Case studies. Technical Audit

Case Study: Strengthening Compliance with NIST CSF 2.0

Poor network segmentation enabled an attacker to pivot from internal access to full cloud takeover.

The challenge

An assessment was conducted to evaluate the organization's cybersecurity compliance with the NIST Cybersecurity Framework (CSF) 2.0. The goal was to measure cybersecurity maturity across 22 categories and 108 subcategories, identifying key compliance gaps and risks.

The solution

A multi-layered security strategy was recommended to address these compliance gaps, focusing on immediate risk reduction and long-term improvements in security posture.

How we did it

The assessment revealed:

Only 64% of categories were fully compliant, while 36% were partially met.
Critical gaps in security awareness, incident response, and network monitoring led to successful penetration testing scenarios.
Lack of MFA, weak network segmentation, and insufficient SIEM log coverage increased risk exposure.

Key deficiencies included:

Weak employee awareness training, leading to undetected phishing and social engineering attacks.
Incident response and recovery plans not properly tested, making real-world recovery times uncertain.
Excessive network access between corporate and management platforms, allowing lateral movement.
Inadequate monitoring and log coverage, reducing detection capabilities for malicious activity.

Conclusion

The assessment revealed critical weaknesses in employee training, network segmentation, and incident detection, allowing undetected security breaches. By implementing immediate remediation steps and long-term strategies, the organization can significantly enhance cybersecurity resilience and achieve full NIST CSF 2.0 compliance.

Key takeaways:

Stronger security awareness training reduces the risk of phishing-based compromises.
Defined recovery objectives (RTO/RPO) and DRP/BCP testing ensure operational resilience.
Stricter network segmentation and MFA implementation mitigate unauthorized access risks.
Enhanced SIEM monitoring coverage improves threat detection and response capabilities.

By continuously refining security policies and conducting regular audits, the organization can maintain a strong cybersecurity posture aligned with industry best practices.