The article discusses NIST’s role in advancing cybersecurity through research, standards development, and collaboration with government agencies, industry, and academia. As the Director of the Information Technology Laboratory at NIST, Cita M. Furlani outlines how NIST supports national cybersecurity efforts by creating standards, guidelines, and technologies that protect information systems from threats to confidentiality, integrity, and availability. NIST works on a wide range of cybersecurity initiatives, including identity management, secure cryptography for quantum computing, network security, and supply chain risk management.
NIST is also leading efforts in cybersecurity education through the National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education (NICE), aiming to build a secure digital nation by improving cybersecurity awareness and training across all sectors. The agency collaborates with international organizations like ISO, IEEE, and IETF to develop voluntary consensus standards. Additionally, NIST plays a key role in developing frameworks for risk management, such as the Federal Risk Management Framework, which is widely adopted by federal agencies, state governments, and private sector organizations. Looking ahead, NIST plans to expand its focus on cybersecurity challenges in healthcare IT, smart grid systems, and automation of security processes.
Keywords: quantum computing, cryptography, cybersecurity standards
