How Cybersecurity Frameworks Help Protect Your Business

Most organizations know cybersecurity is important, but may not know where to start or how to measure whether what they’re doing is “enough.” That’s where cybersecurity frameworks come in.

Frameworks provide a clear, structured way to evaluate your security posture, prioritize the right actions, and build proactive long-term approaches without guesswork.

What Is a Cybersecurity Framework?

A cybersecurity framework is a roadmap of best practices that helps organizations identify risks, reduce threats, and create repeatable processes that strengthen their security posture over time. They are collaboratively developed by private companies, government organizations, and non-profit experts. You can think of it like a blueprint: instead of reacting to whatever threat pops up next, a framework gives you a systematic way mitigate risk.

Two Frameworks We Recommend

NIST Cybersecurity Framework (NIST CSF)

NIST CSF is built around five core functions: Identify, Protect, Detect, Respond, and Recover. It’s widely used, insurer-friendly, and ideal for organizations that want a comprehensive, strategic view of their security risks. The implementation is holistic and involves buy-in from all levels of leadership. It requires a big picture overview and gap analysis of your current state and builds a roadmap for next steps.

Center for Internet Security (CIS) Controls

CIS Controls offer 18 Controls (major groupings) that include 153 prioritized security safeguards designed to defend against the most common cyber threats. They are broken down into Implementation Groups to help create a pathway to adoption. They’re highly actionable and a great fit for organizations that want tactical, step-by-step improvements.

Why we like these frameworks:

• They’re free to use with your business

• They’re practical and business-aligned

• They work well for small and mid-sized teams

• They scale as your organization matures

How to Get Started

Both NIST and CIS provide free spreadsheets and tracking templates that help you:

• Identify your current gaps

• Check off controls you already meet

• Document your progress

• Build a list of high-impact next steps

You don’t need any special tools to start, just time, focus, and someone who understands your environment.

How to Go Further

While spreadsheets are great for starting, many organizations struggle to:

• Keep track of high-priority initiatives

• Assign and follow up on responsibilities

• Maintain momentum

• Translate framework findings into business decisions

At Elevate Cyber Solutions, we help elevate your approach through a dedicated system that tracks improvement areas, organizes tasks, sets milestones, and helps you consistently move toward a stronger security posture. It turns “we should fix that someday” into a structured, measurable plan aligned with your business goals.

Ready to Strengthen Your Cybersecurity Strategy?

If you want clarity, a roadmap, and expert guidance through the process, we’re here to help.

👉 Schedule a free consultation