NIST Cybersecurity Framework
Align your Microsoft 365 tenant security posture with the NIST Cybersecurity Framework (CSF). OpsPilot365 Trust Center maps M365 configurations to all five NIST CSF functions, supports implementation tier assessment, and enables custom profile creation for managed tenants.
Note: NIST CSF compliance mapping is part of the Trust Center add-on. It provides comprehensive coverage of all five NIST CSF functions with automated assessments, implementation tier evaluation, and profile management for multi-tenant MSP environments.
Five Core Functions
The NIST Cybersecurity Framework organizes cybersecurity activities into five concurrent and continuous functions. OpsPilot365 assesses Microsoft 365 configurations against each function.
- Identify (ID) — Asset management, governance, risk assessment.
- Protect (PR) — Access control, training, data security.
- Detect (DE) — Anomalies, continuous monitoring, detection.
- Respond (RS) — Response planning, communications, mitigation.
- Recover (RC) — Recovery planning, improvements, communications.
NIST CSF to Microsoft 365 Control Mapping
OpsPilot365 maps NIST CSF categories and subcategories to specific Microsoft 365 configurations and security settings assessed per tenant.
| Function | Category | M365 Controls | Auto-Assessed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Identify | ID.AM — Asset Management | Entra ID device inventory, user directory, app registrations | Yes |
| Identify | ID.GV — Governance | Admin role assignments, security policies, compliance policies | Yes |
| Identify | ID.RA — Risk Assessment | Secure Score, Identity Protection risk detections | Yes |
| Protect | PR.AC — Access Control | Conditional Access, MFA, PIM, RBAC | Yes |
| Protect | PR.AT — Awareness and Training | Attack simulation training, security awareness campaigns | Partial |
| Protect | PR.DS — Data Security | DLP policies, sensitivity labels, encryption, retention | Yes |
| Protect | PR.PT — Protective Technology | Anti-malware, Safe Links, Safe Attachments, web filtering | Yes |
| Detect | DE.AE — Anomalies and Events | Alert policies, anomaly detection, sign-in risk policies | Yes |
| Detect | DE.CM — Continuous Monitoring | Audit logging, Defender alerts, compliance monitoring | Yes |
| Respond | RS.RP — Response Planning | Incident response policies, automated investigation, alert workflows | Partial |
| Recover | RC.RP — Recovery Planning | Backup policies, data recovery procedures, service health monitoring | Partial |
Implementation Tiers
NIST CSF defines four implementation tiers that describe the degree of rigor in an organization’s cybersecurity risk management. OpsPilot365 assesses your M365 configuration maturity against these tiers.
- Tier 1 — Partial — Risk management is ad hoc with limited awareness of cybersecurity risks. M365 configurations are default or inconsistently applied. No formal security policies in place.
- Tier 2 — Risk Informed — Risk management practices are approved but may not be organization-wide. Basic M365 security policies are configured (MFA, basic Conditional Access) but not comprehensively monitored.
- Tier 3 — Repeatable — Formal policies are established, regularly updated, and consistently applied. Comprehensive M365 security controls with regular review cycles and documented procedures.
- Tier 4 — Adaptive — Cybersecurity practices adapt based on lessons learned and predictive indicators. Advanced M365 features (PIM, automated investigation, continuous access evaluation) with proactive monitoring.
Profile Creation
NIST CSF profiles represent the alignment of cybersecurity activities with business requirements, risk tolerances, and resources. OpsPilot365 supports creating Current and Target profiles for each tenant.
- Current Profile — Auto-generated from current M365 configuration assessment, maps implemented controls to NIST CSF subcategories, identifies current implementation tier per function, updated with each compliance scan.
- Target Profile — Define desired outcomes per NIST CSF subcategory, set target implementation tier per function, prioritize subcategories based on client risk appetite, generate gap analysis between current and target.
Note: Create standardized Target Profiles for common client types (healthcare, financial services, general business) and apply them across tenants. This allows you to measure all similar clients against the same security baseline and demonstrate consistent governance to auditors.
Compliance Status and Scoring
OpsPilot365 provides a compliance score per NIST CSF function and an overall maturity assessment.
| Function | Score |
|---|---|
| Identify | 85% |
| Protect | 78% |
| Detect | 72% |
| Respond | 65% |
| Recover | 58% |
Evidence Requirements
Evidence collected by OpsPilot365 mapped to NIST CSF functions for assessment documentation.
| Function | Evidence Collected | Collection Frequency |
|---|---|---|
| Identify | Asset inventories, Secure Score reports, directory snapshots | Daily |
| Protect | CA policy exports, MFA reports, DLP configurations, encryption settings | Daily |
| Detect | Alert policy configurations, audit log status, monitoring rule definitions | Daily |
| Respond | Incident response playbooks, automated investigation settings | Weekly |
| Recover | Backup configurations, recovery procedures, service health history | Weekly |
API Reference
GET /api/addons/trust-center/frameworks/nist-csf/status— Get NIST CSF compliance status summary per functionGET /api/addons/trust-center/frameworks/nist-csf/controls— List all NIST CSF subcategories with assessment resultsGET /api/addons/trust-center/frameworks/nist-csf/tiers— Get current implementation tier assessment per functionGET /api/addons/trust-center/frameworks/nist-csf/profiles/:profileId— Retrieve a current or target profile by IDPOST /api/addons/trust-center/frameworks/nist-csf/profiles— Create a new target profile for a tenantPOST /api/addons/trust-center/frameworks/nist-csf/scan— Trigger a NIST CSF compliance assessment scanGET /api/addons/trust-center/frameworks/nist-csf/gap-analysis— Generate gap analysis between current and target profiles