Stages of Excellence: Understanding Maturity Levels

Organizations ‎are‏ ‎advised ‎to ‎achieve ‎a ‎consistent‏ ‎maturity ‎level‏ ‎across‏ ‎all ‎eight ‎mitigation‏ ‎strategies ‎before‏ ‎considering ‎moving ‎to ‎a‏ ‎higher‏ ‎level. ‎This‏ ‎ensures ‎a‏ ‎balanced ‎approach ‎to ‎cybersecurity, ‎minimizing‏ ‎weak‏ ‎points ‎that‏ ‎could ‎be‏ ‎exploited ‎by ‎attackers.

The ‎choice ‎of‏ ‎a‏ ‎target‏ ‎maturity ‎level‏ ‎should ‎be‏ ‎informed ‎by‏ ‎a‏ ‎risk-based ‎approach,‏ ‎taking ‎into ‎account ‎the ‎organization's‏ ‎specific ‎circumstances‏ ‎and‏ ‎the ‎evolving ‎nature‏ ‎of ‎cyber‏ ‎threats. ‎This ‎approach ‎helps‏ ‎organizations‏ ‎prioritize ‎their‏ ‎cybersecurity ‎efforts‏ ‎effectively.

📌 Maturity ‎Level ‎Zero: ‎Indicates ‎significant‏ ‎weaknesses‏ ‎in ‎an‏ ‎organization's ‎cybersecurity‏ ‎posture, ‎making ‎it ‎easy ‎for‏ ‎adversaries‏ ‎to‏ ‎exploit.

📌 Maturity ‎Level‏ ‎One: Targets ‎basic‏ ‎cyber ‎hygiene‏ ‎to‏ ‎protect ‎against‏ ‎adversaries ‎using ‎widely ‎available ‎tools‏ ‎and ‎techniques.‏ ‎This‏ ‎level ‎is ‎suitable‏ ‎for ‎organizations‏ ‎looking ‎to ‎protect ‎themselves‏ ‎from‏ ‎general, ‎non-targeted‏ ‎cyber ‎threats.

📌 Maturity‏ ‎Level ‎Two: ‎Provides ‎a ‎more‏ ‎advanced‏ ‎defense ‎against‏ ‎adversaries ‎who‏ ‎are ‎willing ‎to ‎invest ‎more‏ ‎effort‏ ‎and‏ ‎resources ‎to‏ ‎target ‎a‏ ‎specific ‎organization.‏ ‎This‏ ‎level ‎involves‏ ‎tighter ‎controls ‎and ‎quicker ‎response‏ ‎actions.

📌 Maturity ‎Level‏ ‎Three:‏ ‎Represents ‎the ‎highest‏ ‎standard ‎of‏ ‎cybersecurity ‎within ‎the ‎model,‏ ‎aimed‏ ‎at ‎protecting‏ ‎against ‎highly‏ ‎capable ‎adversaries ‎who ‎target ‎specific‏ ‎organizations‏ ‎with ‎advanced‏ ‎tactics.