The Cybersecurity and Cyber Resilience Framework (CSCRF) introduced by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI)
Establishes a consolidated cybersecurity and cyber resilience framework for SEBI Regulated Entities (REs).
With increasing dependence on digital platforms, cloud infrastructure, APIs, third-party technology providers and interconnected financial systems, cyber risk has become a significant operational and regulatory concern for India’s securities market.
MAST Consulting provides SEBI CSCRF compliance consulting services in India, helping regulated entities understand applicable requirements, assess their existing cybersecurity posture, identify compliance gaps, implement appropriate controls and prepare for cybersecurity audits and regulatory assessments.
What is the SEBI Cybersecurity and Cyber Resilience Framework (CSCRF)?
The SEBI Cybersecurity and Cyber Resilience Framework (CSCRF) is designed to strengthen cybersecurity and operational resilience across SEBI Regulated Entities.
The framework follows five core cybersecurity functions:
Identify → Protect → Detect → Respond → Recover
These functions provide a structured approach for identifying cyber risks, implementing preventive safeguards, detecting cybersecurity events, responding effectively to incidents and recovering critical systems and services.
CSCRF introduces requirements covering cybersecurity governance, risk assessment, asset management, access controls, data security, network security, vulnerability management, security monitoring, incident response, business continuity, disaster recovery, third-party risk and other cybersecurity controls.
Who Needs to Comply with SEBI CSCRF?
The CSCRF applies across categories of SEBI Regulated Entities (REs), with requirements determined according to the nature and scale of the regulated entity.
Depending on applicability, organizations covered by the framework include entities such as Stock Exchanges, Clearing Corporations, Depositories, Stock Brokers, Depository Participants, Asset Management Companies (AMCs), Mutual Funds, Portfolio Managers, Alternative Investment Funds (AIFs), Investment Advisers, Research Analysts, KYC Registration Agencies, Registrars to an Issue and Share Transfer Agents and other SEBI-regulated intermediaries and market participants.
Because CSCRF requirements are structured according to different categories of regulated entities, organizations should first establish their applicable classification and identify the controls and compliance obligations relevant to them.
Key Areas of SEBI CSCRF Compliance
Cybersecurity Governance
Effective cybersecurity begins with strong governance. MAST Consulting helps organizations establish appropriate cybersecurity governance structures, clearly defined roles and responsibilities, management oversight, cybersecurity policies, risk ownership and reporting mechanisms aligned with applicable CSCRF requirements.
Cyber Risk Assessment
We help organizations identify cybersecurity threats, vulnerabilities and risks affecting critical information assets, business processes, applications, infrastructure and third-party services. Risks are assessed and prioritized to support appropriate risk treatment and management decision-making.
Asset Management
Organizations need visibility over the technology and information assets supporting their operations. We help establish and review asset inventories, asset ownership, classification, criticality and processes for managing information assets throughout their lifecycle.
Identity & Access Management
Access to critical systems and information must be appropriately controlled. Our assessments cover user access management, privileged access, authentication, access reviews, segregation of duties, account lifecycle management and other relevant identity and access security controls.
Network, Endpoint & Infrastructure Security
MAST Consulting evaluates technical security controls protecting networks, servers, endpoints and infrastructure. This can include network segmentation, firewall controls, endpoint protection, secure configurations, malware protection, remote access security and monitoring controls.
Vulnerability Management & VAPT
A structured vulnerability management program helps regulated entities identify and remediate security weaknesses before they can be exploited. We support vulnerability assessment and penetration testing readiness, vulnerability tracking, risk-based remediation, retesting and formal closure of identified vulnerabilities.
Application & API Security
Applications and APIs are increasingly critical to financial services. We help organizations assess secure development practices, application security testing, API security, change controls, security requirements and vulnerability remediation processes.
Security Monitoring & Incident Detection
Timely detection is essential for limiting the impact of cyber incidents. We assess security logging, monitoring, alerting, SIEM/SOC capabilities, event correlation, escalation procedures and processes for identifying suspicious or malicious activity.
Cyber Incident Response
Organizations need clearly established procedures for responding to cybersecurity incidents. MAST Consulting helps develop and evaluate Cyber Incident Response Plans, incident classification and escalation processes, roles and responsibilities, communication procedures, evidence handling, root-cause analysis and post-incident improvement.
Business Continuity, Disaster Recovery & Cyber Resilience
CSCRF goes beyond prevention by emphasizing the ability of regulated entities to continue and restore critical operations following disruptive cyber events. We help assess Business Impact Analysis (BIA), Business Continuity Plans (BCP), Disaster Recovery Plans (DRP), recovery objectives, backup and restoration arrangements, crisis management and resilience testing.
Third-Party & Supply Chain Cybersecurity
Technology vendors, cloud providers, outsourced service providers and other third parties can introduce cybersecurity risks. We help organizations establish vendor security assessments, cybersecurity due diligence, contractual security requirements, ongoing monitoring and third-party risk management processes.
Our SEBI CSCRF Compliance Consulting Services
1. CSCRF Applicability & Scope Assessment
MAST Consulting begins by understanding the organization’s SEBI registration, business activities, technology environment, critical systems and applicable regulatory classification. We determine the relevant CSCRF requirements and establish an appropriate scope for the compliance program.
2. SEBI CSCRF Gap Assessment
We conduct a detailed assessment of existing cybersecurity governance, policies, processes and technical controls against applicable CSCRF requirements.
Our assessment establishes a structured relationship between:
CSCRF Requirement → Existing Control → Compliance Status → Evidence → Identified Gap → Risk → Recommended Action
The resulting gap assessment provides management with clear visibility into the organization’s compliance posture and priorities for remediation.
3. Cybersecurity Risk Assessment
MAST Consulting conducts risk assessments covering critical assets, applications, infrastructure, cloud services, cybersecurity threats, vulnerabilities and third-party dependencies. Identified risks are evaluated and prioritized to establish appropriate risk treatment measures and strengthen the organization’s overall cybersecurity posture.
4. CSCRF Policy & Procedure Development
We help organizations develop and enhance cybersecurity documentation required to support CSCRF implementation. Depending on applicability, this may include cybersecurity policies, information security policies, access control procedures, vulnerability and patch management procedures, incident response plans, business continuity and disaster recovery procedures, third-party security requirements, secure development practices, backup procedures and other supporting documentation.
5. Technical Security Control Assessment
Our consultants evaluate whether cybersecurity controls are appropriately designed and implemented across the organization’s technology environment. Assessments can cover Identity and Access Management (IAM), Privileged Access Management (PAM), endpoint protection, network security, vulnerability and patch management, encryption, application and API security, logging and monitoring, SIEM/SOC controls, backup security, cloud security and incident detection capabilities.
6. VAPT & Vulnerability Management Readiness
We help organizations establish a structured approach to security testing and vulnerability management. This includes reviewing VAPT scope and methodology, vulnerability identification, severity classification, remediation responsibilities, remediation timelines, retesting and evidence of vulnerability closure.
7. SOC & Security Monitoring Readiness
MAST Consulting assesses the organization’s security monitoring capabilities and helps strengthen processes for centralized logging, event monitoring, alert management, incident escalation and security operations. Where applicable, we also help organizations assess their readiness against relevant CSCRF requirements concerning SOC or managed security monitoring arrangements.
8. Third-Party Cyber Risk Assessment
We review cybersecurity risks arising from vendors, technology providers, outsourced services, cloud environments and other third parties. Our approach includes vendor due diligence, risk classification, security assessments, contractual security requirements, ongoing monitoring and remediation tracking.
9. Cyber Resilience & Incident Response Readiness
We assess whether the organization is prepared to respond to and recover from cybersecurity incidents. This includes reviewing incident response procedures, escalation mechanisms, communication arrangements, cyber crisis scenarios, business continuity, disaster recovery, backups, restoration capabilities and cyber resilience exercises.
10. CSCRF Audit & Compliance Readiness
MAST Consulting helps organizations prepare for cybersecurity audits and regulatory assessments by reviewing implementation status and supporting evidence. We conduct evidence reviews, control effectiveness assessments, gap remediation tracking, corrective action reviews and readiness assessments to help organizations demonstrate compliance.
Why Choose MAST Consulting for SEBI CSCRF Compliance?
MAST Consulting combines cybersecurity, governance, risk and compliance expertise to help SEBI Regulated Entities translate CSCRF requirements into practical and sustainable security controls.
Our approach is focused on regulatory requirement mapping, risk-based implementation, technical control assessment, audit-ready documentation, evidence-based compliance and effective remediation.
Rather than treating CSCRF as a documentation exercise, we help organizations integrate cybersecurity and cyber resilience requirements into their operational and technology environments.
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