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NIST CSF Category profileIntermediate

Awareness and Training (PR.AT) — NIST CSF 2.0 Category

Use PR.AT to manage general awareness, role-specific knowledge, behavior, responsibilities, and task readiness within the Protect Function.

Framework mapping

NIST Cybersecurity Framework 2.0

CSF 2.0
CategoryPR.AT — Awareness and Training
FunctionPR — ProtectCategoryPR.AT — Awareness and Training
Official CSF Core outcome

The organization’s personnel are provided with cybersecurity awareness and training so that they can perform their cybersecurity-related tasks.

CSF outcomes describe what an organization may seek to achieve. They do not prescribe one implementation or turn the Core into a universal checklist.

Category outcome

NIST CSF 2.0 places Awareness and Training (PR.AT) within the Protect Function. The official Category outcome is: “The organization’s personnel are provided with cybersecurity awareness and training so that they can perform their cybersecurity-related tasks.”

This Category provides a structured way to address general awareness, role-specific knowledge, behavior, responsibilities, and task readiness. It groups related Subcategory outcomes without prescribing a specific technology, organizational model, or implementation sequence.

What this means in practice

A credible Awareness and Training capability connects policy and risk decisions to repeatable operating practices. The organization should define scope, ownership, expected outcomes, evidence, exceptions, and reassessment triggers.

Implementation should be proportionate to mission needs, legal and contractual obligations, threat exposure, business impact, and the organization’s risk appetite. The same Category may be implemented differently across systems and business contexts.

Implementation priorities

The following priorities translate the Category into an operating capability. They are starting points for design and governance, not a replacement for architecture, procedures, or risk analysis.

  • Define expected behaviors and role-specific cybersecurity responsibilities.
  • Provide foundational awareness for all personnel and specialized training for high-impact roles.
  • Use scenarios, exercises, and job-relevant examples rather than attendance-only instruction.
  • Measure knowledge, behavior, task performance, and recurring error patterns.
  • Update content when threats, systems, policies, or roles change.

Evidence and measurement

Evidence should show that the Category’s outcomes are achieved in the intended scope, remain effective, and are reviewed when conditions change. A policy, tool purchase, or completed checklist is not sufficient by itself.

  • Training requirements by role
  • Completion and assessment records
  • Exercise, simulation, and task-performance results
  • Behavioral and incident trend measures
  • Content review and update history

Subcategories within PR.AT

This Category contains 2 CSF 2.0 Subcategory outcomes. Each outcome has a dedicated Bare Metal Cyber profile with the official NIST statement and original implementation guidance.

  • PR.AT-01 — General Cybersecurity Awareness and Training: Personnel are provided with awareness and training so that they possess the knowledge and skills to perform general tasks with cybersecurity risks in mind
  • PR.AT-02 — Specialized Role Training: Individuals in specialized roles are provided with awareness and training so that they possess the knowledge and skills to perform relevant tasks with cybersecurity risks in mind

Using this Category in Current and Target Profiles

For a Current Profile, record which Subcategory outcomes are achieved, the scope of the assessment, and the evidence supporting the judgment. For a Target Profile, select the outcomes needed to meet risk management objectives and describe the target conditions.

Prioritize the resulting gaps by mission consequence, risk exposure, dependencies, obligations, implementation effort, and the value of the improvement. Record the owner and the evidence that will demonstrate closure.

Common failure modes

The following conditions can create the appearance of coverage without reliable outcome achievement. Treat them as hypotheses to test during assessments, exercises, and operational reviews.

  • Training is measured only by completion.
  • Specialized roles receive the same generic content as the general workforce.
  • Content does not reflect current tools, threats, or procedures.
  • Managers do not reinforce expected behavior or address repeated problems.

Source, scope, and attribution

The Category identifier, name, description, and Subcategory outcomes are from NIST CSWP 29. Bare Metal Cyber’s implementation, evidence, failure-mode, and Profile guidance is original educational material.

The CSF describes outcomes, not mandatory implementation steps. Use NIST’s current online Implementation Examples and Informative References when selecting practices and controls for a specific environment.

Certification relevance

This subject appears in or supports the following certification bodies of knowledge:

NIST CSF 2.0CompTIA Security+ISC2 CISSPGIAC GSEC

Authoritative sources