What does NIST mean?

NIST's work serves as a trusted reference and compliance benchmark across US Federal agencies and private industry worldwide. Today, NIST provides free, publicly-available cybersecurity frameworks and guidance, including:

• NIST SP 800-series (e.g., 800-53, Risk Management, 800-171, CUI security)
• NIST Cybersecurity Framework (CSF)
• Digital identity, encryption, incident response and supply chain standards

In cybersecurity, it is common to hear “NIST compliant” or “NIST compliance.” This can refer to several things:

• NIST 800-53
• NIST 800-161 (supply chain risk management)
• NIST 800-171
• NIST Cybersecurity Framework