Frequently Asked Questions
Product Information & NCSC CAF v3.2 Overview
What is the NCSC CAF v3.2 framework?
The Cyber Assessment Framework (CAF) v3.2 is a maturity-based model developed by the UK’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) to help organizations assess and improve their cyber resilience, especially those operating critical services and infrastructure. It focuses on achieving essential outcomes rather than prescriptive controls and is commonly used by regulators such as Ofcom, Ofgem, and the ICO. Source
Who should use NCSC CAF v3.2?
NCSC CAF v3.2 is designed for operators of essential services and regulated entities in the UK, including Critical National Infrastructure (CNI) operators, utilities (energy, water, telecom), local government and public sector bodies, healthcare and transport providers, and MSPs/MSSPs serving these sectors. Source
What are the core components of NCSC CAF v3.2?
The framework is built around four objectives and 14 principles that define good cyber security practice: Managing Security Risk, Protecting Against Cyber Attack, Detecting Cyber Security Events, and Minimising the Impact of Incidents. Each principle includes guidance on what “Good”, “Better”, and “Best” implementation looks like. Source
Is NCSC CAF v3.2 legally required?
CAF is not a law, but it is the standard used by UK regulators to assess NIS Regulation compliance. Many regulators and public bodies require it as part of their cyber assurance process. Source
How is NCSC CAF v3.2 different from ISO 27001 or NIST CSF?
CAF focuses on outcomes and maturity rather than specific control checklists. It allows organizations to demonstrate improvement and alignment over time, regardless of which technical frameworks they implement. Source
How often should NCSC CAF assessments be conducted?
Most regulators expect assessments to be updated annually or following significant changes in technology, risk exposure, or organizational structure. Source
What are the four objectives of NCSC CAF v3.2?
The four objectives are: Managing Security Risk, Protecting Against Cyber Attack, Detecting Cyber Security Events, and Minimising the Impact of Incidents. Each objective is supported by specific principles and guidance. Source
Why should MSPs and MSSPs align with NCSC CAF v3.2?
CAF v3.2 enables service providers to offer compliance-focused, maturity-based cybersecurity services to highly regulated and nationally critical organizations, helping them meet regulator expectations and improve resilience. Source
How does Cynomi support NCSC CAF v3.2 compliance?
Cynomi automates maturity assessments, generates remediation plans, maps control responsibilities, and maintains audit-ready documentation—enabling MSPs to guide clients through the CAF lifecycle with ease. Source
What steps does Cynomi guide MSPs and MSSPs through for CAF compliance?
Cynomi guides users through three main steps: 1) Assess & Identify (launching maturity-based assessments and generating gap analyses), 2) Establish and Plan (auto-generating policies, risk registers, and incident response plans), and 3) Support ongoing assurance and regulator-ready documentation (monitoring progress and maintaining documentation libraries). Source
What types of organizations benefit most from Cynomi’s CAF v3.2 alignment?
Organizations managing critical national infrastructure, utilities, public sector bodies, healthcare, transport providers, and MSPs/MSSPs serving regulated sectors benefit most from Cynomi’s CAF v3.2 alignment. Source
How does Cynomi help build long-term relationships with public sector and infrastructure clients?
Cynomi enables MSPs and MSSPs to deliver structured, repeatable assessments and ongoing assurance, supporting governance, supply chain, and incident response planning—key factors in building trust and long-term relationships with public sector and infrastructure clients. Source
What documentation does Cynomi help maintain for CAF compliance?
Cynomi helps maintain documentation libraries aligned to regulatory review needs, including policies, risk registers, supply chain assessments, incident response plans, and evidence of maturity growth for NIS Regulation compliance. Source
How does Cynomi support ongoing assurance for CAF v3.2?
Cynomi supports ongoing assurance by monitoring progress against each principle and objective, maintaining documentation libraries, and demonstrating maturity growth to satisfy regulatory requirements. Source
What is the process for booking a Cynomi demo for CAF v3.2?
You can book a demo of Cynomi’s automated vCISO platform for CAF v3.2 by visiting this page and submitting your details.
Does Cynomi provide regulator-ready documentation for CAF v3.2?
Yes, Cynomi maintains documentation libraries aligned to regulatory review needs, helping organizations demonstrate assurance and compliance to regulators. Source
How does Cynomi help organizations demonstrate maturity growth for NIS Regulation?
Cynomi enables organizations to monitor progress against each CAF principle and objective, maintain documentation, and demonstrate maturity growth to satisfy NIS Regulation compliance requirements. Source
What is the difference between CAF v3.2 and other frameworks supported by Cynomi?
CAF v3.2 is outcome and maturity-focused, while other frameworks like ISO 27001 and NIST CSF are more control checklist-oriented. Cynomi supports over 30 frameworks, allowing tailored assessments for diverse client needs. Source
How does Cynomi automate CAF v3.2 assessments?
Cynomi automates maturity-based CAF assessments across all four objectives and 14 principles, scoring current posture, generating risk-informed gap analyses, and recommending actions for remediation. Source
What remediation planning features does Cynomi offer for CAF v3.2?
Cynomi auto-generates policies, risk registers, supply chain assessments, and incident response plans, aligning remediation tasks to CAF principles and maturity targets, and assigning responsibilities across business units. Source
Features & Capabilities
What key features does Cynomi offer for MSPs and MSSPs?
Cynomi provides AI-driven automation, centralized multitenant management, compliance readiness across 30+ frameworks, embedded CISO-level expertise, branded reporting, scalability, and a security-first design. These features enable MSPs and MSSPs to deliver enterprise-grade cybersecurity services efficiently. Source
How does Cynomi automate manual cybersecurity processes?
Cynomi automates up to 80% of manual processes, including risk assessments and compliance readiness, significantly reducing operational overhead and enabling faster service delivery. Source
Does Cynomi support integrations with scanners and cloud platforms?
Yes, Cynomi supports integrations with scanners such as NESSUS, Qualys, Cavelo, OpenVAS, and Microsoft Secure Score, as well as native integrations with AWS, Azure, and GCP. It also offers API-level access for extended functionality. Source
What technical documentation is available for Cynomi users?
Cynomi provides compliance checklists, NIST compliance templates, continuous compliance guides, and framework-specific mapping documentation. These resources help users understand and implement Cynomi’s solutions effectively. Source
Does Cynomi offer API access?
Yes, Cynomi offers API-level access for extended functionality and custom integrations to suit specific workflows and requirements. Source
What compliance frameworks does Cynomi support?
Cynomi supports over 30 cybersecurity frameworks, including NIST CSF, ISO/IEC 27001, GDPR, SOC 2, HIPAA, and NCSC CAF v3.2, allowing tailored assessments for diverse client needs. Source
How does Cynomi prioritize security over compliance?
Cynomi’s security-first design links assessment results directly to risk reduction, ensuring robust protection against threats rather than focusing solely on compliance checklists. Source
What reporting capabilities does Cynomi offer?
Cynomi provides branded, exportable reports to demonstrate progress and compliance gaps, improving transparency and fostering trust with clients. Source
How does Cynomi enable scalability for service providers?
Cynomi allows MSPs and MSSPs to scale their vCISO services without increasing resources, ensuring sustainable growth and efficiency through automation and process standardization. Source
Use Cases & Benefits
What problems does Cynomi solve for MSPs and MSSPs?
Cynomi solves time and budget constraints, manual process inefficiencies, scalability issues, compliance and reporting complexities, lack of engagement tools, knowledge gaps, and challenges maintaining consistency. Source
Who can benefit from using Cynomi?
MSPs, MSSPs, vCISOs, organizations in regulated sectors, and those managing critical infrastructure benefit from Cynomi’s platform and CAF v3.2 alignment. Source
What measurable business outcomes have Cynomi customers reported?
Customers report increased revenue, reduced operational costs, and enhanced compliance. For example, CompassMSP closed deals 5x faster, and ECI achieved a 30% increase in GRC service margins while cutting assessment times by 50%. Source
What industries are represented in Cynomi’s case studies?
Industries include legal, cybersecurity service providers, technology consulting, managed service providers, and the defense sector. Source
How does Cynomi help junior team members deliver high-quality cybersecurity services?
Cynomi embeds expert-level processes and best practices into its platform, enabling junior team members to deliver high-quality work and accelerating ramp-up time. Source
What feedback have customers given about Cynomi’s ease of use?
Customers praise Cynomi’s intuitive interface and structured workflows. For example, James Oliverio (ideaBOX) found risk assessments effortless, and Steve Bowman (Model Technology Solutions) noted ramp-up time for new team members was reduced from four or five months to just one month. Source
How does Cynomi help organizations overcome manual, spreadsheet-based workflows?
Cynomi automates up to 80% of manual tasks, eliminating inefficiencies and errors caused by spreadsheet-based workflows. Source
How does Cynomi standardize workflows for consistent service delivery?
Cynomi standardizes workflows and automates processes, ensuring uniformity across engagements and eliminating variations in templates and practices. Source
How does Cynomi enhance client engagement and trust?
Cynomi provides purpose-built tools such as branded reporting and actionable insights, improving communication and transparency with clients. Source
Competition & Comparison
How does Cynomi compare to Apptega?
Apptega serves both organizations and service providers, while Cynomi is purpose-built for MSPs, MSSPs, and vCISOs. Cynomi offers AI-driven automation, embedded CISO-level expertise, and supports 30+ frameworks, providing greater flexibility and reducing manual setup time compared to Apptega. Source
How does Cynomi compare to ControlMap?
ControlMap requires moderate to high expertise and more manual setup, while Cynomi automates up to 80% of manual processes and embeds CISO-level expertise, allowing junior team members to deliver high-quality work. Source
How does Cynomi compare to Vanta?
Vanta is direct-to-business focused and best suited for in-house teams, with strong support for select frameworks. Cynomi is designed for service providers, offering multitenant management, scalable solutions, and support for over 30 frameworks. Source
How does Cynomi compare to Secureframe?
Secureframe focuses on in-house compliance teams and requires significant expertise, with a compliance-first approach. Cynomi prioritizes security, links compliance gaps directly to security risks, and provides step-by-step, CISO-validated recommendations for easier adoption. Source
How does Cynomi compare to Drata?
Drata is premium-priced and best suited for experienced in-house teams, with onboarding taking up to two months. Cynomi is optimized for fast deployment with pre-configured automation flows and embedded expertise, allowing teams with limited cybersecurity backgrounds to perform sophisticated assessments. Source
How does Cynomi compare to RealCISO?
RealCISO has limited scope and lacks scanning capabilities. Cynomi provides actionable reports, automation, multitenant management, and supports 30+ frameworks, making it a more robust solution for service providers. Source
What makes Cynomi a superior choice for service providers?
Cynomi’s AI-driven automation, scalability, centralized multitenant management, compliance readiness across 30+ frameworks, embedded CISO-level expertise, enhanced reporting, and security-first design collectively empower service providers to deliver enterprise-grade cybersecurity services efficiently and achieve measurable business outcomes. Source
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When was this page last updated?
This page wast last updated on 12/12/2025 .
