NIST SP 800-53

NIST SP 800-53 Security and Privacy Controls for Information Systems and Organizations

NIST SP 800-53

The NIST SP 800-53 standard "Security and Privacy Controls for Information Systems and Organizations" is part of the SP 800 group of standards, containing over 1300 documents of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), USA. It was developed by computer security and privacy experts at the National Institute of Standards and Technology and is considered the "gold" standard in information security, containing references to many other standards in this field.
NIST SP 800-53 is designed to provide a framework of elements, strategies, systems, and control mechanisms for any organization's cybersecurity needs and priorities. Because it does not cite or require the use of specific tools, mechanisms, or manufacturing brands, it is flexible and up-to-date, regardless of emerging new technologies, systems, or cloud resources.

Who is NIST 800-53 for?
Compliance with this standard is required for any organization that works with federal information systems, in conjunction with U.S. agencies, or with the U.S. government.

NIST SP 800-53 Controls
According to SP 800-53 Rev. 5, controls are "descriptions of security mechanisms appropriate to achieve the specific security and privacy goals of an organization. The controls are selected and applied by the organization in such a way as to satisfy the system requirements."
Control groups contain basic controls and directly related additional controls ('control enhancements'). Additional controls contain more detail and specificity in terms of basic controls. They should be applied in systems and operating environments that require more robust protection.

The controls are systematized in 20 groups, which provide operational, technical and managerial measures to ensure the confidentiality, integrity and security of information systems.

Since SP 800-53 Rev. 5 has 20 control families, it is important to prioritize the organization's efforts based on the areas with the greatest impact on its security and the security of stakeholders. In an environment where many employees work on potentially unauthorized networks and applications, including from their personal devices, five of the control groups are critical to ensure adequate protection: access control, employee awareness and training, configuration management, audits, and monitoring.

Can NIST SP 800-53 improve your organization's security system?
Yes. Although it was originally intended to be used by U.S. federal government agencies, it can help organizations in all industries improve the security of their information systems. NIST SP 800-53 contains a set of security and privacy protection measures for all types of computing platforms, cloud systems, mobile systems, industrial systems, and Internet of Things (IoT) devices.
In many cases, implementing NIST SP 800-53 will help organizations ensure compliance with other regulations pertaining to cyber risks and information security that use NIST as a reference framework.