Request Demo

What is the NIST Rating Scale?

In the realm of cybersecurity, understanding various security ratings is crucial for organizations to manage and mitigate risks effectively as a metric that indicates low to high cybersecurity risk.  

Among the many frameworks available, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has a rating scale that provides a structured approach to evaluating cybersecurity risk and maturity. Many of the leading vendors leverage some components of the NIST Cybersecurity Framework built into their automation of cyber risk analysis that helps calculate the security rating.  

Through this lens, the cyber security rating scale broaden the horizon of how organizations can protect their assets and data. The term NIST risk rating table is often mentioned in discussions surrounding this topic, underscoring its importance in the cybersecurity domain. 

What is the NIST Rating Scale?

The NIST rating scale is a part of the NIST’s broader framework for managing cybersecurity risks. This scale assists organizations in understanding, managing, and communicating about cybersecurity risks, making the NIST risk rating table a crucial tool for any cybersecurity initiative. 

NIST Risk Assessment Matrix / NIST Risk Rating Table 

Additional Resources

What is a security rating?

Cybersecurity rating scale explained

What are security ratings used for?

How are security ratings created?

What is a good cybersecurity rating?

How do you improve your security rating?

Is it easy to switch security ratings providers?

Why is my security rating wrong?

What Kind of Company is BitSight?

What is the Highest Security Rating?

Select What are the 5 C’s of Cybersecurity?          

What is the difference between SecurityScorecard and BitSight?

What is the difference between BitSight and RiskIQ?

What is the difference between SecurityScorecard and CyberGRX?

Get an accurate security rating

What are the Tiers of NIST?

NIST’s framework is segmented into different implementation tiers to help organizations gauge their approach towards managing cybersecurity risks. Utilizing a NIST risk assessment template can aid in understanding where an organization stands in terms of its cybersecurity readiness. The NIST scoring methodology further breaks down the evaluation process, making it helpful for organizations to identify areas of improvement within the implementation tiers. 

  1. Tier 1 (Partial): Organizations have an uncoordinated and reactive approach to managing cybersecurity risks. 
  2. Tier 2 (Risk Informed): Risk management practices exist but are not part of a comprehensive strategy. 
  3. Tier 3 (Repeatable): A formalized risk management approach is in place, which is regularly updated based on organizational changes. 
  4. Tier 4 (Adaptive): Organizations have a proactive approach to managing cybersecurity risks with continuous improvement embedded in their risk management process.

Image: NIST Framework Implementation Tiers, source: https://www.nist.gov/cyberframework/online-learning/cybersecurity-framework-components 

What is NIST Cybersecurity Risk Scoring?

The process of evaluating cybersecurity risks within the NIST framework is termed as NIST cybersecurity risk scoring. This encompasses utilizing the NIST cybersecurity framework alongside a NIST risk assessment template to carry out a systematic assessment of cybersecurity risks faced by an organization. Scoring helps in prioritizing risks and allocating resources efficiently to address the most critical vulnerabilities. This provides an “integrated view of NIST risk posture across the enterprise with quantitative metrics across systems and components” 

“Risk Scoring provides a foundation for quantitative risk-based analysis, assessment, and reporting of organizational IT assets. By applying ratings to controls and generating scores for components, stakeholders have a relative understanding of risk from one system compared to another. The variables that can affect a control’s potential risk score is outlined below.” 

Source: NIST Cyber Risk Scoring,  https://csrc.nist.gov/CSRC/media/Presentations/nist-cyber-risk-scoring-crs-program-overview/images-media/NIST%20Cyber%20Risk%20Scoring%20(CRS)%20-%20Program%20Overview.pdf  

What are the 5 Levels of NIST?

The 5 Levels of the NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology) framework is designed to provide a step-by-step approach to improving an organization’s cybersecurity posture against the 5 core categories of the NIST Cybersecurity Framework functions. By adhering to this structured approach, organizations can gradually enhance their cybersecurity measures, ensuring a secure and resilient operational environment. The NIST cybersecurity framework and NIST scoring methodology serve as the backbone for these levels, providing the necessary guidelines and assessment tools for progressing through the levels.  

Source: Charles IT Blog 

Here’s a closer look at each level: 

  •  Level 1 (Initial): At this foundational stage, organizations implement basic cybersecurity measures to safeguard against common threats. The focus is on establishing a baseline of security measures that can be built upon in the subsequent levels. Typical practices include installing antivirus software, implementing firewalls, and ensuring that system patches are up to date. 
  • Level 2 (Managed): Upon establishing a basic cybersecurity foundation, organizations at Level 2 aim to formalize and manage their cybersecurity practices. This involves documenting cybersecurity policies, procedures, and standards to ensure consistency in how cybersecurity measures are implemented and managed. Additionally, organizations begin to allocate resources specifically for managing cybersecurity risks. 
  • Level 3 (Defined): At Level 3, organizations have well-defined and well-understood cybersecurity policies in place. These policies are adhered to throughout the organization, creating a cohesive cybersecurity culture. Furthermore, organizations start to implement proactive measures to identify and address potential cybersecurity threats before they can cause harm.  
  • Level 4 (Predictable): In this level, organizations have established a predictable approach to cybersecurity management. Cybersecurity practices are measured and analyzed to gauge their effectiveness, and there’s a strong emphasis on continuous improvement. By analyzing past incidents and monitoring current operations, organizations can predict potential issues and take preemptive actions to mitigate risks. 
  • Level 5 (Optimizing): At the pinnacle of the NIST levels, organizations are in a state of continuous improvement regarding their cybersecurity practices. They actively adapt to the evolving threat landscape by analyzing the effectiveness of their current cybersecurity measures and identifying areas for improvement. The cybersecurity framework is optimized to meet the current and anticipated future threat scenarios, ensuring a robust and resilient cybersecurity posture. 

 

Each level in the NIST framework serves as a milestone on the journey to achieving a strong cybersecurity posture. By understanding and working through these levels, organizations are better equipped to protect their assets and data against an ever-evolving array of cybersecurity threats. 

Understanding the NIST rating scale and its various components is instrumental for organizations to fortify their cybersecurity posture. While this differs from the security rating and the cybersecurity rating scale those security rating services vendors have, many have elements of the NIST CSF built into their automated analysis of cyber risk that calculates the security rating.   

The structured approach that NIST provides empowers organizations to tackle cybersecurity challenges head-on. As cybersecurity threats continue to evolve, adapting a robust framework like NIST’s is a prudent step towards ensuring a secure operational environment. For further insights into enhancing your organization’s cybersecurity framework, explore our comprehensive guide on security ratings and how they play a pivotal role in today’s digital landscape. 

Get Your Free Security Rating

Related Resources