If your organization does business with the U.S. government or has any plans to contract with government agencies, it’s imperative to have the right cybersecurity controls in place. This includes abiding by the compliance requirements and regulations implemented by the National Institute of Standards and Technologies (NIST).

In this article, we’ll give you a rundown of some of the top NIST 800-171 compliance requirements and how to meet them.

What Is NIST Compliance?

The National Institute of Standards and Technologies (NIST) is a non-regulatory government agency responsible for developing technology, standards, and metrics to propel innovation and economic competitiveness in the science and technology industry.

Among other things, the NIST creates a set of standards and guidelines that direct federal agencies in meeting requirements outlined in the Federal Information Security Management Act (FISMA). These compliance requirements help businesses implement security best practices and controls.

NIST compliance standards are based on industry best practices and provide a framework for federal agencies and programs that require more stringent security measures. By meeting NIST compliance requirements, most organizations are also able to comply with other regulators, like FISMA, HIPAA, and SOX. If you follow NIST compliance requirements, you have a sound security infrastructure in place that will protect you from attacks. However, there’s no guarantee that your data is 100% secure. Consider this your starting point.

Another benefit of NIST compliance is that it gives you access to more business opportunities. For companies that deal with the U.S. government, compliance paves the way for government contracts that would otherwise be impossible to obtain. Even for smaller companies, it provides a safer environment that instantly increases the perceived trustworthiness of the business.

Who Should Comply With NIST?

• Any company that is in business with the U.S government
• Agencies within the U.S. government
• Businesses and/or individuals looking to perform work for the U.S. government

To better prepare for an upcoming NIST 800-171 audit, you’ll want to review the following NIST compliance checklist which consists of these key items:

1. Access Control

Begin our NIST compliance checklist by locking down your organization’s access control points. These include:

• Computers
• Mobile Devices
• Routers
• Servers
• Firewalls

These are the primary locations that are vulnerable to attack from cybercriminals. Make sure that they are properly configured and secured with as much access control as possible to prevent unwanted actors from infiltrating. Strong access control is the first line of defense against cyberattacks, make sure that yours is up to standard.

2. Awareness and Training

82% of data breaches are the result of human error. You can have the best technology and cybersecurity measures in the world, and it won’t make a difference if your team isn’t trained on security best practices. Cybersecurity training isn’t a one-and-done-deal either, it’s a regular process that requires consistent monitoring. While you can teach your employees cybersecurity basics easily enough, cyberattacks get more advanced every day. Between crypto jacking, social engineering, and new types of spear phishing, cyberattacks are becoming dangerously sophisticated. Train your team on security and privacy best practices so they can avoid putting the organization at risk by becoming victims of these new cyberattacks. While training isn’t easy, it’s arguably the most important part of our NIST compliance checklist.

3. Audit and Accountability

Hold your company accountable. Set up cybersecurity standards and then collect and review all your company’s records to see how they stack up. This auditing process is critical to holding your company to a standard. To accomplish this requirement, you’ll need to collect and review all details of your company’s audits and audit processing records. You’re basically keeping a (digital) paper trail of your compliance efforts. Try to make the audit process formal and have specific best practices and plans in place. A casual auditing system is vulnerable to oversights and is a recipe for disaster. Your cybersecurity is serious and should be treated as such. Take control of your security with auditing.

Identification is another huge part of the auditing process. NIST 800-171 states that all processes, devices, and users must be identified and authenticated. Make sure you’re clearly outlining these details, including who has access and who has what level of access to different categories of data. In general, keep all your details as organized as possible.

4. Incident Response Plans

Incident response is another huge part of our NIST compliance checklist. An incident response plan is a precise strategy for what your business will do in the event of an attack or breach. People frequently confuse incident response plans with business continuity plans; however, you really need to have both. Where a business continuity plan is just about how you can get back to normal operations, an incident response plan enables you to resolve damages you took during the attack. Both plans are critical to meeting NIST compliance and keeping your business prepared for cyberattacks.

5. Risk Assessment

Under NIST compliance requirements, you need risk management policies that are preferably categorized by security level. It’s smart to have vulnerability scans in place to identify these risks and a plan to deal with any issues you uncover. You are required to periodically assess your security controls. You must also monitor them and correct deficiencies right away. Make sure you have a security assessment plan to streamline this process.

Third Wave Innovations: Your NIST Compliance Security Consultant

Every endpoint that processes or stores data is a potential target for your organization. If you want your business to be NIST compliant, you need to implement a cybersecurity defense strategy that protects all endpoints.

Consider Third Wave Innovations as your NIST 800 171 compliance consultant. We can provide endpoint visibility throughout your network with a complete security package that takes all your technology and network resources into account. Click here to learn more!