The NIST Cybersecurity Principles That All SMBs Should Follow

Cybersecurity has become one of business’s hottest topics, with many high-profile data leaks across our nation prompting companies to increase their security resources. Even companies like Facebook and Google are continually showing up in courtrooms and trying to find ways to eliminate increasingly sophisticated threats. 

On a smaller scale, cybersecurity threats are higher than ever for small and medium businesses and can often put them out of business overnight. Luckily, measures are constantly being taken 

In the cybersecurity industry to enhance security measures and protect businesses.

One of those measures is the National Institutes of Standard and Technology’s (NIST) Cybersecurity Framework. It is the gold standard for building a cybersecurity program, created to protect businesses of all sizes from data breaches. It is a cost-effective method that, once implemented, can be easily kept and updated.  

What Is the NIST Cybersecurity Framework?

Think of the NIST Framework as similar to the fire drills taught in schools. You are trained to recognize the fire alarms, conduct yourself during the fire, and then introduce a proper exit strategy from the building and look for when it’s safe for you to return to your workspace. 

The NIST Framework helps your business prepare for cyber attacks by teaching them to recognize the signs or alarms, how to react, and what strategies to employ to mitigate the damage. 

How to Implement NIST Cybersecurity Principles

Implementing NIST cybersecurity principles in a business typically consists of a few main steps:

1. Identifying risks in a company’s cybersecurity
2. Taking action to protect a company’s data assets
3. Creating a system to detect breaches in the cybersecurity
4. Creating a response method for when a breach occurs
5. Recovering data that was lost during a breach

By first identifying the kind of security they currently have and where they need to further develop their cybersecurity, businesses can begin protecting their company from top to bottom. Then they can test their strategies and continually improve them.

This process benefits your clients, employees, servers, and assets crucially as our world becomes ever more digital. If you would like to learn more about what the framework looks like and how it benefits small businesses, check out these resources on NIST.gov.

Work with a Cybersecurity Professional

We at Envision Consulting are a team of cybersecurity experts who are passionate about building long-term and healthy relationships with our clients. We believe that the best and most successful business practices are built on trust, reliability, and looking after a client’s best interest. 

These values are why we find it so important to educate our clients about the best practices for cybersecurity, and we want to encourage them that they don’t have to do it alone. Envision Consulting can help you make a seamless transition to an upgraded cybersecurity system in your company, regardless of the size or scope. We pride ourselves in providing a flawless transition for all businesses to thrive safely.

To learn more about how we can help your business, contact us today!