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5.6.2. NIST 800-207A Compliance

Owned by seda peker
Last updated: Oct 04, 2023
2 min read

Refers to compliance with the Zero Trust Architecture (ZTA) framework. NIST 800-207A is a framework that defines the core concepts of ZTA and a set of technical controls that can be used to implement these concepts.

The purpose of NIST 800-207A Compliance is to help organizations reduce cybersecurity risks by adopting ZTA. ZTA is an approach in which every user and every device can access only the resources they need and perform only authorized actions.

NIST 800-207A Compliance was issued by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). NIST 800-207A was published in 2023.

NIST 800-207A Compliance is mandatory for the following organizations:

  • Organizations that contract with the US Federal Government

  • Organizations with critical infrastructure

  • Key data processing organizations

These organizations must develop and implement a plan to meet the requirements of NIST 800-207A.

The benefits of NIST 800-207A Compliance are as follows:

  • Reduces cyber security risks.

  • Protects critical infrastructure and important data.

  • Fulfills legal obligations.

  • Strengthens corporate reputation.

To comply with NIST 800-207A Compliance, organizations must take the following steps:

  1. Review NIST 800-207A and identify the requirements that are important to your organization.

  2. Develop a plan to fulfill these requirements.

  3. Implement the plan and evaluate its effectiveness.

NIST 800-207A Compliance is an important tool to help organizations reduce cybersecurity risks and protect critical infrastructure and important data by adopting ZTA.

The key requirements of NIST 800-207A Compliance are:

  • Risk management: Organizations need to identify, assess, and mitigate cybersecurity risks.

  • Policies and procedures: Organizations need to develop cybersecurity policies and procedures.

  • Technical controls: Organizations need to implement technical controls to mitigate cybersecurity risks.

  • Human resources: Organizations need to invest in human resources to increase cybersecurity awareness.

  • Continuous improvement: Organizations need to continuously improve to reduce cybersecurity risks.

NIST 800-207A Compliance also provides a variety of tools and resources to help organizations reduce cybersecurity risks by adopting the ZTA. These tools and resources include NIST 800-207A guidelines, training materials, and audit services.

NIST 800-207A Compliance differs from other cybersecurity frameworks in that it defines the core concepts of ZTA and a set of technical controls that can be used to implement these concepts. ZTA is a different approach than traditional security approaches and therefore a specialized framework is required to comply with ZTA.

 

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