UK Cyber Governance Mapping

Image: Cyber Security Awareness Background by Vecteezy

Published: 16 August 2025

Summary of the Cyber-Governance Mapping Documents

1. Overview of the Publication

The UK Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT), in collaboration with the NCSC and industry stakeholders, published the Cyber Governance Mapping resources to help boards, directors, and CISOs understand how the Cyber Governance Code of Practice aligns with widely adopted cybersecurity standards and frameworks. Initially published on 8 April 2025, the guidance was updated on 16 April 2025 (adding a mapping to ANSSI) and again on 11 August 2025, when mappings to ISACA CMMI, WEF Principles for Board Governance of Cyber Risk, and ISO/IEC 27001:2022 were introduced.

2. Available Documents and Frameworks Covered

The published mapping suite includes:

Complete spreadsheet (ODS format) containing cross-references across all frameworks.
Individual mappings between the Code and the following frameworks:

All documents follow a structured presentation based on five core principles: A. Risk management, B. Strategy, C. People, D. Incident planning, response and recovery, and E. Assurance and oversight.

3. Purpose and Use

These mappings make it clearer which aspects of the Code directly correspond to or overlap with established frameworks, offering organisations a way to assess their existing cybersecurity posture relative to the Code. Importantly, they are illustrative and not legally binding — they should be used as a reference and not as legal compliance advice.

Reflection: Impacts on the World of Digital Investigations

Enhanced Governance Clarity and Accountability: For investigators, these mappings highlight how executive responsibilities align with operational cybersecurity controls, creating clearer benchmarks for assessing organisational accountability.
Better Risk-Aligned Evidence Framework: Investigations can be structured around governance evidence — board oversight, supply chain due diligence, incident preparedness — and tested against recognised frameworks such as NIST CSF or ISO 27001.
Cross-Framework Validation and Gap-Analysis: Digital investigations benefit from the ability to cross-walk claimed governance practices against multiple standards simultaneously, exposing gaps between stated compliance and actual practice.
Informed Post-Incident Reviews: In incident response reviews, the Code provides a structured set of expectations (assurance, oversight, lessons learned), which investigators can test for robustness and effectiveness.
Global and Multi-Jurisdictional Perspective: With mappings to ISO, ANSSI, and WEF frameworks, the Code allows investigators to align findings across different jurisdictions — critical when organisations operate internationally.

📊 Snapshot Summary

Focus Area	High-Level Summary	Risk Level
Risk Management	Framework mappings align governance with enterprise risk practices.	Medium
Strategy	Board-level integration of cyber risk into corporate strategy is emphasised.	Low
People	Highlights role of training, culture, and board awareness in cyber resilience.	Moderate
Incident Response	Consistent emphasis on incident readiness, reporting, and recovery procedures.	High
Assurance & Oversight	Mapping stresses independent assurance and executive accountability mechanisms.	Low