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[Redirect to https://www.nist.gov/nice] The mission of NICE is to energize and promote a robust network and an ecosystem of cybersecurity education, training, and workforce development. NICE fulfills this mission by coordinating with government, academic, and industry partners to build on existing successful programs, facilitate change and innovation, and bring leadership and vision to increase the number of skilled cybersecurity professionals helping to keep our Nation secure.

In 2013, news reports about leaked classified documents caused concern from the cryptographic community about the security of NIST cryptographic standards and guidelines. NIST is also deeply concerned by these reports, some of which have questioned the integrity of the NIST standards development process. NIST has a proud history in open cryptographic standards, beginning in the 1970s with the Data Encryption Standard. We strive for a consistently open and transparent process that enlists the worldwide cryptography community to help us develop and vet algorithms included in our cryptographic...

NIST has established the NIST Personal Identity Verification Validation Program (NPIVP) to validate Personal Identity Verification (PIV) components required by Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) 201. The objectives of the NPIVP program are: to validate the compliance/conformance of two PIV components --PIV middleware and PIV card application with the specifications in NIST SP 800-73; and to provides the assurance that the set of PIV middleware and PIV card applications that have been validated by NPIVP are interoperable. All of the tests under NPIVP are handled by...

FIPS 201-3  Personal Identity Verification (PIV) for Federal Employees and  Contractors  is available at https://csrc.nist.gov/publications/detail/fips/201/3/final.  A chronical of changes since the initial issuance of FIPS 201 is available in FIPS 201-3, Appendix E, Revision History.   Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) 201 entitled Personal Identity Verification of Federal Employees and Contractors establishes a standard for a Personal Identity Verification (PIV) system (Standard) that meets the control and security objectives of Homeland Security Presidential Directive-12...

One primary objective of enterprise computing (via a data center, cloud, etc.) is the controlled delivery of data services (DSs) to its users. Typical DSs include applications such as email, workflow management, enterprise calendar, and records management, as well as system level features, such as file, access control and identity management. Although access control (AC) currently plays an important role in securing DSs, if properly designed, AC can be more fundamental to computing than one might expect. That is, the program logic that deals with implementation, distribution, and control over...

[Redirect to https://www.nist.gov/itl/applied-cybersecurity/privacy-engineering] The NIST Privacy Engineering Program’s (PEP) mission is to support the development of trustworthy information systems by applying measurement science and system engineering principles to the creation of frameworks, risk models, guidance, tools, and standards that protect privacy and, by extension, civil liberties.

Testing PKI Components NIST/Information Technology Laboratory responds to industry and user needs for objective, neutral tests for information technology. ITL recognizes such tests as the enabling tools that help companies produce the next generation of products and services. It is a goal of the NIST PKI Program to develop such tests to help companies produce interoperable PKI components. NIST worked with CygnaCom Solutions and BAE Systems to develop a suite of tests that will enable developers and validation laboratories to determine a PKI client application's conformance to the path...

Include revised/updated text from  http://csrc.nist.gov/groups/ST/toolkit/rng/index.html ??   --> Cryptography and security applications make extensive use of random numbers and random bits. However, constructing random bit generators and validating these generators are very challenging. The SP 800 90 series provides guidelines and recommendations for generating random numbers for cryptographic use, and has three parts: SP 800-90A, Recommendation for Random Number Generation Using Deterministic Random Bit Generators, specifies mechanisms for the generation of random bits using deterministic...

The Help America Vote Act (HAVA) of 2002 was passed by Congress to encourage the upgrade of voting equipment across the United States. HAVA established the Election Assistance Commission (EAC) and the Technical Guidelines Development Committee (TGDC), chaired by the Director of NIST, was well as a Board of Advisors and Standard Board. HAVA calls on NIST to provide technical support to the EAC and TGDC in efforts related to human factors, security, and laboratory accreditation. The Information Technology Laboratory supports the activities of the EAC and TGDC related to voting equipment...

The Security Content Automation Protocol (SCAP) is a synthesis of interoperable specifications derived from community ideas. Community participation is a great strength for SCAP, because the security automation community ensures the broadest possible range of use cases is reflected in SCAP functionality. This Web site is provided to support continued community involvement. From this site, you will find information about both existing SCAP specifications and emerging specifications relevant to NIST's security automation agenda. You are invited to participate, whether monitoring community dialog...

Security Content Automation Protocol Version 2 (SCAP v2) is a major update to the SCAP 1.x publications. SCAP v2 covers a broader scope in an attempt to further improve enterprise security through standardization and automation. This project page will be used to provide information on the SCAP v2 effort, as well as updates on ongoing work, and directions on how to get involved.   Important Links: SCAPv2 Community - Get involved in the SCAP effort by joining our mailing lists. SCAPv2 Frequently Asked Questions - A good place to start if you are new to SCAP v2 or have questions about the...

The SCAP Validation Program is designed to test the ability of products to use the features and functionality available through SCAP and its component standards. Under the SCAP Validation Program, independent laboratories are accredited by the NIST National Voluntary Laboratory Accreditation Program (NVLAP). Accreditation requirements are defined in NIST Handbook 150, and NIST Handbook 150-17. Independent laboratories conduct the tests contained in the SCAP Validation Program Derived Test Requirements Document, on information technology (IT) security products and deliver the results to NIST....

[Redirect to https://www.nist.gov/itl/smallbusinesscyber]  The vast majority of smaller businesses rely on information technology to run their businesses and to store, process, and transmit information. Protecting this information from unauthorized disclosure, modification, use, or deletion is essential for those companies  and their customers. With limited resources and budgets, these companies need cybersecurity guidance, solutions, and training that is practical, actionable, and enables them to cost-effectively address and manage their cybersecurity risks. This NIST Small Business...

NEW! Request for Information | Evaluating and Improving NIST Cybersecurity Resources: The NIST Cybersecurity Framework and Cybersecurity Supply Chain Risk Management  --> Latest updates: NIST Cybersecurity SCRM Fact Sheet (05/12/22) NIST updates Cybersecurity Supply Chain Risk Management Practices for Systems and Organizations guidance in NIST SP 800-161r1, which also helps fulfill NIST's responsibilities under E.O. 14028. (05/05/22) See the comments received from 132 organizations and individuals in response to a recent RFI (2/22/22) on Evaluating and Improving NIST Cybersecurity...

Software is vital to our economy and way of life as part of the critical infrastructure for the modern world. Too often cost and complexity make it difficult to manage software effectively, leaving the software open for attack. To properly manage software, enterprises need to maintain accurate software inventories of their managed devices in support of higher-level business, information technology, and cybersecurity functions. Accurate software inventories help an enterprise to: Manage compliance with software license agreements. Knowing what software is installed and used can help an...

In Special Publication 800-208, Recommendation for Stateful Hash-Based Signature Schemes, NIST approves two schemes for stateful hash-based signatures (HBS) as part of the post-quantum cryptography development effort.  The two schemes were developed through the Internet Research Task Force (IRTF): 1) XMSS, specified in Request for Comments (RFC) 8391 in May 2018, and 2) LMS, in RFC 8554 in April 2019. Background HBS schemes were the topic for a session of talks during the first public workshop on post-quantum security, as well as the panel discussion that followed it. Participants expressed...

Published as RFC8322 in the IETF, The Resource Oriented Lightweight Information Exchange (ROLIE) is standard for exchanging security automation information between two machines, or between a machine and a human operator.   As a cooperative effort between NIST and the international computer security community, ROLIE seeks to improve the current state of the art in security automation information sharing. Reducing communication bandwidth, enabling new automation use cases, and easing complicated workflows, ROLIE represents another incremental improvement towards full security automation....

The multi-party paradigm of threshold cryptography enables threshold schemes, for a secure distribution of trust in the operation of cryptographic primitives. Upcoming (1st semester of 2024): Revised version of NIST IR 8214C ipd: NIST First Call for Multi-Party Threshold Schemes (initial public draft). DOI: 10.6028/NIST.IR.8214C.ipd. Public comments have been received. The presentations given at MPTS 2023 are also being considered as public feedback. Upcoming (1st semester of 2024): NIST IR 8214B (final) — Notes on Threshold EdDSA/Schnorr Signatures (To publish after revising its initial...

The purpose of the United States Government Configuration Baseline (USGCB) initiative is to create security configuration baselines for Information Technology products widely deployed across the federal agencies. The USGCB baseline evolved from the Federal Desktop Core Configuration mandate. The USGCB is a Federal Government-wide initiative that provides guidance to agencies on what should be done to improve and maintain an effective configuration settings focusing primarily on security. 

Systems security engineering contributes to a broad-based and holistic security perspective and focus within the systems engineering effort. This ensures that stakeholder protection needs and security concerns associated with the system are properly identified and addressed in all systems engineering tasks throughout the system life cycle. Mission Statement... To provide a basis to formalize a discipline for systems security engineering in terms of its principles, concepts, and activities. To foster a common mindset to deliver security for any system, regardless of its scope, size,...

To become a laboratory for the CST program there are a number of requirements. A lab must become accredited under the CST LAP which is part of NIST’s NVLAP. A lab must sign and enter into a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with NIST.  Click here for an example agreement. A lab must follow the “Principles of Proper Conduct” listed below. A lab must be US based if participating in the NPIVP scope. The following list are the Scopes maintained at NIST: Cryptographic Algorithm Validation Program (CAVP); Cryptographic Module Validation Program (CMVP); NIST Personal...

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Human-Centered Cybersecurity program seeks to "champion the human in cybersecurity" by conducting interdisciplinary research to better understand and improve people’s interactions with cybersecurity systems, products, processes, and services.                  Research Areas                    

[Redirect to: https://www.nist.gov/cybersecurity/measurements-information-security] Every organization wants to gain maximum value and effect for its finite cybersecurity-related investments. This includes managing risk to the enterprise and optimizing the potential reward of cybersecurity policies, programs, and actions. Organizations frequently make go-ahead decisions by comparing scenarios that differ in projected cost with associated likely benefits and risk reduction. However, these scenarios are often based on a “best guess.” Increasingly, senior executives are asking for a more accurate...

[Redirect to https://www.nist.gov/programs-projects/nist-cybersecurity-iot-program] NIST’s Cybersecurity for the Internet of Things (IoT) program supports the development and application of standards, guidelines, and related tools to improve the cybersecurity of connected devices and the environments in which they are deployed. By collaborating with stakeholders across government, industry, international bodies, and academia, the program aims to cultivate trust and foster an environment that enables innovation on a global scale.

[Redirect to: https://www.nist.gov/itl/ssd/software-quality-group/samate/software-assurance-reference-dataset-sard] The purpose of the Software Assurance Reference Dataset (SARD) is to provide users, researchers, and software security assurance tool developers with a set of known security flaws. This will allow end users to evaluate tools and tool developers to test their methods. You will be redirected to the SARD homepage.