's current and/or target cybersecurity posture in terms of the CSF Core's outcomes.

Key Aspects of NIST CSF 2.0 Profiles

Types of Profiles

. Current Profile: This outlines an organization's existing cybersecurity posture and practices.
. Target Profile: This represents the desired future state of an organization's cybersecurity practices.

Purpose and Benefits

Profiles in NIST CSF 2.0 enable organizations to:

. Establish a roadmap for reducing cybersecurity risk.
. Align cybersecurity activities with business requirements, risk tolerance, and resources.
. Identify gaps between current and desired cybersecurity states.
. Develop prioritized action plans for improvement.
. Communicate cybersecurity requirements within the organization and to external parties.

Profile Creation Process

To create and utilize Profiles effectively, organizations should:

. Assess their current cybersecurity practices against the NIST Framework Core.
. Define desired cybersecurity outcomes based on risk tolerance and priorities.
. Develop and execute plans to address gaps between current and target profiles.
. Regularly review and update profiles to adapt to evolving threats and business needs.

New Developments in CSF 2.0

NIST CSF 2.0 has introduced more structured guidance on creating and organizing Profiles:

. It provides step-by-step directions for arranging Organizational Profiles.
. The concept of Community Profiles has been introduced, which can be used as a basis for an organization's own Target Profile.

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