NIST (National Institute of Standards & Technology) is part of the US Department of Commerce. Congress established the agency in 1901 to promote the US economy and public welfare by providing technical leadership for the nation’s measurement and standards infrastructure.
NIST 800-171 was created in 2015 and it specifically covers the protection of “Controlled Unclassified Information” (CUI).
Controlled Unclassified Information is defined as information created by the government that is unclassified, but needs safeguarding. CUI is information that is sensitive and relevant to the interests of the United States, but not strictly regulated by the US government.
Defines the standards and guidelines for federal agencies to architect and manage their information security systems. It was established to provide guidance for the protection of agency's and citizen's private data.
Following the testing guidance from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), an assessment will be conducted to determine your company’s compliance with NIST 800-171.