Structure your security program around a recognized framework.
The NIST Cybersecurity Framework organizes security activity around five core functions — Identify, Protect, Detect, Respond and Recover. Seraph helps organizations assess maturity against the framework and build a roadmap to close gaps, without treating it as a rigid checklist.
Understanding the NIST Cybersecurity Framework.
What It Is
The NIST Cybersecurity Framework (CSF) is a voluntary framework of standards, guidelines and best practices developed by the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology to help organizations manage and reduce cybersecurity risk. It's organized around outcomes rather than prescriptive controls, which is what makes it a common reference model for structuring a program from scratch.
Why Organizations Pursue It
It gives CISOs a common language for board-level risk reporting, maps cleanly onto other frameworks (ISO 27001, SOC 2) for teams pursuing more than one, and scales down to fit organizations too small for a formal certification program.
- Published by
- NIST (United States)
- Current edition
- CSF 2.0 (2024)
- Type
- Voluntary risk-management framework
- Certification
- None — self-assessed maturity model
- Applies to
- Any organization, any size or sector
6 core functions (CSF 2.0 added Govern).
Govern
Set and monitor the organization's cybersecurity risk strategy and policy.
Identify
Understand assets, risks and vulnerabilities across the organization.
Protect
Implement safeguards to limit or contain the impact of an incident.
Detect
Identify the occurrence of a cybersecurity event in a timely manner.
Respond
Take action once an incident is detected to contain its impact.
Recover
Restore capabilities and services impaired by an incident.
From current state to a mature, adaptive program.
A structured path from understanding the framework's five functions to maturing your program over time.
Understand the Framework
Clarify the five functions and how they map to your environment.
Assess Current Maturity
Evaluate current practices against each function of the framework.
Identify Gaps & Priorities
Document gaps, rated by risk and effort to close.
Develop a Roadmap
Build a prioritized plan aligned to the framework's structure.
Implement Improvements
Execute against the roadmap, function by function.
Reassess & Mature Over Time
Revisit maturity periodically — the framework supports continuous improvement, not a one-time checklist.
Technology supporting this solution.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Ready to assess your maturity against the framework?
Tell us your current state and priorities. Our team will help scope a maturity assessment and roadmap.