Steps To Becoming NIST Compliant

A lot has changed in the world of information technology in the last few years. With the emergence of cloud services and mobile devices, organizations have had to adapt to new business methods. Organizations must now comply with new regulations like NIST 800-53. One area that has seen significant change is data security. We’re going to go over the steps to becoming NIST compliant here.

If you’re not already familiar with NIST 800-53, it’s a comprehensive set of security controls that organizations can use to protect their sensitive data. Companies looking to future-proof their infrastructures against an increasingly sophisticated and dangerous cyber threat landscape need to become NIST compliant to prove they’re capable of responsibly handling data with the right policies, practices, and controls.

Steps To Becoming NIST Compliant

Domain Technology Group is uniquely qualified to help your company become NIST compliant. Our experience with compliance and security issues, including providing critical cybersecurity assessment services for the Federal Financial Institute Examination Council (FFIEC), means that we understand the steps necessary to meet the standards set by the National Institute of Standards and Technology.

We also have a proven track record of helping companies implement the controls required for compliance. In addition, our team of experts can also alert you to specific areas where your company may need to make changes to meet the NIST standards. As a result, we are confident that we can help your company successfully navigate the compliance process and achieve its goal of becoming NIST compliant.

What Does Your Company Need to Do?

The fundamental requirements for obtaining NIST certification are straightforward: you need to update your cybersecurity system to meet federal security standards. While NIST 800-53 only requires federal agencies to comply, contractors looking to secure lucrative contracts with governmental departments must prove they can secure their systems to protect mission-critical information and assets. Virtually any company in any sector can become secure if it follows the NIST guidelines. To get there, here are a few steps you can take.

Security and Privacy Control Review

Your first stop is a broad review of your current policies and controls. Determining which ones you want to assess provides a clear-cut order of operations to maintain a smooth, streamlined process.

Control Assessment Selection

Once there, narrow your current array of privacy and security policies and controls to specific procedures. Don’t forget documentation, and prioritize procedures by importance and relevance.

Conduct Procedures

By conducting your chosen procedures, you can assess your current controls’ effectiveness.

Analysis and Documentation

All results and insights gleaned from conducting your procedures need to be documented. This helps identify what works properly and where potential gaps, vulnerabilities, and weaknesses lie in your system.

Remediation Planning

Any vulnerabilities discovered should be fixed as soon as possible. With your list of weaknesses in hand, plan a remediation strategy to address them.

Control Reassessment

Once you’ve completed your analysis, assessment, and remediation, take another pass through your controls to ensure you haven’t missed anything.

Routine Assessment

You should repeat this process periodically, assessing your cybersecurity program to ensure you’re maintaining NIST compliance.

Following these steps to becoming NIST compliant is critical to keeping your systems operating optimally and future-proofing your network against any potential incursion. If you need assistance, you’ll find no better partner than Domain Technology Group. If you’re interested in a partnership, visit our contact page so we can get started.