What is a Security Framework?
A security framework is a set of guidelines and best practices that provides organizations with a systematic way to protect their information and information and communication (ICT) systems.
Security frameworks can be used to help organizations identify and assess their cybersecurity risks, develop and implement security controls, monitor and manage their security posture, and assess their compliance with current and proposed regulations.
Security Framework Components
A security framework components typically address the following concerns:
- Security governance: This includes setting security policies and controls, as well as ensuring they are implemented and enforced.
- Risk management: This includes identifying, assessing, and mitigating risks to an organization’s information and ICT systems.
- Access control: This includes physical access control through the use of locks, security guards, and other physical barriers; logical access control through the use of passwords, access cards, and other forms of electronic authentication; and application access control through the use of role-based access control (RBAC) and the principle of least privilege (PoLP).
- Data protection and privacy: This includes implementing and monitoring safeguards to protect sensitive data and ensure compliance with privacy laws and regulations.
- Incident management: This includes how security incidents will be identified, reported, and handled.
- Business continuity and disaster recovery: This includes developing plans to ensure that the organization can continue to operate in the event of a security incident or natural disaster.
- Security awareness training: This includes educating employees about security risks and how to protect themselves and the organization’s information from both external and insider threat actors.
- Security audits for compliance: This includes evaluating and ensuring the adherence of organizational practices to specified policies, standards, and legal requirements.
Common Security Frameworks
Organizations typically adopt a framework that aligns best with their business needs. Organizations in industries that have unique types of risks will often combine elements from multiple frameworks to suit their particular situation.
Popular security frameworks in use today include:
ISO 27001 provides organizations with a framework for selecting and implementing security controls. Organizations can achieve ISO 27001 certification by undergoing an audit by an accredited certification body.
Certification demonstrates to stakeholders that the organization is following international information security best practices.
The NIST Cybersecurity Framework, developed by the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology, is structured around five core functions: Identify, Protect, Detect, Respond, and Recover.
The framework is designed to be adaptable for various industries and organizational sizes.
The CIS Critical Security Controls, developed by the Center for Internet Security, is a framework for using security controls to improve cybersecurity defenses. The controls provide organizations with actionable steps to prevent, detect, and mitigate cyber threats.
COBIT (Control Objectives for Information and Related Technologies) is a framework developed by ISACA, primarily focused on the governance and management of enterprise IT. It offers a holistic approach, linking business objectives with IT goals while providing a set of processes and control objectives.
COBIT aids organizations in developing, organizing, and implementing strategies for IT governance and management.
- Cryptocurrency Security Standard (CCSS)
The Cryptocurrency Security Standard (CCSS) is a security framework designed specifically for safeguarding cryptocurrency systems. Developed by the CryptoCurrency Certification Consortium (C4), the CCSS provides guidelines to ensure the security of cryptocurrency operations against a variety of threats, including both external hacks and internal fraud.
