How to pick a security framework?

There are many security frameworks you can choose to follow. However, the one you choose must meet the needs and objectives of your organization.

How to pick a security framework?

There are many security frameworks you can choose to follow. However, the one you choose must meet the needs and objectives of your organization. To select the appropriate option, you must first determine your primary objective, assess your organization's level of maturity, and perform a risk assessment. If you have no requirements for stakeholders, have few resources, and have a low level of maturity, start analyzing the NIST CSF.

It's a good starting point; you can make it as complex or simple as you want, and it's mapped to other frameworks. The ISO 27000 series is a family of standards all related to information security, Kim said. ISO 27001 includes information security management system requirements and defines areas of focus when creating a security program, including organizational context, leadership, planning, support, documentation, operation, performance evaluation and improvement, he added. The GDPR is a framework of security requirements that global organizations must implement to protect the security and privacy of EU citizens' personal information.

Information security professionals use frameworks to define and prioritize the tasks necessary to manage business security. Often, when a security professional enters a new environment to create and manage a team, they are faced with an organization that is relatively immature from an IT and security standpoint, Kim said. Help develop a minimum security base and prioritize implementing security measures as part of a tactical roadmap. The NIST SP 800-53 is a comprehensive catalog of security and privacy controls, where control can be implemented based on priority or secure control reference lines (low impact, moderate impact, or high impact).).

Information security management encompasses many areas, from perimeter protection and encryption to application security and disaster recovery. Therefore, a security framework can be considered the cornerstone of your organization's security program. The Federal Information Security Modernization Act (FISMA), which closely aligns with the NIST risk management framework, provides a security framework for protecting federal government data and systems. FISMA requires federal agencies and their third parties, contractors and suppliers to develop, document and implement security policies and practices, including monitoring their IT infrastructure and conducting audits of periodic security.

An IT security framework is a series of documented processes that define policies and procedures around the implementation and ongoing administration of information security controls.