In cybersecurity and compliance, terms like “framework” and “regulations” are often used interchangeably. As such, non-specialists might struggle to understand how different guidelines and regulatory bodies fit together to support cybersecurity. For example, the National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST) provides several documents outlining guidelines and compliance requirements. However, in terms of larger frameworks, it provides two major examples: the Risk Management Framework (RMF) and the Cybersecurity Framework (CSF).

This article will cover the latter of these two, how they fit into government-sponsored cybersecurity concerns and what that means for your organization. 

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In our continuing series on penetration testing, we have discussed different approaches to pen testing the benefits of conducting such tests. Here, we will continue by addressing penetration testing as a practice inside one of the most important security frameworks for federal agencies and contractors: NIST 800-53.

While the core documentation of NIST 900-53 contains hundreds of security controls, one dedicated section speaks to the value and best practices of penetration testing. Here, we’ll discuss how penetration testing plays a role in NIST 800-compliance and how you can incorporate it into your compliance strategy. 

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