In light of the increasing volume and sophistication of cyber threats, the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council (FFIEC) developed the Cybersecurity Assessment Tool (Assessment) to help institutions identify their risks and determine their cybersecurity preparedness. The Assessment provides a repeatable and measurable process for financial institutions to measure their cybersecurity preparedness over time.

The following resources can help management and directors of financial institutions understand supervisory expectations, increase awareness of cybersecurity risks, and assess and mitigate the risks facing their institutions.

Overview for Chief Executive Officers and Boards of Directors (PDF)

Cybersecurity Assessment Tool (PDF) (Update May 2017)

User’s Guide (PDF) (Update May 2017)

Inherent Risk Profile (PDF) (Update May 2017)

Cybersecurity Maturity (PDF) (Update May 2017)

Additional Resources

Appendix A: Mapping Baseline Statements to the FFIEC IT Handbook (PDF) (Update May 2017)

Appendix B: Mapping to NIST Cybersecurity Framework (PDF)

Appendix C: Glossary (PDF)

Print all documents at once (PDF) (Update May 2017)

FFIEC Cybersecurity Assessment Tool Presentation View Slides (PDF) | View Video

Process Flow for Institutions:

Step 1: Read Overview for Chief Executive Officers and Boards of Directors to gain insights on the benefits to institutions of using the Assessment, the roles of the CEO and Board of Directors, a high-level explanation of the Assessment, and how to support implementation of the Assessment.

Step 2: Read the User's Guide (Update May 2017) to understand all of the different aspects of the Assessment, how the inherent risk profile and cybersecurity maturity relate, and the process for conducting the Assessment.

Step 3: Complete Part 1: Inherent Risk Profile of the Cybersecurity Assessment Tool (Update May 2017) to understand how each activity, service, and product contribute to the institution’s inherent risk and determine the institution’s overall inherent risk profile and whether a specific category poses additional risk.

Step 4: Complete Part 2: Cybersecurity Maturity of the Cybersecurity Assessment Tool (Update May 2017) to determine the institution’s cybersecurity maturity levels across each of the five domains.

Step 5: Interpret and Analyze Assessment Results to understand whether the institution’s inherent risk profile is appropriate in relation to its cybersecurity maturity and whether specific areas are not aligned. If management determines that the institution’s maturity levels are not appropriate in relation to the inherent risk profile, management should consider reducing inherent risk or developing a strategy to improve the maturity levels.

Refer to the User's Guide for additional explanation of Steps 3, 4, and 5.

In addition to the “Overview for Chief Executive Officers and Boards of Directors”, the FFIEC has released the following documents to assist institutions with the Assessment.

• Appendix A: Mapping Baseline Statements to FFIEC IT Handbook (Update May 2017)
• Appendix B: Mapping to NIST Cybersecurity Framework
• Appendix C: Glossary