SAMA framework is used to organize cybersecurity responsibilities, control expectations, risk treatment, protection measures, monitoring, incident response, resilience, third-party considerations, and governance oversight.
SAMA Cyber Security Framework

The SAMA Cyber Security Framework is a major cybersecurity reference for financial-sector organizations operating under Saudi Central Bank expectations. It is commonly used to structure cybersecurity governance, risk management, control implementation, evidence preparation, and assurance activities for Saudi financial institutions and related entities.
Cryptika supports organizations that need to understand their current position, assess gaps, design remediation, prepare evidence, and align cybersecurity practices with SAMA-related expectations and other applicable Saudi cybersecurity requirements.
Gap Assessment
A gap assessment is a structured comparison between the organization’s current state and a defined target. The target may be an international standard, a regional regulation, a contractual requirement, a certification objective, a customer security requirement, an internal policy baseline, or a hybrid control framework.
What the Framework Addresses
The framework is used to organize cybersecurity responsibilities, control expectations, risk treatment, protection measures, monitoring, incident response, resilience, third-party considerations, and governance oversight. The exact applicability depends on the organization’s sector, licensing status, outsourcing model, technology environment, and applicable Saudi regulatory obligations.
For many organizations, the framework is not only a security checklist. It becomes a basis for management oversight, control ownership, evidence readiness, audit preparation, and improvement planning.
Gap Assessment
Corporate Services
Cryptika can support SAMA-related work through gap assessment, regulatory compliance advisory, risk assessment, control design, policy and procedure development, evidence preparation, audit readiness, maturity assessment, third-party risk review, cloud security review, penetration testing, and incident response governance.
The engagement usually starts by confirming the scope, applicable requirement set, business units, systems, outsourcing arrangements, cloud services, evidence sources, stakeholders, and reporting expectations. Cryptika then reviews current documentation, interviews control owners, evaluates evidence, identifies gaps, and prepares a practical remediation roadmap.
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Risk
Assessment
Compliance Implementation
Penetration
Testing
GRC
Consulting
Related Standards and Regulations
Depending on the organization’s scope, SAMA-related work may connect with NCA Essential Cybersecurity Controls, NCA Cloud Cybersecurity Controls, Saudi privacy requirements, outsourcing and third-party requirements, ISO/IEC 27001, NIST CSF 2.0, CIS Controls, and client-specific control baselines.
Scope Caution
Cryptika supports assessment, advisory, implementation planning, evidence preparation, and readiness activities. Regulatory acceptance depends on the organization’s actual control implementation, evidence, scope, and applicable regulator or reviewer expectations.
FAQ
Can Cryptika help with a SAMA cybersecurity gap assessment?
Yes. Cryptika can assess the current control environment against the agreed SAMA-related requirement set and provide a prioritized remediation roadmap.
Can SAMA-related work be combined with NCA or ISO/IEC 27001 alignment?
Yes, where requirements overlap. A combined mapping can reduce duplicate work and help management understand shared controls and framework-specific gaps.
Does Cryptika guarantee regulatory approval?
No. Cryptika helps organizations prepare, implement, assess, and improve controls. Regulatory outcomes depend on the organization’s actual implementation, evidence, and reviewer expectations.


