Explaining the Cyber Defense Matrix

This document provides an overview of the Cyber Defense Matrix, aligning NIST functions (Identify, Protect, Detect, Respond, Recover) to asset classes (Devices, Apps, Networks, Data, Users) while emphasizing the People-Process-Technology continuum. It outlines benefits such as gap identification, prioritization, progress tracking, internal alignment, and use cases including metrics, tech roadmaps, resource allocation, business constraints, portfolio gap analysis, and organizational handoffs. The guide stresses tailoring the framework to organizational context, avoiding overreliance on technology, and continually updating the matrix, and concludes with practical steps to assess posture, populate the matrix, build strategy, train users, and continuously monitor.