What are the NIST CSF implementation tiers? (2024)

FAQs

What are the NIST CSF implementation tiers? ›

The Tiers range from Partial (Tier 1) to Adaptive (Tier 4) and describe an increasing degree of rigor, and how well integrated cybersecurity risk decisions are into broader risk decisions, and the degree to which the organization shares and receives cybersecurity info from external parties.

NIST implementation tiers were designed in light of increasing cyberattacks. These tiers are a great measure of the required activities needed to strengthen the security posture of your company and, in turn, help you in better business operations.

Having a diverse security team beyond the four analyst tiers (Tier 1: Triage Specialist; Tier 2: Incident Responder; Tier 3: Threat Hunter; Tier 4: SOC Manager) can provide broader and deeper coverage. Those roles include titles such as vulnerability managers, threat intelligence, malware, and forensic analysts.

Tiers to Drive an Integrated Risk Management Process

Building from those key elements, NIST recommends a three-tiered approach to integrating the risk management process throughout the organization: Tier 1: Organization level. Tier 2: Mission/business process level. Tier 3: Information systems level.

'Implementation Tiers' describe the degree to which an organization has incorporated NIST CSF into its cybersecurity structure. There are four tiers in total, that indicate how well your organization manages cybersecurity risks and information.

Tier 2 (Risk Informed)

This tier is for businesses that may understand risks and are currently addressing some compliance requirements; however, they may not be addressing all the security concerns or policies across the entire business.

The NIST introduced the tiered approach to help solve this issue: Tier 1 – the risk assessment looks at risks across all levels of the organization, including risks in business models, the organization's design, and long-term objectives.

The NIST Cybersecurity Framework (CSF) 2.0 can help organizations manage and reduce their cybersecurity risks as they start or improve their cybersecurity program. The CSF outlines specific outcomes that organizations can achieve to address risk.

What are the 4 stages of NIST? ›

Tier 2, known as the "Risk Informed" tier, takes a more proactive approach to cybersecurity risk management. Organizations in this tier have a more comprehensive understanding of cybersecurity risks and develop and implement risk management strategies.

The cyber maturity assessment framework establishes five clear NIST levels that gauge an organization's security systems and processes optimization level. As a company advances through the NIST levels, it continuously improves and strengthens its security policies.

​Tier 1 (Formerly NACI or level 1) – non-sensitive position. Tier 2 (Formerly MBI or level 5B) – public trust position. Tier 3 (Formerly ANACI or level 2) – non-critical sensitive national security position. This investigation makes the staff member eligible for a secret clearance.