Do you deal with the federal government, or does a firm you work for? The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) contains some crucial information about your personal data.
NIST 800-171, also known as NIST SP 800-171, became fully operational on December 31, 2017: even if you are not subject to NIST 800-171 compliance, the core competencies are still effective data security principles.
What does NIST 800-171 stand for?
NIST is a non-regulatory Federal body tasked with developing standards for federal agencies on a variety of areas, including cybersecurity. NIST 800-171, a companion document to NIST 800-53, lays out how Federal agencies' contractors and subcontractors should handle Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) — it's tailored to non-federal information systems and organisations.
NIST SP 800-171 originated as Executive Order 13556, signed by President Obama in 2010, instructing all Federal agencies to protect their CUI and establishing a single strategy for data exchange and openness for all agencies.
NIST and the Federal government began to focus more on cybersecurity after a few data breaches in Federal agencies — USPS, NOAA, and OPM – in 2014. Congress approved FISMA in 2014, and NIST followed up with NIST 800-53, and subsequently, NIST 800-171.
What does NIST 800-171 stand for?
NIST 800-171 codifies how federal agencies define CUI, or confidential and sensitive information that is not classified under federal law. We're not talking about a list of BlackOps working in enemy territory - that's governed by separate regulations – but rather data protected by SOX or HIPAA, for example. Each agency is responsible for informing the National Archives and Records Administration, which is in charge of enforcing EO 13556, on the types of data that are CUI.
Controls outlined in NIST SP 800-171 apply to federal government contractors and subcontractors. This policy must be followed if you or another firm you deal with has a contract with a government agency. Federal agencies may add special requirements in their contracts; but, if your contract does not include those stipulations, NIST 800-171 will still apply to your agreements.
NIST 800-171 Advantages
The following are some of the advantages of applying the NIST 800-171 controls:
- Management of risks
- Data breaches are less likely.
- Insider threats are less likely to occur.
- Data access policies and best practices
- A universal risk management framework and approach
- Protecting sensitive data using a scalable security strategy
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There are four major areas to focus in order to meet the revised requirements for NIST 800-171 compliance- activity monitoring, access controls, data security setup, & user behaviors.
Any negligence to these requirements could encourage data breach.
There is a major misconception about the latest rules brought up by NIST as many agencies come up with specific facilities to meet the minimum requirements.
However, one must know that the process of attaining a NIST 800-171 compliance is continual & it demands continual monitoring to stay in sync with security arrangements.
Strategic planning- The next step is all about strategizing to apply the new changes & procedures to fill loopholes in the security setup.
Implementation- Once you’ve determined the lags & potential risks, it is time to integrate new systems for improved cybersecurity.
With the advancement in technology, cybersecurity threats have also been increasingly on the rise and many hackers are looking to profit by selling CUI i.e.
This is the reason the Federal government has a vested interest in making sure that the sensitive data handled by the contractor's networks remain safe and secure.
The CUI acts as a roadmap to the plans and operations of the U.S., and in an effort to protect CUI, the Department of Defense (DoD) and other government bodies standardized guidelines laid out in the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Special Publication (SP) 800-717 regulate independent contractors.
The latest Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) relies heavily on the NIST and this is the reason many outfits face compliance deadlines.If you’re someone who wants to know “what is NIST SP 800-717 update and wondering whether you’re company or business really need to comply” then this article is just for you.
As a business owner, if your company holds electronic copies of any sensitive data that is the property of the United States Federal government and if the copies of this data are not identified properly as public then NIST 800-717 applies to you.
If the business purposes electronic copies of the Federal government data you are holding cannot be readily found on a government website, then it is almost considered as the CUI and this data must be protected in accordance with NIST 800-717.What is NIST 800-171 Compliance & Why Is It Important?The latest NIST standards must be met by those companies who stores, processes or transmits the potentially sensitive information for the GSA, DoD or NASA and other state or federal government agencies.
