Ensuring Proactive Adherence to the Cyber Assessment Framework
The Cyber Assessment Framework (CAF), developed by the UK National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), provides a standardized, risk-based method to evaluate and improve resilience against evolving cyber threats. CAF is constructed on 4 high-level objectives that guide organizations in evaluating risks, enacting best practices, and managing cyber resilience. The framework is universally applicable, making it suitable for diverse entities in the public sector responsible for vital services like utilities, transportation, healthcare, and local government operations. For public sector organizations in the UK, CAF represents a comprehensive toolkit to assess their cybersecurity maturity, comply with regulatory mandates like the Network and Information Systems (NIS) Directive, and proactively enhance their cyber defenses.
Key Objectives of the Cyber Assessment Framework
The Cyber Assessment Framework (CAF) consists of 4 high-level objectives and 14 principles. The CAF adds additional levels of detail to the top-level principles, including a list of Indicators of Good Practice (IGPs) which indicate a level of cyber security beyond the bare minimum level of hygiene. The core objectives of the CAF include:
- Managing Security Risk (Objective A): Entities should establish roles and responsibilities for cybersecurity, identify and evaluate cybersecurity risks, and maintain an accurate inventory of assets.
- Protecting Against Cyber Attacks (Objective B): Entities should have enforceable cybersecurity policies, protect systems and data with access control, protect sensitive information, establish protective measures, and prepare for cyber attacks with operational continuity plans.
- Detecting Cyber Security Events (Objective C): Entities should continuously monitor for unusual activity or threats and use tools and technology to rapidly identify cybersecurity incidents.
- Minimizing Incident Impact (Objective D): Entities should create and test incident response plans and conduct post-incident analysis to continuously improve and reduce vulnerabilities in future.
These principles provide guidance for cybersecurity best practices and are intended to provide target outcomes rather than a checklist of tasks. This serves as a clear, actionable framework for managing cyber resilience.
Spotlight on Healthcare: DSPT-CAF
In September 2024, the Data Security and Protection Toolkit (DSPT) adopted the Cyber Assessment Framework (CAF) as its basis for cyber security and information governance assurance. NHS England and the National Data Guardian released a joint statement describing changes to the Data Security and Protection Toolkit (DSPT) to be phased out and replaced by the NCSC CAF. According to the NHS, this is driven by a desire for good decision-making, not just box-ticking compliance, a culture of evaluation and improvement, and enabling organizations to remain current with new security measures to manage new threats and risks.
The CAF-aligned DSPT extends the four objectives and includes an additional information governance-focused section: Objective E: Using and Sharing Information Appropriately. This framework also aligns with international standards, such as ISO/IEC 27001, providing healthcare organizations with a scalable method for ensuring regulatory and operational compliance.
| A | Managing Security Risk (Objective A) |
|
| B | Protecting Against Cyber Attacks (Objective B) |
|
| C | Detecting Cyber Security Events (Objective C) |
|
| D | Minimizing the Impact of Cyber Security Incidents (Objective D) |
|
| E | Using and Sharing Information Appropriately (Objective E)**DSPT-CAF |
|
See, Protect, Manage Each and Every Asset
How Armis Supports CAF and DSPT-CAF Compliance
Cybersecurity threats are increasing. Armis facilitates best-practice cybersecurity by aligning with the Cyber Assessment Framework and DSPT-CAF to help organizations like the NHS establish a resilient and proactive cybersecurity posture. Here’s how:
| Complete Asset Visibility | Continuous Risk Management | Policy Enforcement, Data Protection, and System Security | Vulnerability Management and Automated Incident Response | Device Behavioral Analytics |
| Armis provides an up-to-date, real-time, and in-depth inventory of all connected devices, from IT to IoT and medical devices. Each device is profiled based on behavior, manufacturer, and firmware details, letting you identify and manage assets efficiently. | Armis identifies and prioritizes risks across connected devices. Leveraging threat intelligence, Armis enables proactive risk management by identifying known vulnerabilities while also connecting the finding to the fix. | Armis helps enforce security policies across device types and protocols. Protect sensitive data by monitoring device behaviors for anomalies, preventing unauthorized access or data exfiltration. Continuous vulnerability monitoring ensures ongoing protection. | Armis continuously monitors device activity, providing real-time visibility and alerts into potential threats. By learning device behaviors, Armis quickly identifies anomalies that may indicate cyber threats, facilitating rapid event detection and response. | Armis assists in developing and automating incident response playbooks, reducing response times and mitigating potential impact. After an incident, Armis helps conduct root-cause analysis, providing data to inform and enhance future responses. |
