Your guide to the NCSC Cyber Assessment Framework (CAF)
Gain improved cyber resilience and access to technical specialists with the Cyber Assessment Framework (CAF), providing vital cyber security guidance.
The Cyber Assessment Framework provides a systematic and comprehensive approach to assessing the extent to which essential functions are being securely managed by organisations. It was developed by the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) as a guide for organisations to determine if they have properly applied appropriate measures to protect the security of their network and information systems.
Our specialists can support organisations in the application of the Cyber Assessment Framework across a wide range of sectors. Whether your organisation needs to achieve compliance against NIS Regulations or are just looking to enhance your cyber posture, by aligning with this framework you will achieve and demonstrate a high level of cyber resilience to manage your security risks.
What are the key principles of the Cyber Assessment Framework?
The Cyber Assessment Framework is designed to:
Manage security risk
ensure all structures, policies, and processes are in place to properly manage security risks
Protect against cyber threats
make sure appropriate security measures are working against cyber threats
Detect cyber security events
acknowledge and respond to cyber threats appropriately
Minimise the impact of cyber security incidents
effectively restore all services and capabilities post-attack
Key benefits of the Cyber Assessment Framework
The CAF has been developed to meet a specific set of requirements, driving several benefits:
Provide a suitable framework to assist in carrying out cyber resilience assessments
Maintain the outcome-focused approach of the NCSC cyber security and resilience principles, and discourage assessments being carried out as tick-box exercises
Be compatible with the use of appropriate existing cyber security guidance and standards
Be extensible to accommodate sector-specific elements as may be required
Enable the setting of meaningful target security levels for organisations to achieve, reflecting a regulator view of appropriate and proportionate security
Cyber Assessment Framework FAQs
The CAF uses a maturity model approach to measure the extend to which an organisation meets each of the 14 cyber security principles. The maturity model has five levels, ranging from passive (no effective implementation) to dynamic (continuous improvement and adaptation).
The CAF provides guidance and examples for each principle and maturity level, as well as a scoring method and a reporting template.
By using the CAF, you’ll enhance your cyber resilience and reduce the risks and impacts of cyber attacks on your organisation. You’ll also demonstrate your compliance with NIS Regulations and other relevant standards and regulation, as well as your commitment to providing secure and reliable services to your customers and stakeholders.
Our team of specialists help you implement the CAF in your organisation by conducting a comprehensive and objective assessment of your current cyber resilience, identify gaps and areas for improvement, and develop a tailored action plan to achieve your target maturity level.
Ready to find out more about the Cyber Assessment Framework (CAF)?
Are you ready to begin implementing the Cyber Assessment Framework with the help of Phoenix specialists? Chat to one of our specialists by booking a one-to-one call below now.
You can also email us at [email protected] or call 01904 562200 – whatever works best for you.