As businesses rely more heavily on digital systems, the need for strong security has become clear. Cyberattacks are growing more frequent and more sophisticated, so having a clear, comprehensive approach to managing cybersecurity risk is now a top priority for most organizations. But what does that approach look like?
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That’s where the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) comes in, with its NIST Cybersecurity Framework. Let’s take a closer look at what the NIST Cybersecurity Framework is, why it matters, and what steps you can follow to reduce organizational cybersecurity risks.
What is the NIST Cybersecurity Framework?
The NIST Cybersecurity Framework (CSF) is a set of guidelines, standards, and best practices developed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to help organizations understand, manage, and reduce cybersecurity risk. Think of it as a map and compass for your security program, which gives your team a structured approach to protecting critical assets.
With the release of CSF 2.0 in February 2024, the framework received its most significant update since version 1.1— sharper guidance and a broader reach.
Perhaps the most meaningful change in CSF 2.0 is how much wider its scope has become. Version 1.1 was meant mainly for critical infrastructure operators. Version 2.0 was written for everyone: small and midsize businesses, large enterprises, non-profits, and government agencies at any stage of cybersecurity maturity. Years of community feedback and public comment shaped the update, making it one of the most collaboratively built cybersecurity resources available today.
Why is the Cybersecurity Framework important?
The NIST Cybersecurity Framework is important for a few reasons:
First, it provides a common understanding of what cybersecurity is and how it can be managed. This matters for organizations that want to assess their own cybersecurity and identify areas for improvement.
Second, the framework provides a structured, flexible approach to cybersecurity that can be adapted to meet the unique needs of each organization, allowing them to prioritize their efforts and focus on the most important risks.
Finally, the framework supports compliance by offering a baseline security approach that helps for organizations comply with regulations and standards, including those related to privacy and data protection.
6 core functions of the NIST Cybersecurity Framework
The NIST Cybersecurity Framework core are 6 functions that work together to help organizations manage and reduce cybersecurity risk. With the release of CSF 2.0, a sixth function, Govern, joined the original 5, placing cybersecurity decisions within the broader context of organizational leadership and strategy:
Govern. This function is at the center of the framework and informs how an organization carries out the other 5 functions. It establishes cybersecurity as a priority at the leadership level by defining roles, responsibilities, and accountability across the organization. Govern covers security risk management strategy, expectations from executive oversight and board-level reporting, organizational risk tolerance, and cybersecurity supply chain risk management (C-SCRM), which addresses third-party and vendor-related risks.
Identify. The first function of the NIST Cybersecurity Framework is all about knowledge, as it focuses on understanding the organization’s assets, systems, and data, along with the threats and vulnerabilities that could impact them. This includes conducting risk assessments, mapping the organization’s critical assets and systems, and identifying the types of data that need to be protected.
Protect. It sets out guidelines for implementing security controls and other measures to protect the organization's assets, systems, and data from a variety of cyber threats. This function of the NIST Cybersecurity Framework focuses on implementing firewalls and access controls, as well as protecting against social engineering and other types of attacks.
Detect. The Detect function defines appropriate approaches for identifying and responding to cyber threats and incidents in a timely manner. This includes deploying intrusion detection systems.
Respond. The fourth NIST Cybersecurity Framework function is about responding to cyber threats and incidents. It sets out guidelines for minimizing the impact of a cyber incident and ensuring the organization is able to continue operating.
Recover. The final function of the NIST Cybersecurity Framework focuses on recovering from cyber threats and incidents, ensuring that the organization is able to return to normal operations as quickly as possible. This includes backup and recovery planning, testing recovery plans, and creating and maintaining business continuity plans.
NIST Framework implementation steps
Originally defined in NIST CSF 1.1, the Cybersecurity Framework outlines 7 implementation steps that guide organizations from scoping to a concrete action plan for strengthening their cybersecurity risk management. CSF 2.0 reframes implementation around Profiles and Tiers, but the steps below remain a practical starting point.
Prioritize and scope. Define the business objectives, identify the systems and assets in scope, and decide which parts of the organization the framework will cover first.
Orient. Identify related threats, vulnerabilities, and regulatory requirements that apply to the systems and assets you've scoped.
Create a current profile. Map your existing cybersecurity practices against the framework to establish a baseline of where you stand today.
Conduct a risk assessment. Evaluate the likelihood and potential impact of cybersecurity events on your systems, factoring in the current threat environment.
Create a target profile. Define the desired cybersecurity outcomes for your organization, based on business needs, risk tolerance, and industry requirements.
Determine and prioritize gaps. Compare your current profile to your target one to identify gaps, then prioritize them based on risk, cost, and business impact.
Implement an action plan. Build a concrete, resourced plan to close the prioritized gaps, assign ownership, set timelines, and track progress over time.
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What are the NIST password guidelines?
The NIST Cybersecurity Framework is voluntary for private businesses. For US federal agencies, Executive Order 13800 (2017) made CSF adoption mandatory, while separate obligations under FISMA and NIST SP 800-53 govern broader federal security controls. Its influence keeps spreading beyond government, too—cyber insurance carriers and enterprise vendors treat NIST CSF 2.0 alignment as a baseline expectation for underwriting and vendor risk evaluations.
One of the areas the framework addresses directly is password security, and for good reason. Weak or reused passwords remain a leading cause of successful breaches. NIST’s password management guidelines, published under SP 800-63B-3 and updated over time, are widely regarded as one of the most influential standards for how organizations should handle password creation, storage, and use. These guidelines cover several areas of password management:
Password composition. NIST SP 800-63B Rev. 4 moves away from traditional composition rules— requiring a mix of uppercase, lowercase, numbers, and special characters should not be imposed. Forced complexity tends to produce predictable patterns (e.g., "Password1!" becoming "Password2!") without really improving security. Instead, NIST prioritizes password length and encourages long passphrases, while allowing the full range of printable characters, including spaces and Unicode, for more flexibility.
Password length. NIST sets an 8-character minimum for user-chosen passwords and requires a minimum of 15 characters when a password serves as the sole authentication factor. Systems must permit passwords of at least 64 characters, and NIST actively encourages long passphrases for stronger protection.
Password storage. Passwords should be stored in a hashed and salted format to limit the risk of unauthorized access. NIST also recommends pairing stored credentials with multi-factor authentication to add a second layer of protection.
Password aging. This is one area where NIST has shifted its position. The updated guidelines recommend against forcing routine password changes unless there’s evidence of a compromise. Mandatory rotation often leads users to make minor, predictable tweaks (like changing "Password1" to "Password2"), which weakens security rather than strengthening it.
Password reuse. NIST strongly discourages using the same password across multiple accounts. Credential stuffing attacks, where hackers take stolen credentials from one breach and test them across other services, make password reuse one of the most common paths to unauthorized access.
NIST Cybersecurity Framework 800 63b
NIST SP 800-63B, most recently updated with Revision 4 in 2025, provides further guidance on the authentication and management of digital identities. This way, organizations can manage digital identities in a secure and efficient manner.
To be compliant with NIST 800-63B, organizations should:
Implement strong authentication methods, such as multi-factor authentication, to protect digital identities.
Regularly assess and update identity management processes to keep them effective and up to date.
Regularly train employees on identity management best practices, including password security and social engineering tactics.
NIST 800-53: Definition and tips for compliance
Another set of controls that form part of the NIST framework is SP 800-53, a comprehensive catalog of over 1,000 security and privacy controls organized into 20 control families. These cover everything from access control and incident response to privacy.
To be compliant with NIST 800-53, organizations must implement the relevant security controls outlined in the document and conduct regular assessments and audits to ensure that these controls are effective. Here are tips to help you comply with the NIST 800-53:
Regularly assess your systems and networks to identify vulnerabilities and areas for improvement.
Implement strong access controls, such as multi-factor authentication, to protect sensitive information and systems.
Develop and have an incident response plan in place, and regularly review and update it to ensure that it is effective.
Regularly train employees on cybersecurity best practices, including password security and social engineering tactics.
NordPass Business and NIST Cybersecurity Framework compliance
With so many guidelines and recommendations to track, staying compliant can feel like a moving target. When it comes to password management, NordPass Business can help organizations address the password-related aspects of these guidelines.
On the governance side, NIST CSF 2.0 expects organizations to treat cybersecurity as a leadership-level priority (GV.RM / GV.PO), and that includes how credentials are managed across the company. NordPass Business gives IT admins centralized control over password policies, from minimum length and complexity rules to organization-wide enforcement, all from a single dashboard. Additionally, Activity Logs can be exported to SIEM platforms like Splunk or Microsoft Sentinel, giving security teams full visibility into credential-related events and the kind of ongoing monitoring the Govern function calls for.
NIST CSF 2.0's Protect function (PR.AA / PR.DS) is where things get hands-on. NordPass Business builds several layers of defense around how credentials are created, stored, and used:
MFA enforcement. Admins can require multi-factor authentication company-wide, aligning with NIST SP 800-63B's recommendation for layered access controls.
Passkey support. NordPass supports passkeys, the phishing-resistant authentication method that NIST's updated guidance favors over traditional passwords.
Zero-knowledge encryption. Every stored credential is protected with xChaCha20 encryption under a zero-knowledge architecture. No one, including NordPass, can access your vault contents.
Phishing-resistant autofill. Autofill only populates credentials on verified domains, preventing employees from handing passwords to spoofed or malicious sites.
Credential health monitoring. The Password Health flags weak, reused, and outdated credentials across the organization, so vulnerabilities get caught before they’re exploited.
All of this maps directly to NIST SP 800-63B’s updated direction: longer passphrases over arbitrary complexity rules, passkeys as a preferred authentication method, and no forced password rotation unless a breach is suspected. NordPass Business is built around these same principles. It generates strong, high-entropy credentials, supports passkeys natively, and never forces unnecessary resets.
Beyond NIST, NordPass Business helps organizations align with a range of security and compliance frameworks. You can learn more about how NordPass maps to standards like ISO 27001.