Government agencies (and their vendors and partners) are increasingly entrusted with sensitive data. Accordingly, protecting critical infrastructure and cybersecurity are both top priorities. The tools they use must come from time-tested and verified protocols to ensure they are secure and not tampered with. In turn, this means that these tools must come from labs that follow the strictest of requirements. 

NVLAP Common Criteria certification serves as a valuable tool for governments to evaluate the security capabilities of IT products and systems before procurement.

Read More

We’ve written extensively about CMMC and NIST Special Publication 800-171, which cover the handling and protection of Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI). But what is CUI? How is it created, and why is it so important to protect?

Here, we’re digging into CUI and why it’s integral to significant cybersecurity frameworks in the federal marketplace. 

Read More

Most security standards, including government standards, require cryptography. We are generally familiar with implementing a cryptographic algorithm that meets these requirements and calling it a day. However, to ensure security, NIST also publishes standards for validating encryption modules to ensure they serve their purpose under federal standards. 

Here, we’re discussing the Cryptographic Algorithm Validation Program and its relationship to closely related standards and programs, such as Federal Information Processing Standards and the National Voluntary Laboratory Accreditation Program. 

Read More