The NIST Cybersecurity Framework is considered the most thorough way to apply best practices. By Light, a mid-sized government contractor that won a one-year DoD contract awarded in 2017, was largely due to By Light having implemented the NIST CSF. The winning company won despite bidding $2,810,436 more than the losing company, representing about 5% of the value of the contract. The U.S. Government Accountability Offices report stated: The fact that the. NIST. CSF is seen as a positive addition to existing cybersecurity standards and guidelines and may ultimately be mandated in whole or in part, does not undermine the reasonableness of the.”]