NIST Role in Cyber Security Could Expand

This was written by Jack Mann on Thursday, November 5, 2009, 13:05.

A bill cleared a House subcommittee yesterday that could alter the role that the National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST) will play in cyber security. The Technology and Innovation Subcommittee of the House Science and Technology Committee approved the bill that would make NIST responsible for coordinating the US government effort in establishing international cyber security standards.

The bill, titled the “Cybersecurity Coordination and Awareness Act,” also looks to target NIST’s role in education, research and development and amending the Cybersecurity Research and Development Act of 2002. NIST would be required to present its plan for coordinating US government approaches to international cyber security standards and solutions within one year of the act being passed.