Every security control explained in plain English: what it is, why it matters, and what insurance providers look for.
A cybersecurity control is any practice, process, or technology that reduces your risk of a breach. Think of controls as the locks, alarms, and habits that protect your business. Some are technical (like requiring strong passwords). Some are procedural (like having an incident response plan). Together, they form your security posture.
The NIST Cybersecurity Framework is a set of best practices developed by the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology. It organizes security into five functions: Identify, Protect, Detect, Respond, and Recover. It’s the most widely recognized framework in the U.S. and is what most cyber insurance underwriters reference when evaluating your coverage.
The CIS Controls (formerly CIS Top 18) are a prioritized list of actions developed by the Center for Internet Security. They’re more prescriptive than NIST — they tell you not just what to do but in what order. CIS Control 1 (know what devices you have) comes before CIS Control 6 (manage user access) because you can’t secure what you haven’t inventoried.
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30 controls