ITL Newsletter November - December 2020

National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) sent this bulletin at 11/03/2020 01:35 PM EST

November - December 2020 Newsletter

The Next Generation Security and Privacy Controls - Protecting the Nation's Critical Assets

It has been seven years since the last major update to NIST’s flagship security and privacy guidance document, Special Publication (SP) 800-53, Security and Privacy Controls for Information Systems and Organizations. Since 2013, the publication has been accessed or downloaded from the NIST website millions of times. This month, NIST unveiled a historic update to its security and privacy controls catalog that will provide a solid foundation for protecting organizations and systems—including the personal privacy of individuals—well into the 21^st century.

NIST SP 800-53, Revision 5 is not just a minor update but rather a complete renovation—addressing both structural issues and technical content. The update represents a multi-year effort to develop the first comprehensive catalog of security and privacy controls that can be used to manage risk for organizations of any sector and size, and all types of systems—from super computers to industrial control systems to Internet of Things (IoT) devices.

CULTIVATING TRUST IN IT AND METROLOGY

FEATURE STORIES

NIST Cybersecurity Expert Donna Dodson Receives Service to America Medal

Donna Dodson, a cybersecurity expert who worked for her entire 33-year career at NIST, has been honored with a Samuel J. Heyman Service to America Medal for her numerous contributions to the field. Since 2002, the Partnership for Public Service has awarded “Sammies” medals to honor outstanding civil servants. One of just 11 winners chosen from a pool of more than 350 nominations, Dodson received her medal in the Safety, Security and International Affairs category. Dodson, who recently retired from NIST, served as the chief cybersecurity adviser for the Information Technology Laboratory. She was also a NIST Fellow, the agency’s highest technical rank.

NIST Celebrated October as Cybersecurity Awareness Month

NIST was proud to celebrate Cybersecurity Awareness Month this October! As this year has been one of the more challenging in memory, it was imperative that we continued to remember the importance of cybersecurity across the nation and ensured that all Americans have the resources they need to be more secure online. To show our dedication to cybersecurity, we teamed up with the National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA) to be a 2020 Champion Organization, which meant we have been dedicated to promoting a safer, more secure, and more trusted Internet.

STAFF SPOTLIGHT

Robert Snelick

ITL, Computer Scientist
Congratulations to Robert Snelick, who has been named a 2020 HL7 Fellow. This honor was bestowed upon Rob for his many contributions to HL7 for over a decade and a half, particularly regarding his leadership and advancement of conformance and testing of HL7 standards – which are the most widely used healthcare standards in the world.

Katie Boeckl

Privacy Risk Strategist
Congratulations to Katie Boeckl, who has been named a FCW (Federal Computer Week) 2020 Rising Star! She has been recognized by FCW as an individual who is early in her IT career but has already had an outsized impact. She was selected for her accomplishments over the past year and for her leadership potential in the IT community.

ITL IN THE NEWS

Maintaining Best Cybersecurity Practices While Working Remotely | Government CIO
Romine Offers Advisory Board an Update on NIST’s Work Across Cybersecurity Domains | Inside Cybersecurity
Soon You Might Not Have To Remove Your Mask To Pass Through Airport Security | Simple Flying
Experts Urge Vigilance Over AI Data Security | The Wall Street Journal
NIST Publishes Guide to Integrating Cyber Security and Enterprise Risk Management | Continuity Central
Is the IoT Cybersecurity Improvement Act Enough? | Nextgov

PUBLICATIONS

LOOKING AHEAD

CONFERENCES & EVENTS

On October 27^thand November 5^th, 9^th, and 16^th, the NICE Conference and Expo 2020 will take place virtually. Instead of the traditional two days back-to-back, this year's conference will be held over four weeks, one day each week, four hours per day. The event is hosted by Florida International University and New America and it is supported by NIST through a financial assistance award.

On November 9^th–14^th, NIST will celebrate National Cybersecurity Career Awareness Week. Register today!

On November 13^th, NIST will host the NIST Vehicle Teleoperation Forum.

On December 7^th–8^th, NIST will host the 6^th Annual NICE K12 Cybersecurity Education Conference.

SUCCESS STORIES

A medical worker administers a COVID-19 nasal swab test to a person in a car.

NIST Innovation Could Improve Detection of COVID-19 Infections

A multidisciplinary research team at NIST has developed a way to increase the sensitivity of the primary test used to detect the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which causes COVID-19. Applying their findings to computerized test equipment could improve our ability to identify people who are infected but do not exhibit symptoms.

NOTABLE QUOTES

“Without closer scrutiny of the information that AI models ingest, companies could be leaving the door open to hackers or criminals to exploit algorithms.”

- Elham Tabassi, ITL, Chief of Staff