"NIST
seeks public comments on Draft NIST Interagency Report (NISTIR) 8074,
which comprises two volumes, "Report on Strategic U.S. Government
Engagement in International Standardization to Achieve U.S. Objectives
for Cybersecurity" (Vol. 1) and "Supplemental Information" (Vol. 2).
"Please send comments to
nistir8074@nist.gov (Subject: “Comments on Draft NISTIR 8074”). The public comment period closes
September 24, 2015. Those responding are encouraged to use the Comments Templates provided below.
Volume 1: Report
Comment Template for Volume 1
Volume 2: Supplemental Information for the Report
Comment Template for Volume 2
Interagency Report Advocates Support for International Cybersecurity Standardization
From NIST Tech Beat: August 11, 2015
"A new draft
report by
an interagency working group lays out objectives and recommendations
for enhancing the U.S. government's coordination and participation in
the development and use of international standards for cybersecurity.
The report recommends the government make greater effort to coordinate
the participation of its employees in international cybersecurity
standards development to promote the cybersecurity and resiliency of
U.S. information and communications systems and supporting
infrastructures. These efforts should include increased training,
collaborating with private industry and working to minimize risks to
privacy.
 |
Credit: Norebbo/Shutterstock
|
"The Cybersecurity Enhancement Act of 2014 directed the National
Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to work with relevant
federal agencies to ensure interagency coordination in "the development
of international technical standards related to information system
security" and to "ensure consultation with appropriate private sector
stakeholders." It also called for NIST to within one year submit a plan
to Congress for ensuring that coordination. The International
Cybersecurity Standards Working Group, led by the Department of Commerce
and NIST, was set up by the National Security Council's Cyber
Interagency Policy Committee to draft this report, which will also serve
as the basis of the required report to Congress. Public comments on the
draft report are due by September 24, 2015.
The draft report outlines four U.S. government strategic objectives
for the development and use of international standards for
cybersecurity:
- Enhancing national and economic security and public safety
- Ensuring standards and assessment tools for the U.S. government are technically sound
- Facilitating international trade
- Promoting innovation and competitiveness
The draft report then lays out eight recommendations for how the
federal government can achieve those objectives, including by ensuring
coordination across the government and collaboration with the private
sector and internationally, and promoting federal agency participation
in international standards development and federal use of international
standards and assessment schemes.
The U.S. standards system
differs significantly from the government-driven, centrally coordinated
systems common in many other countries. Under the U.S. system, hundreds
of standards development organizations (SDOs) provide the infrastructure
for the preparation of standards documents. While these organizations
are overwhelmingly private sector, government personnel participate in
standards development activities along with representatives from
industry, academia, and other organizations and consumers.
A
supplement to the draft report provides a summary of ongoing activities
in critical international cybersecurity standardization and an inventory
of U.S. government and private-sector engagement. It also provides
guidance for agencies to plan and coordinate more effective
participation in these activities.
The working group's draft report supports the 2010
United States Standards Strategy,
which was developed through a public-private partnership and outlines
the contribution of private-sector led standards development to overall
competition and innovation in the U.S. economy and the imperative of
public and private-sector participation and collaboration.
The
full Report on Strategic U.S. Government Engagement in International
Standardization to Achieve U.S. Objectives for Cybersecurity [
NISTIR 8074 Volume 1 (Draft)] and supplement [
NISTIR 8074 Volume 2 (Draft)] can be found on the NIST
website.
