Lurking in the NIST—Why Federal Contractors May Be Misreading Their Cybersecurity Safeguarding Requirements

If your company sells products or services to the U.S. Government, there’s a substantial likelihood that you’ve read or heard the acronym “NIST” in connection with various cybersecurity related obligations that the Government is imposing on contractors with a seemingly unceasing vengeance. NIST refers to the National Institute of Standards and Technology, which is a nonregulatory agency of the Department of Commerce, and which has the stated mission of promoting “U.S. innovation and industrial competitiveness by advancing measurement science, standards, and technology in ways that enhance economic security and improve our quality of life.”