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What is NIST Compliance?

Picture of Gabriela Silk   Gabriela Silk  ·  7 minute read

When it comes to protecting sensitive data and building more secure systems, NIST offers an arsenal of useful and exacting standards. The government agency has been around for over 50 years and remains at the forefront of standardizing modern technology practices in the US.

Despite its history, however, many businesses are still in the dark about whether NIST is something they should utilize. Keep reading to learn what NIST compliance involves, who it’s relevant to, and the benefits it can offer. For these reasons, businesses outside of the US regularly choose to comply with NIST and employ its risk mitigation strategies.

 

Contents

 

What is NIST Compliance? 

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is a US government body focused on technology, metrics, and standardizing how both are used in the tech and science industries. NIST compliance involves adhering to the guidelines and standards set by the organization, including those related to data protection, cyber security, and risk management.

 

The History of NIST Compliance

In 1901, The National Bureau of Standards was founded with one main purpose: to standardize weights and measurements. The organization also acted as the national physical laboratory for the US and went on to operate weather measurement services and develop instruments for measuring light and electrical units.

What’s important to note about those early days, is that they informed the creation of an organization that both standardized and actively researched important aspects of science and technology. They may have begun by ensuring that a pound weighed the same in every lab, but the organization developed immensely over the years and in 1972 established a computer security program.

Still known as NBS at that point, the organization went on to host some of the first conferences on cybersecurity and data confidentiality, eventually releasing IT security guidelines in 1974. That same year also saw the birth of the Privacy Act which outlined requirements for federal agencies regarding the protection of personally identifiable information (PII).

Cybersecurity may feel like a relatively new issue, but NIST has been dealing with it for so long, they’ve changed names in the process. In 1988, the NBS became NIST and since then has only taken greater strides to standardize IT security.

 

NIST vs ISO vs DFARS vs CMMC

Aimed to promote American innovation and industrial competitiveness through the advancement of scientific measurement standards and technology, NIST differentiates itself from other bodies that issue guidelines, such as ISO (The International Organization for Standardization), which focuses on risk control, and DFARS (The Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement) which focuses on procurement rather than data security. CMMC also differs from NIST, as CMMC (Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification) deals with the Department of Defense (DOD) and other defense-related bodies.

 

Benefits of NIST Compliance

The challenges that organizations encounter when trying to secure their data and IT systems reflects just how extensive the task is. NIST compliance offers a reliable way to address the financial and legal risks involved, while promising a variety of strategic organizational advantages as well.

Mitigate Cybersecurity Risks

Staying ahead of cybersecurity risks requires a robust approach. That’s exactly what NIST provides through standards like the Cybersecurity Framework (CSF). The organization’s standards outline a detailed path forward in identifying and responding to cybersecurity risks, as well as how to implement a system that treats the issue proactively so that vulnerabilities are flagged long before they turn into a problem.

Build a More Trustworthy Reputation

Trust is built through association and action. NIST compliance addresses both areas and helps businesses build stronger data privacy and security reputations. Association with the esteemed organization and the third-party auditing required to achieve compliance in itself makes businesses appear more trustworthy. Simply showing that you’re willing to undergo security checks from an outsider shows a sense of confidence and integrity that is becoming ever more valued in today’s threat landscape.

There’s also the simple fact that NIST compliance forces organizations to act in a manner that invites trust. Business partners and customers are getting better at recognizing when organizations have systems in place to protect their data. Seeing those systems in action builds trust which in turn boosts the overall reputation of a company.

Save on Costs

The global average cost of a data breach reached its highest figure yet in 2024: $4.88 million. The fallout of a failed cyber security system can be financially catastrophic. Not only are there legal fees to contend with, but the possibility of business operations being ground to a halt and financial and reputational consequences ensuing as a result.

NIST compliance allows businesses to eliminate these costs by better preparing them for the risk of cybersecurity threats. The controls and systems that NIST requires businesses to enact undoubtedly require investment, but the returns far outweigh any initial expenses. Furthermore, NIST’s incident response plans are streamlined to prevent excess damage and bring down recovery costs. End to end, NIST compliance is as much a smart financial decision for many as it is a security one.

Boost Resilience

Ultimately, what we’ve discussed in terms of NIST compliance helping to save on costs, improving reputations, and tightening cybersecurity add up to greater resilience. Businesses that embrace the organization’s standards tend to find themselves far better prepared for the realities of cyber threats which in turn, positions them to survive them with greater ease.

Qualify to Work with the US Government

We’ll look at this in greater detail in the next section, but generally, any organization that wants to do work with the US federal government needs to be NIST compliant. NIST’s standards are also recognizable outside of the US and compliance can provide a competitive advantage in both local and international markets.

 

Is NIST Compliance Mandatory?

There are 4 main instances in which NIST compliance is mandatory:

  • US Federal Agencies: Agencies themselves, as well as anyone who works directly with them, must be NIST compliant.

  • Government Contractors: This is most common in highly regulated areas such as healthcare and defense, but even generally, government contractors, consultants, and service providers are expected to be compliant. Government staffing firms also fall under this category.

  • State and Local Governments: Not all require compliance, but many do. It depends on local regulations.

  • Security Clearance: In most scenarios where security clearance is required of a business, NIST compliance will be too.

Entities that aren't required, but should be and would benefit from compliance include:

  • Business that Handle Sensitive Data: Those in the financial, health, or academic sectors handling sensitive data.

 

Three Most Common NIST Frameworks

The NIST frameworks are not just relevant to those operating in the public sector. Many private companies voluntarily comply because of how practical and well-respected the cybersecurity standards are.

Here are the three most common NIST frameworks that businesses adopt:

NIST Cybersecurity Framework (CSF)

The CSF is a set of flexible guidelines aimed at those who are voluntarily seeking NIST compliance outside of mandatory requirements. It is intended to help organizations of all sizes and industries manage their cyber security risks and develop a plan on how to respond if a threat comes their way.

The best way to understand what the CSF is and how it operates is to look at its 5 core components or phases:

  1.  Scope: This aspect is about assessing the state of an organization’s cyber security assets, risks, and context by creating inventories of all related issues.

  2. Protect: With risks, data, and systems that need to be protected inventoried, the next step is safeguarding data and putting security measures in place, often using specific tools, hardware, and software designed to address common security concerns. This can also include using tools such as encryption, access control, and better staff training and awareness.

  3. Detect: Setting an organization up to better detect incidents is the focus of this phase. It requires greater visibility into the systems and devices used by an organization, what baseline activity looks like, and then implementing continuous monitoring tools that will pick up anomalies.

  4. Respond: How a business responds to cybersecurity threats or incidents largely defines the impact. The fourth part of the CSF involves developing proper incident response plans that cover how to react initially both within an organization and toward the public, and how to investigate the cause. Designed to approach a threat from multiple angles, intentional redundancies may also be utilized in an organization’s response mechanism, such as redundant firewalls or antivirus software.

  5. Recover: Most commonly, the largest costs of a breach aren’t the legal fees but the cost of system downtime and business being interrupted as a result. The last phase of CSF is intended to mitigate against this by ensuring that businesses have backup systems and recovery plans in place. These can include recovering data from backups, regaining control of workstations, spinning up parallel devices, and resiliency measures and tools that minimize downtime in the event of an incident. 


NIST 800-171

The federal government has designated certain kinds of information as controlled unclassified information (CUI), essentially as a means of signaling when information needs to be safeguarded or have tighter dissemination rules around it. NIS 800-171 provides guidelines on how to protect CUI in non-federal systems and organizations.

Compliance is mandatory for any organization that processes, stores or transmits CUI on behalf of the US government. This framework is designed to ensure that contractors and service providers handle sensitive information more securely and breaks down everything from access control measures to incident response plans.

NIST 800-53

NIST 800-53 forms part of the Risk Management Framework (RMF) which is essentially the mandatory version of CMF, aimed at federal organizations and anyone who works with one. It deals specifically with protecting sensitive government information by ensuring that the IT and data systems that store and process that information are protected against cyber threats. The controls that support this development of secure and resilient federal information systems are operational, technical, and management standards information systems use to maintain confidentiality, integrity, and availability.

 

What's the Difference between NIST 171 and 53?

Here’s a quick breakdown of how NIST 800-171 differs from NIST 800-53:
  • Who It's For: 53 is for federal agencies and contractors, while 171 is for non-federal organizations that handle CUI for the federal government. The design of each reflects this distinction. 171 is a much simpler set of guidelines, while 53 is quite complex and aimed at federal systems.
  • Scope: 53 is much more comprehensive and covers privacy controls across 20-families, as opposed to the 14 that make up 171.
  • Regulatory Context: 171 is usually something that comes up in government contracts, especially in the defense sector, where compliance with CMMC is required. 53, on the other hand, falls under the Federal Information Security Modernization Act (FISMA).

 

How To Prepare for NIST Compliance

If you’re interested in pursuing NIST compliance, consider the areas below:

Evaluate Your Current State

The current state of your organization’s cybersecurity and data protection systems is the first thing to note. Assess what you have in place in terms of both technology, tools, skills, and organizational adoption.

Identify Your Compliance Goals

What is it you’re seeking to achieve through compliance? If it’s working with the federal defense department, for example, the kind of framework worth pursuing is very different from if you’re a non-federal entity just trying to boost your cybersecurity. Getting clear on your compliance goals will help ensure that you choose the right framework for your organization’s needs.

Create a Plan

Consider where your compliance gaps are and create a plan on how to address them. This may include seeking outside assistance on how to meet NIST’s requirements.

 

Conclusion

NIST compliance is a must for organizations wanting to work with the US federal government, but their frameworks also provide a highly practical cybersecurity and risk mitigation approach that any business can use. If you’re looking to improve your data protection systems and get the reputational boost of third-party verification in the process, NIST compliance is the way to do it.

 

Prescient Security and NIST Compliance

At Prescient Security, we understand just how technically demanding NIST compliance can be, and we’re here to help. We have the expertise and resources ready to not only implement NIST frameworks but also ensure that overall security and compliance are in place. Click here to talk to someone from our team see for yourself just how much we can simplify compliance for you.

 

To talk to one of our experts and learn how you can incorporate NIST into your security strategy, click here.

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