New Cybersecurity Guidelines Released by White House, Part 1

New Cybersecurity Guidelines Released by White House, Part 1

  • By Ginger Hill
  • Feb 12, 2014

To assist businesses in managing the growing risk of web-based attacks, the National Institute for Standards and Technology has assembled a 41-page cybersecurity framework as a guide for cybersecurity. Broken into 4 different tiers of protection according to varying risks and resources and introduced by the White House earlier today, President Obama signed the official order for this framework earlier this month.

“We cannot look back years from now and wonder why we did nothing in the fact of real threats to our security and our economy,” said Obama.

Below is the Framework Core, comprised of 4 elements that present key cybersecurity outcomes identified by specific industries. For the security industry, I think it would be beneficial to complete this core for as many verticals as possible, from education to oil and gas to fire and life safety to access control and beyond.

New Cybersecurity Guidelines Released by White House, Part 1

Functions Column – organizes basic cyber security activities; aids organizations in managing risk; addresses threats; and improves learning from previous activities.

Identify: manage cybersecurity risks by understanding business context, identifying resources used to support the business; creating risk management strategy.

Protect: implement safeguards to limit and/or contain the impact of unwanted cyber events.

Detect: implement activities to ensure a timely discover of unwanted cyber events.

Respond: take action quickly and effectively.

Recover: develop and implement a plan for resiliency and to restore business functions quickly.

Categories Column – groups of cybersecurity outcomes closely tied to particular activities.

Subcategories Column – specific outcomes of management activities.

Informative References Column – standards, guidelines and practices.

Once you have identified your company’s framework, it’s time to discover how your organization views cybersecurity risks and identify the processes in place to manage these risks by choosing the tier in which your business currently identifies with most.

Click here for Part 2 of this article where I introduce the tiers and give tips on how to select the correct tier for your company!

(Image from the official framework's PDF.)

About the Author

Ginger Hill is Group Social Media Manager.

Featured

  • AI Is Now the Leading Cybersecurity Concern for Security, IT Leaders

    Arctic Wolf recently published findings from its State of Cybersecurity: 2025 Trends Report, offering insights from a global survey of more than 1,200 senior IT and cybersecurity decision-makers across 15 countries. Conducted by Sapio Research, the report captures the realities, risks, and readiness strategies shaping the modern security landscape. Read Now

  • Analysis of AI Tools Shows 85 Percent Have Been Breached

    AI tools are becoming essential to modern work, but their fast, unmonitored adoption is creating a new kind of security risk. Recent surveys reveal a clear trend – employees are rapidly adopting consumer-facing AI tools without employer approval, IT oversight, or any clear security policies. According to Cybernews Business Digital Index, nearly 90% of analyzed AI tools have been exposed to data breaches, putting businesses at severe risk. Read Now

  • Software Vulnerabilities Surged 61 Percent in 2024, According to New Report

    Action1, a provider of autonomous endpoint management (AEM) solutions, today released its 2025 Software Vulnerability Ratings Report, revealing a 61% year-over-year surge in discovered software vulnerabilities and a 96% spike in exploited vulnerabilities throughout 2024, amid an increasingly aggressive threat landscape. Read Now

  • Motorola Solutions Named Official Safety Technology Supplier of the Ryder Cup through 2027

    Motorola Solutions has today been named the Official Safety Technology Supplier of the 2025 and 2027 Ryder Cup, professional golf’s renowned biennial team competition between the United States and Europe. Read Now

  • Evolving Cybersecurity Strategies

    Organizations are increasingly turning their attention to human-focused security approaches, as two out of three (68%) cybersecurity incidents involve people. Threat actors are shifting from targeting networks and systems to hacking humans via social engineering methods, living off human errors as their most prevalent attack vector. Whether manipulated or not, human cyber behavior is leveraged to gain backdoor access into systems. This mainly results from a lack of employee training and awareness about evolving attack techniques employed by malign actors. Read Now

Most   Popular

New Products

  • Camden CV-7600 High Security Card Readers

    Camden CV-7600 High Security Card Readers

    Camden Door Controls has relaunched its CV-7600 card readers in response to growing market demand for a more secure alternative to standard proximity credentials that can be easily cloned. CV-7600 readers support MIFARE DESFire EV1 & EV2 encryption technology credentials, making them virtually clone-proof and highly secure.

  • Connect ONE’s powerful cloud-hosted management platform provides the means to tailor lockdowns and emergency mass notifications throughout a facility – while simultaneously alerting occupants to hazards or next steps, like evacuation.

    Connect ONE®

    Connect ONE’s powerful cloud-hosted management platform provides the means to tailor lockdowns and emergency mass notifications throughout a facility – while simultaneously alerting occupants to hazards or next steps, like evacuation.

  • AC Nio

    AC Nio

    Aiphone, a leading international manufacturer of intercom, access control, and emergency communication products, has introduced the AC Nio, its access control management software, an important addition to its new line of access control solutions.