The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Cybersecurity Framework (CSF) is a widely used tool for managing cybersecurity risk. Version 1.1 was released in 2018, and version 2.0 (published in February 2024) reflects the evolving threat landscape, regulatory expectations, and the need for broader adoption beyond critical infrastructure.
Scope
- CSF 1.1 (2018): Originally designed for critical infrastructure sectors (e.g., energy, finance, transportation).
- CSF 2.0 (2024): Expanded to apply to all organizations, regardless of size or sector, including small businesses, supply chains, and global stakeholders.
Structure and Functions
- CSF 1.1: Built around five core functions: Identify, Protect, Detect, Respond, Recover.
- CSF 2.0: Introduces a sixth function, “Govern,” which emphasizes organizational governance, risk management, roles, and accountability.
Governance and Risk Management
- CSF 1.1: Touched on governance but embedded it within other functions.
- CSF 2.0: Elevates governance to a standalone pillar, reflecting the importance of executive oversight, board engagement, and regulatory compliance.
Supply Chain and Third-Party Risk
- CSF 1.0: Mentioned supply chain risks but did not provide a detailed approach.
- CSF 2.0: Stronger emphasis on supply chain cybersecurity, vendor risk management, and extended enterprise resilience.
Guidance and Resources
- CSF 1.1: Relied primarily on the framework core, profiles, and implementation tiers.
- CSF 2.0: Provides expanded implementation guidance, quick-start guides, and practical examples to support adoption by organizations of varying maturity and resource levels.
Global Applicability
- CSF 1.1: U.S.-centric, though widely adopted internationally.
- CSF 2.0: Written with international harmonization in mind, aligning with global standards to encourage worldwide adoption.
Summary
The shift from NIST CSF 1.1 to 2.0 represents more than an update—it reflects a broader, more inclusive approach to cybersecurity risk management. By adding a Govern function, emphasizing supply chain security, and expanding applicability to all organizations, CSF 2.0 provides a stronger foundation for resilience in today’s interconnected global economy.
When expanding your platform, the wider the basis you cover, the more efficient it is. If you’re expecting growth, you often need to expand. By expanding its applicable capabilities, you’re making it ultimately more useful
The govern function is what helps manage the other functions. What makes this function different is that instead of playing a specific role, its job is to ensure all the other roles are performing properly. Ultimately, the govern function is in a category of its own in regard to capability.
Properly securing the supply chain for your organization is arguably as crucial as any other form of security. Ensuring the product, you’re receiving is both valid and safe is crucial for optimal operations. By gambling the risk of an infected product, you’re accepting the risk of potential failure.
Having access to resources is one thing but ensuring everyone is trained on how to access those resources is even more important. It doesn’t matter how important those resources are if the intended audience isn’t properly informed of how to access them. Ultimately, communication is one of the most important things within the workplace and being unable to access certain data hurts everyone within the organization.
When seeking a bigger platform, you often reach a point where the next step is on the international level. When limiting yourself to one specific region, you’re only hurting the true potential your platform might have. With how technologically advanced the world is becoming, essentially everywhere in the world has access to the internet and may benefit from your platform.
Overall, Version 2.0 seems to be looking at the bigger picture I comparison to Version 1.1. Version 1.1 had too specific of a base and was limited both digitally and geographically. With the introduction of Version 2.0, we now have a more internationally available and diverse platform