What is NIST Privacy Framework?
The NIST Privacy Framework is a voluntary tool developed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology to help organizations identify and manage privacy risks through a flexible, outcome-based approach.
The NIST Privacy Framework, published in January 2020, is a voluntary framework developed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology to help organizations identify and manage privacy risks. It is designed to be used by organizations of any size and sector, and it takes a flexible, risk-based approach rather than prescribing specific privacy controls or technologies. The framework is structured similarly to the NIST Cybersecurity Framework to facilitate integration between privacy and cybersecurity risk management.
The framework consists of three main elements: the Core, Profiles, and Implementation Tiers. The Core is organized into five functions: Identify-P (understanding privacy risks), Govern-P (establishing governance structures), Control-P (implementing data management controls), Communicate-P (enabling dialogue about privacy risks), and Protect-P (implementing data protection safeguards). Each function contains categories and subcategories that describe specific outcomes. Profiles help organizations prioritize activities, and Implementation Tiers describe the degree of sophistication in privacy risk management.
Unlike regulations such as the GDPR or CCPA, the NIST Privacy Framework does not carry legal enforcement mechanisms. However, it is widely used as a benchmark for evaluating privacy program maturity and can help demonstrate due diligence to regulators. IQWorks aligns with the NIST Privacy Framework functions, with DiscoverIQ supporting the Identify-P function, ComplyIQ supporting Govern-P, and ProtectIQ supporting the Protect-P function.
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Related Terms
Privacy Program
A privacy program is a comprehensive organizational framework encompassing the policies, procedures, people, and technologies that manage an organization's data protection obligations and privacy risks.
Gap Analysis
A gap analysis is an assessment that compares an organization's current data protection practices against the requirements of applicable regulations or standards to identify areas of non-compliance.
Data Governance
Data governance is the overall management of data availability, usability, integrity, and security within an organization, establishing policies, procedures, and accountability for data management.