NIST CSF vs. ISO 27001
Choosing the Right Cybersecurity Framework for Your Business
Across the board, many business leaders turn to one of two well-established cybersecurity frameworks, NIST Cybersecurity Framework (CSF) or ISO 27001, to help improve their security posture, manage risks and comply with specific regulatory conditions. But why would an organization choose one over the other? How do the two frameworks compare? Read on to find out the similarities and differences of NIST CSF vs. ISO 27001.
Table of Contents
What is NIST CSF?
The 5 Functions of NIST CSF
How To Implement NIST CSF in Your Organization
What Are the Benefits of Implementing NIST CSF?
What is ISO 27001?
The Elements of ISO 27001
How Can Your Business Be ISO 27001 Compliant?
How Can Your Business Benefit from ISO 27001 Certification?
NIST CSF vs ISO 27001: What Are the Similarities?
NIST CSF vs ISO 27001: What Are the Differences?
NIST CSF vs ISO 27001: Which Framework Should Your Business Adopt?
What Is NIST CSF?
The National Institute of Standards and Technology Cyber Security Framework (NIST CSF) is a set of IT best practices developed by NIST, an agency of the U.S. Department of Commerce, to help both large companies and small organizations manage and reduce cybersecurity risks. It’s a voluntary framework that most mature organizations across industries in the U.S. use to assess and plan for a strong cybersecurity posture.
The U.S. government developed NIST CSF to help organizations proactively manage their cyber risks. The NIST CSF is designed to complement and be used within the NIST Risk Management Framework (RMF), providing a flexible, customizable approach to cybersecurity risk management. It includes a list of gold standard activities and control techniques for improving IT security.
The 5 Functions of NIST CSF
NIST CSF offers a five-function structure to guide organizations in managing cybersecurity risks:
- Identify
- Protect
- Detect
- Respond
- Recover
These five functions all work progressively and concurrently. They form the foundation upon which you can build all other vital elements of high-level risk management.
1. Identify
The NIST CSF requires your company to have and maintain complete visibility into its IT environment to manage security at asset, data and system levels. The Identify function requires you to inventory your assets, understand how different components interconnect and define the employees’ responsibilities for data security. This function is critical as it sets the tone for the entire framework core and supports all other functions.
2. Protect
Once you have an accurate picture of your IT environment and risks, you can assess how well your current cybersecurity measures protect your company and where they fall short. The Protect function of NIST CSF emphasizes preventing unauthorized access to data and systems while limiting the impact of cybersecurity events. It provides guidance on:
- Implementing access controls
- Encrypting sensitive data
- Training employees on best practices for handling sensitive data
- Performing routine software updates
- Backing up data consistently
3. Detect
On average, organizations take 283 days to detect breaches of data stored across multiple environments. The NIST CSF Detect function helps you identify cybersecurity events in time to minimize damage. It focuses on continuous monitoring, anomaly detection and an alert mechanism to flag unauthorized access to your devices and network. It also enables you to investigate suspicious activities.
Early detection is key to limiting the impact of security incidents. The earlier you detect an event, the faster you can contain and remediate it.
4. Respond
If a incident occurs, the NIST CSF’s Respond function can help you quickly minimize the damage and restore normal operation. As per this function, your response plan should include:
- Damage assessment to determine what systems and data have been impacted and the severity of the attack
- Incident containment to isolate the affected system and prevent further spread of the breach
- Clear communication to the affected customers, stakeholders, employees and regulatory bodies about the incident
- Threat eradication to remove malicious actors or vulnerabilities
- Recurrence prevention through security improvements and updates to policies and cybersecurity controls
How you respond can mean the difference between a minor hiccup and a major crisis.
5. Recover
Restoring normal business operations after a cyber incident is critical to minimizing disruption and rebuilding trust. The NIST CSF Recover function focuses on reestablishing affected systems, strengthening defenses and ensuring business continuity. It also emphasizes keeping employees, customers and regulatory bodies informed about recovery progress and security improvements.
How To Implement NIST CSF in Your Organization
To implement NIST CSF:
- Head to the official NIST site and download the latest NIST CSF guidelines for free.
- Conduct a gap analysis by comparing your existing security controls against the NIST CSF guidelines.
- Implement security controls based on the five functions.
If your organization follows compliance regulations like HIPAA, GDPR, PCI-DSS or CMMC, tailor NIST CSF controls to meet these specific requirements to ensure compliance.
What Are the Benefits of Implementing NIST Cybersecurity Framework?
Adopting NIST CSF has several benefits for your organization:
- A comprehensive set of framework controls, built from the collective experience of thousands of security professionals, strengthens your organization’s defense against cyber threats.
- It shifts your organization from the one-off audit compliance mindset to a more adaptive, responsive approach to risk management.
- It aligns with major regulations and guidance, such as ISO 27001, HIPAA, GDPR, PCI-DSS or CMMC to simplify compliance.
What Is ISO 27001?
ISO 27001, also known as ISO/IEC 27001, is a set of security standards developed by the International Organization for Standardization. Unlike the NIST CSF, which is more common in the U.S., ISO 27001 is a globally recognized security framework and the leading international standard for information security best practices. Global organizations use it to establish, implement, monitor and maintain their IT infrastructures.
Much like NIST CSF, ISO 27001 highlights internal policies, security controls and standardized protocols to protect organizational data from misuse and theft. Unlike standards such as CMMC, which primarily apply to organizations working with the Department of Defense, ISO 27001 helps organizations across all industries protect business data stored electronically, physically or with third parties.
The Elements of ISO 27001
ISO 27001 secures business data through three main principles: confidentiality, integrity and availability, a.k.a., the “CIA Triad.”
Confidentiality
The first ISO 27001 principle deals with maintaining the confidentiality of the information your organization handles:
- Employee information
- Intellectual property
- Financial information
- Customer information
- Communication records
To uphold confidentiality, you must implement an information security management system that prevents access from unauthorized people, processes and applications. You should also encrypt data shared externally during transit to prevent hackers or third parties from intercepting it.
Information Integrity
Beyond protecting data from unauthorized access, this second ISO principle ensures data remains accurate throughout its lifecycle. Not only does this require taking steps to prevent data manipulation by bad actors, but it also requires detailed audit logging to track who modified what data and when.
Data alteration or corruption can occur due to both intentional and unintentional actions. Your data faces constant risk of sabotage and tampering. Whether accidental or deliberate, unwarranted changes can compromise customer trust in you or even lead to legal repercussions.
Availability
The final principle of ISO 27001 ensures organizational data and systems remain functional and accessible. It states that all stakeholders must be able to access the company data they need for business purposes—while restricting access to authorized users only.
How Can Your Business Be ISO 27001 Compliant?
To comply with ISO 27001, buy ISO/IEC 27001:2022 from ISO’s official site or national standard bodies to guide your implementation. Compare your current security measures against ISO 27001 requirements to identify missing policies, weak controls and areas of improvement. Then, address non-conformity before hiring an external, third-party auditor to execute the two-stage ISO certification process.
Stage 1: Documentation Review
ISO doesn’t issue certifications directly. So, you’ll work with an accredited certification body to audit your information security management system and verify that it meets ISO 27001 requirements. During this review, the auditor will examine key documents such as:
- Scope and security policies
- Risk assessment and treatment plan
- Roles and responsibilities for information security
- Asset inventory and classification
- Incident management procedures
- Compliance requirements
If the audit reveals gaps or non-conformities, the auditor will recommend improvements.
Stage 2: Certification Audit
Once the auditors approve your documentation, they’ll conduct an on-site or remote review of your information security management system to evaluate how well you implemented what you documented.
The auditors will assess your security controls, conduct interviews and check operational effectiveness. They’ll test whether your employees follow your policies and procedures as intended, examine your backup and recovery plans and check your server rooms and office security’s physical security measures. If no issue is found, your organization receives ISO 27001 certification.
How Can Your Business Benefit From ISO 27001 Certification?
ISO 27001 offers several key benefits:
- It helps you identify security gaps, protect data, improve cyber resilience and avoid security breaches. Any sort of major security crisis could cripple the business and cost revenue for every minute of downtime.
- It demonstrates your commitment to cybersecurity, which can improve credibility and enhance brand reputation in the eyes of customers, partners and other stakeholders.
- It supports compliance with other security frameworks, standards and legislation, such as GDPR, HIPAA, the NIST SP 800 series and the NIS Directive, helping you avoid costly fines and penalties.
NIST CSF vs. ISO 27001: What Are the Similarities?
NIST CSF and ISO 27001 have a lot in common. In fact, if you implement NIST CSF, you’re already 78% of the way toward ISO 27001. Here’s a quick overview of how these compliance frameworks are complementary.
Risk-Based Approach
Both NIST CSF and ISO 27001 use similar risk management processes that advance your risk maturity:
- Identify the risk.
- Assess its potential impact and likelihood.
- Implement security controls appropriate to the risk.
- Monitor performance and continuously improve security measures based on emerging threats and business needs.
Continuous Improvement
NIST CSF and ISO 27001 emphasize the need for ongoing evaluation and improvement of security measures to adapt to evolving threats. Both encourage growing organizations to conduct regular assessments, review their incident response policies, continuously educate employees to reinforce best practices, regularly revise security policies and controls and track the effectiveness of the implemented measures.
Alignment With Compliance Standards
Both frameworks can help your company meet regulatory and industry requirements. Like NIST CSF, ISO 27001 supports compliance with GDPR, HIPAA, PCI-DSS and CMMC as it aligns security controls with legal requirements.
Control Categories
While structured differently, both cybersecurity frameworks cover similar security domains:
- Access control
- Incident response
- Risk management
- Asset protection
Flexibility and Scalability
You can adapt both frameworks to different business sizes, industries and security maturity levels. They let you prioritize security measures based on specific cybersecurity threats, regulatory requirements and operational needs.
NIST CSF vs. ISO 27001: What Are the Differences?
Although the two frameworks have more in common, there are a few key differences you want to consider.
NIST CSF vs. ISO 27001: Which Framework Should Your Business Adopt?
So, in the comparison of NIST CSF vs. ISO 27001, which one should you choose? Each framework has its advantages, and choosing one or both depends on:
- Your business needs
- Regulatory requirements
- Security objectives
- Business priorities
If you’re a startup in the early stages of your cybersecurity journey, you’ll appreciate that NIST CSF will guide you through the steps of building powerful information security without requiring formal certification.
On the other hand, if you’re an established organization looking to demonstrate trust through a standardized certification, ISO 27001 may be a better fit. Many established institutions require partners to hold ISO 27001 certification, while NIST CSF is rarely mandated.
Consider both frameworks if you want to align with global best practices and operate across multiple industries or countries with diverse compliance needs while maintaining a dynamic, risk-based approach.
Simplify Your Security Management With Onspring
Whether you’re eyeing ISO 27001 compliance, implementing NIST CSF or pursuing a different certification or standard, Onspring can provide the tools you need to automate the compliance process, including incident response and improving visibility of the entire IT infrastructure. Request a demo today and let’s see how we can help.
