NIST 800-171: Definition And Compliance Advice

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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