What Is the Cyber Assessment Framework (CAF)?

Cyberthreats evolve daily, and staying ahead requires more than defensive measures — it demands structure and foresight. That’s where the Cyber Assessment Framework (CAF) comes in. Developed by the U.K.’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), the CAF gives organisations a system to assess, enhance, and future-proof their cybersecurity. It’s particularly vital for those managing critical national infrastructure (CNI) and essential services. The CAF transforms security complexity into clear, actionable objectives, helping organisations measure defences, reduce risk, and build long-term resilience.

For organisations tasked with delivering essential services or managing CNI, the stakes are high. A single breach could disrupt vital public services or compromise national security. The CAF provides a proactive approach to security, enabling organisations to stay ahead of evolving cyberthreats. By structuring assessments around clear objectives and evidence-based indicators, the CAF drives accountability and continuous improvement in risk management. In this way, it doesn’t just help organisations protect themselves — it strengthens the security of entire sectors.

The NCSC is the driving force behind the CAF. As the U.K.’s technical authority on cybersecurity, the NCSC developed and maintains the CAF, ensuring it reflects the latest threats, best practices, and regulatory shifts. Their expert oversight keeps the framework relevant and effective, helping organisations stay agile in the face of emerging risks. By shaping the CAF, the NCSC provides organisations with a blueprint for consistent, measurable, and repeatable cybersecurity practices.

The NCSC’s role in CAF development is rooted in broader national security goals. By encouraging organisations to adopt CAF principles, the NCSC aims to:

1. Mitigate risk: Proactively identify and close security gaps before they are exploited.

2. Strengthen regulatory compliance: Support organisations in meeting the cybersecurity standards required by regulators and industry bodies.

3. Enhance operational continuity: Ensure critical services remain available even during a cyber incident.

4. Build cybersecurity maturity: Cultivate a continuous improvement mindset, driving lasting change in organisational behaviour and cybersecurity practices.

The CAF’s structure is built on the principle of methodical, evidence-based assessment. It revolves around indicators of good practice (IGPs), which provide specific, actionable criteria for each cybersecurity objective. By evaluating against these IGPs, organisations create a clear, evidence-backed view of their strengths and weaknesses. This clarity is essential for prioritising improvement actions and allocating resources effectively.

IGPs are the benchmarks used to measure compliance with the CAF. Each IGP represents a specific, actionable measure that contributes to an organisation’s cybersecurity maturity. For example, an IGP might call for multi-factor authentication (MFA) across critical systems or the continuous monitoring of network traffic. These indicators help organisations pinpoint strengths, weaknesses, and areas of risk.

The CAF is structured around four key objectives, each supporting essential cybersecurity outcomes:

1. Objective A: Managing cybersecurity risk — establishes a governance model for risk identification, prioritisation, and mitigation.

2. Objective B: Protecting against cyberattacks — focuses on security controls to prevent attacks, including access control, asset management, and patching processes.

3. Objective C: Detecting cybersecurity events — emphasises active monitoring, anomaly detection, and timely reporting of security events.

4. Objective D: Minimising the impact of cybersecurity incidents — ensures organisations have capabilities for rapid response, recovery, and incident review.

CAF compliance requires organisations to demonstrate alignment with IGPs within each objective. This process involves self-assessment, third-party audits, and submission of evidence to regulators or oversight bodies. Compliance is not a one-time milestone; it is a continuous process of improvement. Organisations must document their progress, address areas of noncompliance, and provide assurances that they remain resilient in the face of changing threats.

The CAF is more than a regulatory requirement — it’s a strategic advantage. For organisations managing critical infrastructure or essential services, the CAF helps them avoid disruption, minimise downtime, and protect reputations. In addition, demonstrating CAF compliance can give organisations a competitive edge, signalling to partners and clients that security is a priority. It builds trust, bolsters regulatory relationships, and ensures alignment with global data security standards.

The CAF promotes a culture of self-assessment and continuous improvement. By regularly assessing their own performance against IGPs, organisations gain insight into vulnerabilities that might otherwise go unnoticed. This proactive approach allows organisations to strengthen their defences before an incident occurs, reducing the cost and impact of future attacks.

Achieving compliance is a strategic, multistep process that demands organisation-wide commitment:

1. Self-assessment: Conduct an initial review to understand current capabilities against IGPs.

2. Gap analysis: Identify weaknesses and prioritise areas for improvement.

3. Remediation: Take targeted action to close security gaps.

4. Verification: Conduct audits to validate progress and assess ongoing compliance.

5. Continuous improvement: Regularly update processes, policies, and controls to keep pace with evolving threats.

True compliance extends beyond technology — it requires people and processes. CAF emphasises the role of employee training, asset visibility, and continuous monitoring. Staff must understand their role in cybersecurity, and organisations must maintain up-to-date knowledge of their IT assets. Equally important is real-time monitoring, which allows for faster detection and mitigation of threats.

Achieving compliance is just the beginning. A truly resilient network demands ongoing vigilance. Organisations that go beyond compliance build systems that can withstand cyberattacks, limit impact, and recover quickly. Proactive threat hunting, continuous monitoring, and advanced incident response capabilities are key differentiators in this space.

The CAF is not static — it evolves as new threats and technologies emerge. This adaptability ensures that organisations remain prepared for future risks. As regulatory pressures increase and cyberattacks grow more sophisticated, organisations that align with CAF principles are better positioned to respond with agility and confidence.

The CAF is not just a checklist. It’s a comprehensive system for managing risk, achieving regulatory compliance, and building a mature, resilient cybersecurity posture. By following its structured approach, organisations not only meet industry standards but also become more agile, proactive, and prepared.

Public sector organisations, critical infrastructure providers, and supply chain partners all benefit from adopting the CAF. It builds trust, strengthens sector-wide security, and enhances national resilience. Organisations that adopt the CAF today position themselves as leaders in cybersecurity — capable of protecting their operations, reputation, and stakeholders from an ever-evolving threat landscape.

Everything the public sector does online is mission-critical, whether it’s national security or securing a database. Akamai works with many of Europe’s largest public agencies and has proven security, content delivery, and cloud computing solutions for central citizens; defence and intelligence; regional, local, and education; or CNI needs. We back them up with public sector experts and 24/7/365 support.

Akamai addresses key areas of the CAF, including:

1. Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA): Enabling secure, least-privilege access to apps and data.

2. DDoS protection: Proactive protection for applications, cloud infrastructure, and data centres.

3. API security: Continuous discovery and protection for APIs to reduce exploitation risk.

4. Threat detection and mitigation: Real-time insights into anomalous activity to support proactive security event discovery.

Akamai’s suite of services supports public sector organisations with the tools and expertise required to help organisations align with the CAF’s objectives, making it easier to achieve compliance and enhance cyber resilience.