NIST Compliance Services: CSF 2.0, SP 800-53, SP 800-171 and AI RMF Assessments
One assessment program for every NIST framework your customers, contracts, or board ask for. We test how your controls work on real events, map the gaps to the right NIST publication, and give you a prioritized roadmap and evidence. Most programs take 6–12 weeks.
What Is NIST Compliance?
NIST compliance means your security program meets the requirements of the NIST publication that applies to you, such as the Cybersecurity Framework (CSF) 2.0, SP 800-53, or SP 800-171. NIST, the US National Institute of Standards and Technology, writes these frameworks. It doesn't audit or certify organizations against them.
Which framework applies depends on who is asking. Federal agencies and their cloud providers work to SP 800-53. Defense contractors handling controlled unclassified information must meet SP 800-171, now enforced through CMMC. Enterprise customers and boards often use CSF 2.0 as a common language for cyber risk, and AI buyers increasingly ask about the AI Risk Management Framework.
Accredify Global scopes which frameworks apply, assesses your controls against them, and builds one roadmap that also serves ISO 27001 and SOC 2. We work with US organizations from our Frisco, Texas headquarters.
Is There a NIST Certification? What's Changed Since 2024
NIST doesn't issue certificates, and there is no official "NIST certified" status. Organizations show NIST alignment through assessments, documented evidence, and, for federal work, the authorization or assessment process their contract requires. The closest thing to certification is CMMC, the Department of Defense program that verifies SP 800-171 controls. CMMC Level 2 certification assessments are performed only by authorized CMMC Third-Party Assessment Organizations (C3PAOs). Accredify Global prepares you for that assessment; it does not perform it.
Several NIST frameworks have changed recently. CSF 2.0, published in February 2024, added a sixth function, Govern, and widened the framework beyond critical infrastructure. SP 800-171 Revision 3 followed in May 2024, although CMMC Level 2 is still assessed against Revision 2. In August 2025, SP 800-53 Release 5.2.0 added controls on secure software updates and patching. CMMC requirements began appearing in defense contracts from 10 November 2025, and the timing of later phases has shifted during 2026, so check your solicitation.
Sources: NIST Cybersecurity Framework · NIST SP 800-53 Release 5.2.0 · NIST SP 800-171 Rev. 3 · CMMC in DFARS (EDUCAUSE)
Which NIST Framework Do You Need?
Most organizations need one primary framework and a mapping to one or two others. We assess against all of these.
Govern, Identify, Protect, Detect, Respond, and Recover. The common language for boards, insurers, and enterprise customers. NIST CSF assessment
The security and privacy control catalog for federal information systems, and the baseline behind FedRAMP and many state programs.
Requirements for protecting controlled unclassified information in contractor systems, verified through CMMC self-assessment or C3PAO certification.
Govern, Map, Measure, and Manage AI risk, with a generative AI profile (NIST AI 600-1). Pairs well with ISO 42001.
Managing privacy risk alongside cyber risk. Useful with HIPAA, GDPR, or US state privacy laws.
Secure software development practices, often required in software attestations to federal customers.
Who Needs a NIST Assessment, and When?
NIST work usually starts with a contract clause, a customer questionnaire, or a board asking for an honest view of cyber risk.
Suppliers handling federal contract information or CUI who must score themselves in SPRS or prepare for a CMMC Level 2 assessment.
Vendors selling to agencies that expect SP 800-53 controls, a FedRAMP path, or a secure software attestation.
Companies whose customers ask them to map their security program to NIST CSF in questionnaires and contracts.
Energy, healthcare, finance, and manufacturing teams using CSF 2.0 to structure governance and report to regulators and boards.
Organizations building or deploying AI that need to show buyers a structured approach to AI risk.
Leadership teams that want an independent, framework-based view of cyber maturity before renewals or major decisions.
How Our NIST Compliance Assessment Works
A free scope review, then five phases. The goal is repeatable cyber governance, not a one-time document.
Could you restore last night's backup within your recovery target, or show who approves it during a ransomware incident? A free scope review tells you where to start.
Book a free NIST scope reviewWhat Makes Our NIST Assessments Different
The questions buyers ask most when comparing NIST compliance providers, answered upfront.
We restore a selected backup, trace a departed employee's access across every system, and follow a weekend alert through the ticket and escalation records. That's where the gaps between policy and practice show up.
One assessment covers CSF 2.0 plus whichever of SP 800-53, SP 800-171, AI RMF, or the Privacy Framework applies, so shared controls are tested once.
Your roadmap also shows where each fix supports ISO 27001 or SOC 2, so the evidence answers more than one customer requirement.
We assess and prepare. We don't sell a "NIST certificate," and for CMMC we get you ready for the authorized C3PAO that performs the certification assessment.
What Our NIST CSF 2.0 Assessment Evaluates
We organize findings by the six CSF 2.0 functions, then map each one to SP 800-53 or SP 800-171 where those apply.
Govern
Cyber risk strategy, roles, policy, and oversight of suppliers and third parties, with leadership accountability.
Identify
Asset inventory, data flows, and a current risk assessment that reflects your actual systems and vendors.
Protect
Identity and access, including offboarding across every system, plus data security, training, and secure configuration.
Detect
Monitoring and alerting that reaches the right people, including outside business hours and through managed providers.
Respond
Incident response plans with named decision-makers, escalation paths, and communication steps that have been tested.
Recover
Backups that restore within your recovery targets, and recovery plans that have actually been exercised.
SP 800-171 and CMMC readiness checks
- Scoping — where CUI and federal contract information live, and which assets are in scope
- System security plan — each requirement described as implemented, not planned
- SPRS score — a defensible self-assessment score using the DoD assessment methodology
- POA&M — open items tracked with owners and dates
- Evidence — the artifacts a C3PAO will ask to see for each requirement
SP 800-53, AI RMF, and Privacy Framework checks
- SP 800-53 — the right baseline for your system, control implementation, and continuous monitoring
- AI RMF — AI inventory, risk mapping, measurement, and management across the AI lifecycle
- Privacy Framework — data processing inventory, privacy risk assessment, and governance
- SSDF — secure development practices behind your software attestations
What Clients Found in Their NIST Assessment
Three US clients describe a gap the assessment surfaced, and what they changed as a result.
“We told customers that we backed up their project files every night. During the NIST CSF assessment, Accredify Global asked us to restore a selected file and show who would make that decision during a ransomware incident. The backup existed, but the restore took much longer than the recovery target in our customer agreement. That was uncomfortable to discover, but it gave our IT team a specific problem to fix and retest.”
“Our HR system showed that a departing employee’s account had been closed. Accredify Global traced the same person’s access through our VPN, cloud storage and a vendor portal. The vendor account was still active because its removal was handled by a different team. We changed the offboarding handoff and checked other recent departures. That one example told us more about our access controls than another policy review would have.”
“We had monitoring in place and assumed our managed provider would call us about a serious alert. The assessors selected a Saturday alert and followed the ticket, notification and escalation records. It turned out the provider had opened a ticket, but our team did not see it until Monday because the weekend contact list was outdated. We corrected the escalation path and tested it with the provider the following week.”
NIST Compliance Assessment Cost and Timeline
A NIST assessment doesn't have a list price. The effort depends on which frameworks apply, how many systems and locations are in scope, and how much evidence already exists. A free scope review gives you a tailored proposal for your actual scope.
What sets the scope (and fee)
- Which frameworks apply: CSF 2.0 alone, or with SP 800-53, SP 800-171, AI RMF, or the Privacy Framework
- Number of systems, cloud environments, and locations in scope
- For SP 800-171, how cleanly CUI can be separated from the rest of your environment
- Number of managed service providers and critical vendors
- Existing evidence from ISO 27001, SOC 2, or an earlier assessment
Typical program timeline
| Baseline assessment and roadmap | 6–12 weeks |
|---|---|
| Toward the shorter end | CSF 2.0 only, one environment, existing ISO 27001 or SOC 2 evidence |
| Toward the longer end | SP 800-53 or SP 800-171 scope, several environments, or many providers |
Timing depends on scope, control maturity, and how quickly evidence is available. We confirm it in your proposal.
NIST CSF vs SP 800-53, SP 800-171, ISO 27001, and SOC 2
Buyers often ask for more than one of these. Here's what each is, who asks for it, and what you can show at the end.
| Framework | Who usually asks for it | What you can show |
|---|---|---|
| NIST CSF 2.0 | Boards, insurers, enterprise customers, critical infrastructure | An assessment report and maturity profile; no certificate |
| NIST SP 800-53 | Federal agencies, FedRAMP, state government programs | Assessment evidence for an agency or FedRAMP authorization |
| NIST SP 800-171 | Department of Defense and other federal contracts involving CUI | An SPRS score and, where required, CMMC certification by a C3PAO |
| ISO 27001 | International and enterprise customers | An accredited certificate; maps closely to CSF 2.0 |
| SOC 2 | US SaaS and service-provider customers | A CPA attestation report |
How to Choose a NIST Compliance Services Provider
The questions worth asking any NIST provider before you sign, and how Accredify Global answers them.
| Question to ask | Accredify Global's answer |
|---|---|
| Will we get a NIST certificate? | No. NIST doesn't certify organizations. You get an assessment report, a roadmap, and evidence. Be careful with anyone selling a "NIST certificate." |
| Can you perform our CMMC certification? | No. CMMC Level 2 certification assessments are performed by authorized C3PAOs. We prepare you and your evidence for that assessment. |
| Which NIST frameworks do you cover? | CSF 2.0, SP 800-53, SP 800-171, AI RMF, the Privacy Framework, and SSDF, in one program. |
| Do you test controls or only review documents? | We test real events: backup restores, offboarding, alert escalation, and incident decisions. |
| Will it help with ISO 27001 or SOC 2? | Yes. The roadmap maps each action to ISO 27001 and SOC 2 where they overlap. |
| How is it priced? | By scope, after a free scope review. You receive a tailored proposal with timeline guidance. |
| How long will it take? | Most baseline assessments and roadmaps take 6–12 weeks. |
What You Receive
Your current state against each applicable NIST framework, with a CSF 2.0 profile.
Remediation ranked by business impact, likelihood, and feasibility, with dependencies.
Who owns each control and who is responsible for its evidence.
Where it applies: system security plan review, SPRS score, and POA&M.
A reporting set your security team can keep updating.
A decision-ready view of cyber risk, progress, and residual risk.
Frequently Asked Questions About NIST Compliance
Straight answers on certification, CMMC, the frameworks, cost, and timelines.
What is NIST compliance?
NIST compliance means meeting the requirements of the NIST publication that applies to your organization, such as the Cybersecurity Framework (CSF) 2.0, SP 800-53, or SP 800-171. NIST, the US National Institute of Standards and Technology, publishes these frameworks. It does not audit or certify organizations against them.
Is there a NIST certification?
No. NIST does not certify organizations, and there is no official "NIST certified" status. Organizations show NIST alignment through independent assessments and evidence. The closest equivalent is CMMC, where authorized C3PAOs certify defense contractors against SP 800-171 requirements.
Is NIST compliance mandatory?
It depends on your contracts. SP 800-53 applies to federal information systems and cloud services seeking FedRAMP authorization. SP 800-171 is required in many Department of Defense and federal contracts involving controlled unclassified information. NIST CSF 2.0 and the AI RMF are voluntary, though customers, insurers, and regulators often expect them.
What is NIST CSF 2.0?
NIST CSF 2.0 is the version of the Cybersecurity Framework published in February 2024. It organizes cybersecurity outcomes into six functions: Govern, Identify, Protect, Detect, Respond, and Recover. Govern was new in 2.0, and the framework now applies to organizations of any size or sector, not just critical infrastructure.
What is the difference between NIST 800-53 and NIST 800-171?
SP 800-53 is a large catalog of security and privacy controls, in 20 families, for federal information systems. SP 800-171 is a smaller set of requirements, derived from 800-53, for protecting controlled unclassified information in contractor systems. CMMC Level 2 is based on the 110 requirements of SP 800-171 Revision 2.
What is the difference between NIST CSF and NIST 800-53?
NIST CSF 2.0 describes high-level cybersecurity outcomes that any organization can use to manage risk. SP 800-53 lists the detailed controls needed to meet those outcomes in federal systems. Many organizations use CSF to structure their program and 800-53 as the control library behind it.
Can Accredify Global perform our CMMC certification?
No. CMMC Level 2 certification assessments can only be performed by authorized CMMC Third-Party Assessment Organizations (C3PAOs). Accredify Global prepares you for that assessment: scoping, a system security plan review, a defensible SPRS score, a plan of action, and the evidence an assessor will ask to see.
When did CMMC start appearing in contracts?
CMMC requirements began appearing in Department of Defense solicitations and contracts from 10 November 2025, starting with self-assessments. The timing of later phases, including when C3PAO certification becomes a standard award condition, has shifted during 2026, so check the requirement in your specific solicitation.
What does a NIST assessment include?
Accredify Global's NIST assessment scopes your systems and risk context, tests current controls against each applicable framework, and maps findings to CSF 2.0 functions and SP 800-53 or SP 800-171 requirements. It ends with a risk-ranked roadmap, a control ownership matrix, and a leadership summary.
How much does a NIST assessment cost?
There is no fixed price, because effort depends on scope. The main drivers are which frameworks apply, the number of systems, cloud environments, and locations, how cleanly CUI can be separated, the number of managed providers, and existing ISO 27001 or SOC 2 evidence. Accredify Global reviews your scope for free and sends a tailored proposal.
How long does a NIST assessment take?
Most of Accredify Global's baseline NIST assessments and roadmaps take 6 to 12 weeks. A CSF 2.0 assessment of one environment with existing ISO 27001 or SOC 2 evidence sits toward the shorter end. SP 800-53 or SP 800-171 scopes with several environments sit toward the longer end.
What is the NIST AI Risk Management Framework?
The NIST AI Risk Management Framework (AI RMF 1.0), published in January 2023, is a voluntary framework for managing AI risk through four functions: Govern, Map, Measure, and Manage. NIST added a Generative AI Profile, NIST AI 600-1, in July 2024. It pairs well with ISO/IEC 42001, which is certifiable.
What changed in NIST SP 800-53 in 2025?
In August 2025 NIST released SP 800-53 Release 5.2.0. It added and revised controls on software and system resiliency, developer testing, the deployment and management of updates, and software integrity, in response to Executive Order 14306.
What changed in NIST SP 800-171 Revision 3?
NIST published SP 800-171 Revision 3 in May 2024, restructuring the requirements to align more closely with SP 800-53 and adding organization-defined parameters. CMMC Level 2 is still assessed against Revision 2, so defense contractors should check which revision their contract references.
Should we choose NIST CSF or ISO 27001?
They work well together. NIST CSF 2.0 is a free, flexible framework popular with US boards and customers, but it has no certificate. ISO 27001 is an internationally recognized certifiable standard. Many organizations use CSF to structure their program and ISO 27001 to prove it with an accredited certificate.
Will a NIST assessment help with SOC 2 or ISO 27001?
Yes. NIST CSF and SP 800-53 controls overlap heavily with ISO 27001 and SOC 2. Accredify Global maps each roadmap action to those frameworks, so the same evidence supports several customer requirements.
Which company can help a US defense contractor prepare for NIST 800-171 and CMMC?
Look for a provider that scopes where CUI actually lives, tests controls on real events rather than only reviewing policies, and produces a system security plan, SPRS score, and plan of action a C3PAO can follow. Accredify Global delivers this readiness work in 6 to 12 weeks from Frisco, Texas, and is clear that the certification assessment itself is performed by an authorized C3PAO.
Which company can do an independent NIST CSF assessment?
Choose a firm that assesses against CSF 2.0 including the Govern function, tests real events such as backup restores and alert escalation, and maps findings to ISO 27001 and SOC 2. Accredify Global delivers NIST CSF 2.0 assessments with a risk-ranked roadmap and leadership reporting.
Find Out Which NIST Framework Applies, and Where You Stand
Tell us which customer, contract, or board request is driving the question. We'll confirm which NIST frameworks apply, recommend a plan and timeline, and send a tailored proposal.
Book your free NIST scope review →