What are the 4 pillars of cyber resilience?

There is no single universal four-pillar model, but a practical ransomware-focused model is: prevent compromise, withstand and isolate impact, detect and respond quickly, and recover from proven clean data. NIST CSF 2.0 uses a broader six-function structure: Govern, Identify, Protect, Detect, Respond, and Recover.

The recovery pillar is where many programs are weakest. Backups, immutability, and vaulting help preserve options; verified recovery proves which option is clean enough to use.

Last updated May 27, 2026