PR.DS-10 PR · Protect · PR.DS Data Security

PR.DS-10 — Data-in-use protection

The confidentiality, integrity, and availability of data-in-use are protected.

Also written as PR-DS-10, PR.DS-10, CSF 2.0 PR.DS-10, NIST CSF PR.DS.

What NIST CSF PR.DS-10 means

PR.DS-10 is one of 22 subcategories in the Protect (PR) function, under the Data Security category (PR.DS). The Core states: “The confidentiality, integrity, and availability of data-in-use are protected.” Protect outcomes are where most existing security spend already sits, so the usual gap is not the absence of a control but the absence of evidence that it covers the whole estate rather than the parts that were easy.

Evidence that supports PR.DS-10

To demonstrate this outcome in an assessment or audit, gather artefacts such as:

  • Memory / processing protections for sensitive workloads
  • Masking or tokenization of data in active use
  • Session controls preventing unauthorized viewing (screen lock, clean desk)

ISO 27001 mapping

PR.DS-10 corresponds to the following ISO 27001:2022 Annex A control(s): A.8.11, A.8.24. Evidence collected for one framework typically supports the other.

Map PR.DS-10 to ISO 27001 & SOC 2 →
Crosswalk this subcategory in the Control Mapper & Gap Assessment.
Document the risk →
Record treatment for gaps against PR.DS-10 in the Risk Register.

Other Data Security subcategories

PR.DS-01 Data-at-rest protection PR.DS-02 Data-in-transit protection PR.DS-11 Backups created and tested

All 22 Protect subcategories →

Frequently asked questions

Is NIST CSF PR.DS-10 mandatory?

No. CSF 2.0 is a voluntary framework of outcomes rather than a set of requirements, and there is no certification against it. PR.DS-10 becomes binding only when something else makes it so — a contract, a regulator that references CSF, or your own Target Profile. That is the practical difference between CSF and an auditable standard like ISO 27001 or SOC 2.

How is PR.DS-10 assessed?

Through profiles rather than pass/fail testing. You record how fully the outcome is achieved today in a Current Profile, state where it needs to be in a Target Profile, and the gap between them becomes your action plan. Implementation Tiers (Partial, Risk Informed, Repeatable, Adaptive) describe how rigorous your governance around the outcome is, not whether you have met it.

Who owns PR.DS-10?

The Protect function is normally owned by the security or IT function, but PR.DS-10 still needs a specific named owner. Assessors treat an outcome with no owner as not achieved regardless of the tooling behind it, so record ownership in your profile alongside the assessment.

Does NIST CSF PR.DS-10 map to ISO 27001?

Yes — PR.DS-10 corresponds to ISO 27001:2022 Annex A control(s) A.8.11, A.8.24. Evidence collected for one framework typically supports the other, so a single control library can serve both.