
The Tier Trap: How the Most Popular Cybersecurity Framework Gets Misused
Treating CSF Tiers as maturity scores creates a dangerous illusion… boards believe Tier 4 means secure, when in reality it does not.
Doug Landoll is a cybersecurity expert with 35+ years of experience helping organizations improve their security programs. He is the author of several industry-standard texts, a frequent speaker at national conferences, and the founder of Lantego.
Treating CSF Tiers as maturity scores creates a dangerous illusion… boards believe Tier 4 means secure, when in reality it does not.
Cybersecurity programs are most effective when they serve more than a compliance function. In public utilities and other critical infrastructure environments, the program must support operational reliability, safety, and public trust.