NIST

The U.S. Commerce Department’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is a nonregulatory government agency that creates cybersecurity standards and best practices for government agencies, private contractors and other organizations. The NIST also promotes advances and competition through continuous development, precise testing, innovative technology and trusted resources. 

Contigo Technology has the expertise and experience to help your organization design and implement robust cybersecurity and compliance programs that align with NIST frameworks.

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What Is NIST Compliance for My Business?

The NIST has created different frameworks and Special Publications (SPs) to help organizations across industries protect their data and systems. Achieving NIST compliance for your business promotes best practices for handling and securing data. Complying with NIST standards and frameworks enables your organization to ensure comprehensive cybersecurity.

The NIST Cybersecurity Framework offers guidelines for improving cybersecurity risk. It increases understanding and mitigation of threats so organizations can protect their networks and sensitive data. Designed to be flexible and operate on a voluntary basis, the framework can integrate with existing security processes and enable companies to effectively and efficiently allocate resources for cybersecurity.

The Cybersecurity Framework covers five key functions — identification, protection, detection, response and recovery. This comprehensive approach seeks to improve organizations’ security posture and prevent or minimize the effects of data breaches and gaps in confidentiality due to cybersecurity risks. As a result, the Cybersecurity Framework safeguards sensitive information and bolsters compliant entities’ reputations for maintaining effective security practices.

NIST SP 800-171 is a Special Publication that outlines requirements non-federal organizations must follow when handling, storing or transmitting controlled unclassified information (CUI). These standards enable organizations to safeguard confidential defense-related data and contribute to the resilience of the federal supply chain. Compliance is a contractual obligation for contractors that process and store CUI on their networks.

What Industries Need to Be NIST Compliant?

The primary industries that must be NIST compliant include those essential to national security and economic stability, including:

  • Energy
  • Communications
  • Transportation
  • Banking
  • Defense contractors
  • E-commerce

The NIST Cybersecurity Framework was created to help reduce risks to critical infrastructure, while NIST SP 800-171 compliance targets the security of manufacturers contractually involved with federal or state agencies. Educational and research institutions may also need to be NIST-compliant if they handle federal data.

While these frameworks were designed for government agencies and their contractors, they support various industries. Organizations of all sectors can benefit from cybersecurity improvements when compliant with NIST frameworks.

Our NIST Compliance Services

Contigo is committed to meeting your needs and aligns our IT services with compliance initiatives such as NIST frameworks. Our goal is to provide comprehensive NIST compliance consulting support that keeps your IT network compliant with NIST standards. We’ll help you establish compliance and enable you to protect your organization and resources from security risks.

Our expert team is deeply familiar with NIST frameworks and standards, enabling us to design and implement solutions that help your organization ensure compliance. We offer several NIST compliance services, including:

  • NIST SP 800-171 alignment
  • NIST Cybersecurity Framework alignment
  • Annual risk assessments
  • Vulnerability and penetration testing

Manage NIST Compliance With Contigo

Focus more on your business while the experts at Contigo handle your cybersecurity and compliance needs. Whatever your industry, you can trust our team to understand your requirements and provide comprehensive solutions. Contact us online to learn how we can help your organization with NIST compliance.

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