Cyber Security Insights

This post is the final blog in a series on privacy-preserving federated learning . The series is a collaboration between NIST and the UK government’s Responsible Technology Adoption Unit (RTA), previously known as the Centre for Data Ethics and Innovation. Learn more and read all the posts published to date at NIST’s Privacy Engineering Collaboration Space or RTA’s blog . Reflections and Wider Considerations This is the final post in the series that began with reflections and learnings from the first US-UK collaboration working with Privacy Enhancing Technologies (PETs). Since the PETs Prize

As the year comes to a close, NIST continues to engage with our international partners to strengthen cybersecurity, including sharing over ten new international translations in over six languages as resources for our stakeholders around the world. These efforts were complemented by discussions on opportunities for future enhanced international collaboration and resource sharing. Here are some updates from the past few months: Our international engagement continues through our support to the Department of State and the International Trade Administration (ITA) during numerous international

This post is part of a series on privacy-preserving federated learning. The series is a collaboration between NIST and the UK government’s Responsible Technology Adoption Unit (RTA), previously known as the Centre for Data Ethics and Innovation. Learn more and read all the posts published to date at NIST’s Privacy Engineering Collaboration Space or RTA’s blog . Introduction In this post, we talk with Dr. Xiaowei Huang and Dr. Yi Dong (University of Liverpool) and Sikha Pentyala (University of Washington Tacoma), who were winners in the UK-US PETs Prize Challenges . We discuss real-world data

In May 2020, NIST published Foundational Cybersecurity Activities for IoT Device Manufacturers (NIST IR 8259), which describes recommended cybersecurity activities that manufacturers should consider performing before their IoT devices are sold to customers. These foundational cybersecurity activities can help manufacturers lessen the cybersecurity-related efforts needed by customers, which in turn can reduce the prevalence and severity of IoT device compromises and the attacks performed using compromised devices. In the nearly five years since this document was released, it has been published

Cybersecurity is a fast-growing field, with a constant need for skilled professionals. But unlike other professions — like medicine or aviation — there’s no clear-cut pathway to qualifying for cybersecurity positions. For employers and job seekers alike, this can make the journey to building a team (or entering a successful cybersecurity career) feel uncertain. Enter the registered apprenticeship program — a proven method for developing skilled talent in cybersecurity that benefits both the employer and the new professional. Let’s commit to supporting this important talent development approach

If you are interested in the world of digital identities, you have probably heard some of the buzzwords that have been floating around for a few years now… “verifiable credential,” “digital wallet,” “mobile driver’s license” or “mDL.” These terms, among others, all reference a growing ecosystem around what we are calling “verifiable digital credentials.” But what exactly is a verifiable digital credential? Take any physical credential you use in everyday life – your driver’s license, your medical insurance card, a certification or diploma – and turn it into a digital format stored on your

This blog is part of a larger NIST series during the month of October for Cybersecurity Awareness Month , called ‘Staff Stories Spotlight.’ Throughout the month of October this year, Q&A style blogs will be published featuring some of our unique staff members who have interesting backgrounds, stories to tell, and projects in the world of cybersecurity. This year’s Cybersecurity Awareness Month theme is ‘Secure our World.’ How does this theme resonate with you, as someone working in cybersecurity? This theme resonates strongly with me. I am very fortunate to have the role of leading and

This blog is part of a larger NIST series during the month of October for Cybersecurity Awareness Month , called ‘Staff Stories Spotlight.’ Throughout the month of October this year, Q&A style blogs will be published featuring some of our unique staff members who have interesting backgrounds, stories to tell, and projects in the world of cybersecurity. This year’s Cybersecurity Awareness Month theme is ‘Secure our World.’ How does this theme resonate with you, as someone working in cybersecurity? The theme ‘Secure our World’ resonates deeply with me, as it emphasizes our collective

The 16 members of the NIST-managed Internet of Things (IoT) Advisory Board have completed their report on barriers to the U.S. receiving the benefits of IoT adoption, along with their recommendations for overcoming those barriers. As Benson Chan (Chair) and Dan Caprio (Vice Chair) of the IoT Advisory Board state in the report: “The United States is in the early stages of a profound transformation, one that is driven by economic, societal, and cultural innovations brought about by the IoT. These innovations intertwine connectivity and digital innovation with the opportunity to drive a

This blog is part of a larger NIST series during the month of October for Cybersecurity Awareness Month , called ‘Staff Stories Spotlight.’ Throughout the month of October this year, Q&A style blogs will be published featuring some of our unique staff members who have interesting backgrounds, stories to tell, and projects in the world of cybersecurity. This year’s Cybersecurity Awareness Month theme is ‘Secure our World.’ How does this theme resonate with you, as someone working in cybersecurity? Everyone has the power to protect information. Like safety – where everyone’s responsibility is to

This blog is part of a larger NIST series during the month of October for Cybersecurity Awareness Month , called ‘Staff Stories Spotlight.’ Throughout the month of October this year, Q&A style blogs will be published featuring some of our unique staff members who have interesting backgrounds, stories to tell, and projects in the world of cybersecurity. This year’s Cybersecurity Awareness Month theme is ‘Secure our World.’ How does this theme resonate with you, as someone working in cybersecurity? Now more than ever, the use of technology is central to our lives. It is the means by which we are

This blog is part of a larger NIST series during the month of October for Cybersecurity Awareness Month , called ‘Staff Stories Spotlight.’ Throughout the month of October this year, Q&A style blogs will be published featuring some of our unique staff members who have interesting backgrounds, stories to tell, and projects in the world of cybersecurity. This year’s Cybersecurity Awareness Month theme is ‘Secure our World.’ How does this theme resonate with you, as someone working in cybersecurity? The theme ‘Secure our World’ resonates with me because I enjoy researching about cybersecurity

This post is part of a series on privacy-preserving federated learning. The series is a collaboration between NIST and the UK government’s Responsible Technology Adoption Unit (RTA), previously known as the Centre for Data Ethics and Innovation. Learn more and read all the posts published to date at NIST’s Privacy Engineering Collaboration Space or RTA’s blog . Introduction In this post, we talk with Dr. Xiaowei Huang and Dr. Yi Dong (University of Liverpool), Dr. Mat Weldon (UK Office of National Statistics (ONS)), and Sikha Pentyala (University of Washington Tacoma), who were winners in the

This blog is part of a larger NIST series during the month of October for Cybersecurity Awareness Month , called ‘Staff Stories Spotlight.’ Throughout the month of October this year, Q&A style blogs will be published featuring some of our unique staff members who have interesting backgrounds, stories to tell, and projects in the world of cybersecurity. This year’s Cybersecurity Awareness Month theme is ‘Secure our World.’ How does this theme resonate with you, as someone working in cybersecurity? For me, this year’s theme is a reminder of the global nature of NIST’s cybersecurity and privacy

The rapid proliferation of Artificial Intelligence (AI) promises significant value for industry, consumers, and broader society, but as with many technologies, new risks from these advancements in AI must be managed to realize it’s full potential. The NIST AI Risk Management Framework (AI RMF) was developed to manage the benefits and risks to individuals, organizations, and society associated with AI and covers a wide range of risk ranging from safety to lack of transparency and accountability. For those of us at NIST working in cybersecurity, privacy and AI, a key concern is how advancements

Human-centered cybersecurity (also known as ‘usable security’) involves the social, organizational, and technological influences on people’s understanding of and interactions with cybersecurity. By taking a human-centered cybersecurity (HCC) approach, we can both improve people’s cybersecurity experiences and achieve better cybersecurity outcomes, which is so important in today’s digitally interconnected world. At NIST, we understand the value of making connections, listening, and interactivity. We also understand that researchers and practitioners want to hear directly from each other—and

In this post, we talk with Dr. Xiaowei Huang and Dr. Yi Dong (University of Liverpool), Dr. Mat Weldon ( United Kingdom (UK) Office of National Statistics (ONS)), and Dr. Michael Fenton (Trūata) who were winners in the UK-US Privacy-Enhancing Technologies ( PETs) Prize Challenges. We discuss implementation challenges of privacy-preserving federated learning (PPFL) – specifically, the areas of threat modeling and real world deployments. Threat Modeling In research on privacy-preserving federated learning (PPFL), the protections of a PPFL system are usually encoded in a threat model that defines

This post is part of a series on privacy-preserving federated learning. The series is a collaboration between NIST and the UK government’s Responsible Technology Adoption Unit (RTA), previously known as the Centre for Data Ethics and Innovation. Learn more and read all the posts published to date at NIST’s Privacy Engineering Collaboration Space or RTA’s blog . The last two posts in our series covered techniques for input privacy in privacy-preserving federated learning in the context of horizontally and vertically partitioned data. To build a complete privacy-preserving federated learning

The last few months have brought even more opportunities for NIST to engage with our international partners to enhance cybersecurity. Here are some updates on our recent international engagement: Conversations have continued with our partners throughout the world on the recent release of the Cybersecurity Framework Version 2.0 . NIST international engagement continues through our support to the Department of State and the International Trade Administration (ITA) during numerous international dialogues. Most recently, NIST participated in interagency dialogues to share information on NIST

Can you recall the last time you opened a bank account? It’s likely you walked into a local bank branch and spoke to a representative who asked for your driver’s license and social security card to verify your identity. Now imagine you want to create a bank account online. The process is likely similar—type in your social security number, take a picture of your driver’s license, and submit both to the bank via their webpage. Seems straightforward, right? Identity verification is important—it protects us from identity theft and reduces the risk of fraud and unauthorized access for organizations