5 IT Risk Management Frameworks to Consider for Your Program

How does your business know which cybersecurity framework to follow? What’s the internal process being used to establish a system that adheres to the most relevant protocols for your company? Some 84% of organizations utilize a cybersecurity framework, and 44% use more than one.

5 IT risk management frameworks to consider

First, you need to determine which framework aligns with your company’s needs and industry requirements. While one framework may not fit your business, cross-referencing competing frameworks can help you decide where you need to focus.  Here are five frameworks to consider.

ISO 27001 & ISO 27002

The ISO catalog is among the leading risk management references to certify your organizations capabilities and practices. One of the most widely known and globally adopted standards within the information security community is ISO 27001. The framework was recently overhauled in 2022, and provides specific guidance and security controls for processing financial information, intellectual property, employee details, or information entrusted to you by third parties.

ISO 27002 is a companion guide for 27001 for institutions to establish an Information Security Management System (ISMS) based on ISO/IEC 27001. It provides in-depth detail about key controls from 27001 and details the control objectives to help organizations best implement the framework within their unique operations.

Download the Whitepaper: Learn how OneTrust GRC helps operationalize your information security program

Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC)

The  Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification was published in January 2020, and revised in 2022 with the publication of the  . The CMMC delivers a comprehensive model based on the latest NIST SP 800-171 and NISP SP 800-172.

NIST 800-53 & NIST CFS

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) publishes a handful of process guides and IT risk management frameworks, most notably, NIST 800-53 & NIST CFS. NIST 800-53 documents a robust catalog of security and privacy controls and objectives designated for U.S. federal information systems to support best-in-class cybersecurity standards.

NIST Cybersecurity Framework (CSF) consists of standards, guidelines, and practices. NIST CSF builds on existing frameworks (including NIST 800-53, ISO 27000) but offers a focused scope of controls alongside a thorough explanation written in ordinary language suited for non-technical executives or line of business individuals.

AICIPA, SOC 2

Developed and published by the American Institute of CPAs (AICPA), SOC 2 defines criteria for managing customer data based on five core principles:

• Security
• Availability
• Processing integrity
• Confidentiality
• Privacy

Rather than provided a detailed IT risk management framework of pre-defined controls, organizations can define their set of Service and Organization Controls (SOC), embed controls into their corporate policies, audit effectiveness, and design to evaluate how well the control model meets the five principles according to business operations.

Expression des Besoins et Identification des de Sécurité (EBIOS)

EBIOS (Expression des Besoins et Identification des Objectifs de Sécurité – Expression of Needs and Identification of Security Objectives) – is a French information security framework published and maintained by Agence nationale de la sécurité des systèmes d’information – The National Cybersecurity Agency of France (ANSSI) under the French Prime Minister.

The EBIOS framework is developed for organizations working directly with the Defense Ministry to reduce risk and secure the handling of confidential or sensitive information. Today, the risk and compliance framework applies to any public or private organization or in conjunction with existing information security programs.

Learn more about how ITRM impacts your organization: ITRM 101: Understanding the Impact of ITRM on Your Organization

Automating IT Risk Compliance  

No single IT risk management framework is better than the other, and each has its pros and cons. What’s important is choosing the framework that best reflects your compliance mandates and business needs to protect from security risks for your operations.

Once you have the framework in place, you’ll want to keep your risk data current and context-rich with today’s information. An automated IT risk management software can help.

OneTrust’s IT & Security Risk Management can deliver the features, functionality, and expanded resources your team needs to keep your GRC practices up to speed with the latest compliance updates. Have one of our team members walk you through it today!