Become a Collaborator on the Responding to and Recovering from a Cyber Attack

 The National Cybersecurity Center of Excellence (NCCoE) has issued a Federal Register Notice inviting industry participants and other interested collaborators to participate in the Responding to and Recovering from a Cyber Attack: Cybersecurity for the Manufacturing Sector project. In conjunction with the Federal Register Notice, the NCCoE has published the Final Responding to and Recovering from a Cyber Attack: Cybersecurity for the Manufacturing Sector Project Description, Revision 1.

Industrial control systems (ICS) and devices that run manufacturing environments play a critical role in the supply chain. These same systems face an increasing number of cyber attacks that present a threat to safety, production, and economic impact to a manufacturing organization. This project will demonstrate an approach for responding to and recovering from a cyber attack on ICS within the manufacturing sector.

Join Us

There are two ways to join the NCCoE for this project:

• Become an NCCoE Collaborator – Collaborators are members of the project team who work alongside the NCCoE staff to build the demonstration by contributing products, services, and technical expertise. Collaborators are expected to participate in regularly scheduled conference calls and to help build and document the demonstration.

• Get Started Today – If you are interested in becoming an NCCoE collaborator for the Responding to and Recovering from a Cyber Attack: Cybersecurity for the Manufacturing Sector project, first review the requirements identified in the Federal Register Notice. If you wish to become a collaborator, you can find the final project description and the form to request a Letter of Interest (LOI) template on the project page. Once you have filled out the request form on the project page, you will be provided a link to download the project’s LOI template. The completed LOI should be sent to the NCCoE Manufacturing team at manufacturing_nccoe@nist.gov. Completed submissions are considered on a first-come, first-served basis within each category of components or characteristics listed in the Federal Register Notice, up to the number of participants in each category necessary to carry out the project build. 

• Collaborator Selection – The NCCoE Manufacturing team will review all submissions and may follow up with respondents with questions or to discuss your capabilities. The NCCoE Manufacturing team will notify each selected collaborator via email and begin the process to establish a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) to formalize your collaboration with the NCCoE. Once the CRADA has been established, the selected collaborators can begin working with the NCCoE to draft white papers, playbooks, and demonstrable proof-of-concept implementations.
• If you submit a Letter of Interest and are not selected, the project team will notify you via email. We encourage those who are not selected to be collaborators to stay engaged via our Community of Interest and to bring your expertise when project deliverables are posted as drafts for public comment and during any public meetings held for this project.
• Join our Community of Interest – By joining the NCCoE Manufacturing Community of Interest (COI), you will receive project updates and the opportunity to share your expertise to help guide this project. Request to join our COI by visiting our project page.

If you have any questions, please contact our project team at manufacturing_nccoe@nist.gov.

Project Page

These free and in-depth virtual training events

 NEW Virtual Training Day: Secure Access and Management

The new Secure Access and Management Virtual Training Day replaces the Zero Trust Virtual Training Day and features new, extended content on the topic. It explores how using identity as a security perimeter protects data. After attending, participants will be able to:

• Explain what Zero Trust is, and how Microsoft uses identity as the foundation of Zero Trust.
• Configure Conditional Access to allow for granular access and monitoring of Azure resource usage.
• Use Defender for Cloud Apps and Identity Governance to protect cloud and on-premises solutions and data.

 

The Secure Access and Management Virtual Training Day is available now. Register for this new course on the Microsoft Security Virtual Training Days home page.

Great resource for transitioning service members and veterans

Microsoft Software and Systems Academy (MSSA) provides transitioning service members and veterans with critical technical and career skills required for today’s growing technology industry.

Torqued to address the unique needs of the military community

Microsoft Software and Systems Academy (MSSA) is a full-time, 17-week technical training program leading to in-demand careers in cloud development, cloud administration, and related fields. Our proven training model incorporates live instruction, hands-on virtual labs, real-life application scenarios, and opportunities to obtain industry-recognized certifications to prepare our participants for rewarding tech jobs in any industry

To learn more, go here

Withdrawal of NIST Special Publication 800-107 Revision 1

 In August 2021, NIST’s Crypto Publication Review Board initiated a process to review NIST Special Publication (SP) 800-107 Revision 1, Recommendation for Applications Using Approved Hash Algorithms. SP 800-107 Rev. 1 discusses the security strengths of hash functions and provides recommendations on digital signatures, HMAC, hash-based key derivation functions, random number generation, and the truncation of hash functions. See the initial public comments received by NIST. 

On June 8, 2022, NIST proposed the withdrawal of SP 800-107 Rev. 1 and called for comments on that decision proposal. See the decision proposal comments received by NIST. 

After considering the received comments, NIST is planning to withdraw SP 800-107 Rev. 1. Since the publication of SP 800-107 Rev. 1 in 2012, NIST has published (or revised) multiple recommendations that cover hash functions in different applications in more detail (e.g., SP 800-90A/B/C, SP 800-56A/B/C, SP 800-131A, SP 800-133, SP 800-135). In order to keep specific use requirements for a primitive in their most relevant publications—and avoid duplicating them in a separate publication—NIST has decided to withdraw SP 800-107 Rev. 1. 

NIST has moved the supplementary material currently in SP 800-107 Rev. 1 to NIST’s hash functions webpage. Next, NIST will move the requirements listed in SP 800-107 Rev.1 that are not currently addressed in other standards to a new Implementation Guidance (IG) developed by the Cryptographic Module Validation Program (CMVP). These requirements will again be considered when hash-function-related standards are revised. Once the new IG has been published, NIST will withdraw SP 800-107 Rev. 1. 

Information about the review process is available at NIST's Crypto Publication Review Project. 

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NIST and AIM Photonics Team Up on High Frequency Optical/Electronic Chips

 The U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has entered into a cooperative research and development agreement with AIM Photonics that will give chip developers a critical new tool for designing faster chips that use both optical and electrical signals to transmit information. Called integrated photonic circuits, these chips are key components in fiber-optic networks and high-performance computing facilities and are used in laser-guided missiles, medical sensors and other advanced technologies.

AIM Photonics, a Manufacturing USA institute, is a public-private partnership that accelerates the commercialization of new technologies for manufacturing photonic chips. The New York-based institute provides small and medium-sized businesses and academic and government researchers access to expertise and fabrication facilities during all phases of the photonics development cycle, from design to fabrication and packaging.

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Wi-Fi Could Help Identify When You’re Struggling to Breathe

 Wi-Fi routers continuously broadcast radio frequencies that your phones, tablets and computers pick up and use to get you online. As the invisible frequencies travel, they bounce off or pass through everything around them — the walls, the furniture, and even you. Your movements, even breathing, slightly alter the signal’s path from the router to your device.

Those interactions don’t interrupt your internet connection, but they could signal when someone is in trouble. NIST has developed a deep learning algorithm, called BreatheSmart, that can analyze those minuscule changes to help determine whether someone in the room is struggling to breathe. And it can do so with already available Wi-Fi routers and devices. This work was recently published in IEEE Access.

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Webinar: Introduction to the National Cybersecurity Center of Excellence (NCCoE)

Date: January 25, 2023

Time: 3:00 p.m.-3:45 p.m. ET

Event Description:

Part of National Institute of Standards and Technology’s (NIST) Applied Cybersecurity Division, the NCCoE is a collaborative hub where industry, government, and academia work together to address businesses’ most pressing cybersecurity challenges for specific industries as well as for broad, cross-sector technology areas.

What makes the NCCoE unique is the hands-on nature of our work and our close association with industry and the cybersecurity technology community. This public-private partnership enables the creation of modular and adaptable example cybersecurity demonstrations that show practitioners how to apply standards and best practices using commercially available technologies.

Join us on January 25, 2023 to kick off our 2023 NCCoE Learning Series with an overview of the NCCoE. We’ll take some time to outline who we are, what we do, and why it matters. Learn about our applied cybersecurity mission, how we deliver value to industry, and ways you can get involved.

Agenda:

• 3:00-3:30: Overview of the NCCoE
• 3:30-3:45: Audience Q&A

Speaker:

• Bill Newhouse, Cybersecurity Engineer, NIST National Cybersecurity Center of Excellence

Register Here

 

The Fine Art of SaaS Security

 Great article that I helped contribute to, in ChannelPro magazine.

The article talks about the risk or Software as a Service. You a read the article here

Announcement of Proposal to Update FIPS 197, The Advanced Encryption Standard

 As a part of the periodic review of NIST’s cryptographic standards and guidelines, NIST's Crypto Publication Review Board ("Review Board") announced the review of Federal Information Processing Standards Publication (FIPS) 197, The Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) in May 2021.  

NIST proposes to update FIPS 197. An update of a publication is appropriate when it only requires changes to correct errors or clarify its interpretation, and no changes are made to technical content. Proposed changes to FIPS 197 are summarized in the full announcement. 

A public comment period for the draft FIPS 197 update is open through February 13, 2023. Public comments on the decision to update the FIPS, or on the draft update itself, may be submitted to cryptopubreviewboard@nist.gov, with “Comments on Draft FIPS 197 Update” in the subject line. Comments received in response to this request will be posted on the Crypto Publication Review Project site after the due date. Submitters’ names and affiliations (when provided) will be included, while contact information will be removed. See the project site for additional information about the review process. 

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Please Submit Comments on NIST’s Draft Revision 4 of SP 800-63, Digital Identity Guidelines

 

The rapid proliferation of online services over the past few years has heightened the need for reliable, equitable, secure, and privacy-protective digital identity solutions. Revision 4 of NIST’s Special Publication 800-63, Digital Identity Guidelines, intends to respond to the changing digital landscape that has emerged since the last major revision of this suite was published in 2017—including the real-world implications of online risks. The guidelines present the process and technical requirements for meeting digital identity management assurance levels for identity proofing, authentication, and federation, including requirements for security and privacy as well as considerations for fostering equity and the usability of digital identity solutions and technology.

Taking into account feedback provided in response to our June 2020 Pre-Draft Call for Comments, as well as research conducted into real-world implementations of the guidelines, market innovations, and the current threat environment, this draft seeks to: advance equity, emphasize optionality and choice for consumers, deter fraud and advanced threats, improve privacy, and address implementation lessons learned.

Please submit your comments via email (dig-comments@nist.gov) by 11:59 PM ET on Friday, March 24, 2023. The Note to Reviewers section highlights the specific topics NIST is hoping for feedback on; please note that NIST will review all comments and make them available on the NIST Identity and Access Management Resource Center (NIST IAM).

NIST will host a virtual event, Digital Identity Guidelines – Kicking off Revision 4!, on January 12, 2023 at 1:00 PM ET. We will provide an overview of the draft, highlight key areas where input is needed from the community, and share information on how to get involved. REGISTER NOW!

 

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NIST Retires SHA-1 Cryptographic Algorithm

 

The SHA-1 algorithm, one of the first widely used methods of protecting electronic information, has reached the end of its useful life, according to security experts at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). The agency is now recommending that IT professionals replace SHA-1, in the limited situations where it is still used, with newer algorithms that are more secure.

SHA-1, whose initials stand for “secure hash algorithm,” has been in use since 1995 as part of the Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) 180-1. It is a slightly modified version of SHA, the first hash function the federal government standardized for widespread use in 1993. As today’s increasingly powerful computers are able to attack the algorithm, NIST is announcing that SHA-1 should be phased out by Dec. 31, 2030, in favor of the more secure SHA-2 and SHA-3 groups of algorithms

 

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NIST Transitioning Away from SHA-1 for All Applications

 NIST is introducing a plan to transition away from the current limited use of the Secure Hash Algorithm 1 (SHA-1) hash function. Other approved hash functions are already available. The transition will be completed by December 31, 2030, and NIST will engage with stakeholders throughout the transition process. See the full announcement for more details.

Before December 31, 2030, NIST plans to:

• Publish Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) 180-5 (a revision of FIPS 180) to remove the SHA-1 specification,
• Revise NIST Special Publication (SP) 800-131A and other affected NIST publications to reflect the planned withdrawal of SHA-1, and
• Create and publish a transition strategy for the Cryptographic Module Validation Program (CMVP) and the Cryptographic Algorithm Validation Program (CAVP).

Throughout this process, NIST will actively engage with government agencies, validation testing laboratories, vendors, Standards Developing Organizations, sector/industry organizations, users, and other stakeholders to minimize potential impacts and facilitate a smooth transition.

NIST encourages these entities to begin planning for this transition now. By completing their transition before December 31, 2030, stakeholders – particularly cryptographic module vendors – can help minimize potential delays in the validation process.

Contact

Send questions about the transition in an email to sha-1-transition@nist.gov. Visit the Policy on Hash Functions page on CSRC to learn more.

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NIST SP 1800-34, Validating the Integrity of Computing Devices (Supply Chain)

 The National Cybersecurity Center of Excellence (NCCoE) has published the final version of NIST SP 1800-34, Validating the Integrity of Computing Devices.

What Is This Guide About?

Technologies today rely on complex, globally distributed and interconnected supply chain ecosystems to provide reusable solutions. Organizations are increasingly at risk of cyber supply chain compromise, whether intentional or unintentional. Managing cyber supply chain risks requires, in part, ensuring the integrity, quality, and resilience of the supply chain and its products and services. This project demonstrates how organizations can verify that the internal components of their computing devices are genuine and have not been altered during the manufacturing or distribution processes.

Let Us Know What You Think!

Questions? Email us at supplychain-nccoe@nist.gov with your feedback and let us know if you would like to join the Supply Chain Assurance community of interest. We recognize that technical solutions alone will not fully enable the benefits of our solution, so we encourage organizations to share lessons learned and best practices for transforming the process associated with implementing this guide.

What's Next

We will be hosting a community of interest webinar in February to discuss the final practice guide and share other exciting activities. The date and time will be announced later and we will send out another email to inform our community of interest.

Project Page

Free Training Azure webinar series Flexibility and Performance on Azure for SQL Server Data

 

Join this webinar to learn how new features in Azure SQL Managed Instance provide even more flexibility to modernize your data platform on your terms – and help you save money in the process.   Understand when SQL Managed Instance is the right destination for your on-premises SQL Server data, and the price-performance benefits of modernization.   Experience product demos showcasing data virtualization, hybrid flexibility with the link feature and more.   Hear about exciting new offers that reduce your total cost of ownership on Azure SQL.   Learn about the available tools, programs, and support to help you get to the cloud from wherever you are in the journey.   SQL Managed Instance has continued to evolve as a service since its general availability, based upon feedback we receive from our customers. If you’ve considering modernizing your SQL Server workloads to fully managed database services in the cloud but hesitated in the past, now is the time to move to Azure SQL Managed Instance.

Azure webinar series Flexibility and Performance on Azure for SQL Server Data Thursday, December 8, 2022 10:00 AM–11:00 AM Pacific Time Register here

Free Microsoft Azure Virtual Training Days

 Here is a site to help you expand your expertise, learn new skills. This site has training for IT, Devs., and business folks

There lots of content here for you. Go here

NCCoE Releases Preliminary Draft Practice Guide for Trusted IoT Onboarding and Lifecycle Management

 The National Cybersecurity Center of Excellence (NCCoE) has released the preliminary draft of NIST Special Publication (SP) 1800-36A: Executive Summary, Trusted Internet of Things (IoT) Device Network-Layer Onboarding and Lifecycle Management. The public comment period for the draft is open until February 3, 2023.

About the Project

Provisioning network credentials to IoT devices in an untrusted manner leaves networks vulnerable to having unauthorized IoT devices connect to them. It also leaves IoT devices vulnerable to being taken over by unauthorized networks. Instead, trusted, scalable, and automatic mechanisms are needed to safely manage IoT devices throughout their lifecycles, beginning with secure ways to provision devices with their network credentials—a process known as trusted network-layer onboarding. Trusted network-layer onboarding, in combination with additional device security capabilities such as device attestation, application-layer onboarding, secure lifecycle management, and device intent enforcement could improve the security of networks and IoT devices.

This draft practice guide aims to demonstrate how organizations can protect both their IoT devices and their networks. The NCCoE is collaborating with product and service providers to produce example implementations of trusted network-layer onboarding and capabilities that improve device and network security throughout the IoT-device lifecycle to achieve this.

Submit Your Comments

The public comment period for the draft is open now until February 3, 2023. See the publication details for a copy of the draft publication and comment instructions.

Comment Now

NIST: Industrial Advisory Committee Meeting Thursday, Dec. 8, 2022

Industrial Advisory Committee Meeting Thursday, Dec. 8, 2022 The Industrial Advisory Committee will hold an open meeting in-person and via web conference on Thursday, Dec. 8, 2022, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Eastern Time. The primary purposes of this meeting are to update the committee on the progress of the Creating Helpful Incentives to Produce Semiconductors (CHIPS) Research & Development (R&D) Programs, receive updates from the committee working groups, and allow the committee to deliberate and discuss the progress that has been made. The final agenda will be posted on the committee page on the NIST website. The meeting will be held in person and via web conference, from the Grand Hyatt Washington Hotel, located at 1000 H St. NW, Washington, D.C.  We have reached capacity for our in-person registration. However, we have a registration option available to view virtually. To view the virtual event, please submit your full name, the organization you represent (if applicable), e-mail address, and phone number via https://events.nist.gov/profile/18507. You may contact Tamiko Ford at Tamiko.Ford@nist.gov for more information. The Industrial Advisory Committee is currently composed of 24 members, appointed by the Secretary of Commerce, to provide advice to the United States Government on matters relating to microelectronics research, development, manufacturing, and policy. Register Now

Overview of Microsoft Entra Permissions Management

 Do you want to understand how you can manage multi-cloud environments with ease, then don’t miss this stream, “Overview of Entra Permissions Management.” https://lnkd.in/gAvuwYBU 

Microsoft has a bunch of content around Entra Permission Management

here are some links

Kick-Off Blog: https://425.show/epm-blog

Microsoft Entra Permissions Management: Walk Through Demo: https://425.show/epm-click-thru

Microsoft Entra Permissions Management: Documentation: https://425.show/epm-docs