ISACA’s COBIT 5 is included as an informative reference in the core of the US Cybersecurity Framework, which launched this week and is aimed at helping improve cybersecurity at critical infrastructure operators and other businesses.

ISACA, a global association of 110,000 cybersecurity, governance and assurance professionals, assisted the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in the development of the framework, which maps to COBIT due to its global relevance and proven industry use.

“COBIT is now serving an important role supporting the nation’s cybersecurity direction,” said Meenu Gupta, CISA, CISM, president of Mittal Technologies and a member of ISACA’s Government and Regulatory Advocacy Committee. “Leaders from around the world collaborated to ensure COBIT 5 is timely, relevant, and practical for today’s enterprises, and NIST’s inclusion of it further demonstrates that COBIT can truly transform an enterprise’s cybersecurity initiatives.”

The US cybersecurity framework began with presidential executive order EO 13636 to improve the security and resilience of critical infrastructure in light of escalating cyberthreats. The executive order tasked NIST with developing a cybersecurity framework that included a set of standards, methodologies, procedures and processes that align policy, business and technological approaches to address cyberrisks.

In developing the framework, NIST conducted a series of workshops in which ISACA was an active participant along with Critical Infrastructure Partnership Advisory Council; Sector Coordinating Councils; critical infrastructure owners and operators; independent regulatory agencies; state, local, territorial and tribal governments; sector-specific federal agencies; the US Department of Homeland Security; universities; and outside experts.

“ISACA assisted in the development of the framework and participated in all of the NIST development workshops to really understand the new framework and its potential impact on critical infrastructure organizations and ISACA members around the world,” said Gupta. “Given its widespread use and proven value as a governance framework, COBIT was considered by a number of NIST workshop attendees to be a very solid and globally applicable source for inclusion within the framework.”

NIST will present on the US cybersecurity framework at ISACA’s 2014 North America Computer Audit, Control and Security (CACS) Conference in April, and ISACA will release implementation guidance related to it later this year.

As the cybersecurity framework notes, a properly qualified and skilled cybersecurity workforce is critical to meet the cybersecurity needs for critical infrastructure protection. Additionally, the shortage of cybersecurity experts who have both technical skills and an understanding of the business has been widely documented.

“ISACA recognizes these needs and is committed to help advance the cybersecurity workforce, fill a global skills gap, and help enterprises worldwide protect their information and technology,” said Ron Hale, Ph.D., CISM, acting CEO of ISACA. “Our practical research, education, training and certification programs help cybersecurity professionals through every step of their careers, and help them develop the skills that companies critically need.”

ISACA’s cybersecurity resources are available at www.isaca.org/cyber, and the COBIT framework can be downloaded free of charge at www.isaca.org/cobit. The US Cybersecurity Framework is available here.

About ISACA

With more than 110,000 constituents in 180 countries, ISACA^® (www.isaca.org) helps business and IT leaders maximize value and manage risk related to information and technology. Founded in 1969, the nonprofit, independent ISACA is an advocate for professionals involved in information security, assurance, risk management and governance. These professionals rely on ISACA as the trusted source for information and technology knowledge, community, standards and certification. The association, which has 200 chapters worldwide, advances and validates business-critical skills and knowledge through the globally respected Certified Information Systems Auditor^® (CISA^®), Certified Information Security Manager^® (CISM^®), Certified in the Governance of Enterprise IT^® (CGEIT^®) and Certified in Risk and Information Systems Control^™ (CRISC^™) credentials. ISACA also developed and continually updates COBIT^®, a business framework that helps enterprises in all industries and geographies govern and manage their information and technology.

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