We depend on information and information technology (IT) to make many of our day-to-day tasks easier and more convenient. Computers play key roles in transportation, health care, banking, and energy. Businesses use IT for payroll and accounting, inventory and sales, and research and development. Modern military forces use weapons that are increasingly coordinated through computer-based networks. Cybersecurity is vital to protecting all of these functions. Cyberspace is vulnerable to a broad spectrum of hackers, criminals, terrorists, and state actors. Working in cyberspace, these malevolent actors can steal money, intellectual property, or classified information; impersonate law-abiding parties for their own purposes; damage important data; or deny the availability of normally accessible services. Cybersecurity issues arise because of three factors taken together - the presence of malevolent actors in cyberspace, societal reliance on IT for many important functions, and the presence of vulnerabilities in IT systems. What steps can policy makers take to protect our government, businesses, and the public from those would take advantage of system vulnerabilities? At the Nexus of Cybersecurity and Public Policy offers a wealth of information on practical measures, technical and nontechnical challenges, and potential policy responses. According to this report, cybersecurity is a never-ending battle; threats will evolve as adversaries adopt new tools and techniques to compromise security. Cybersecurity is therefore an ongoing process that needs to evolve as new threats are identified. At the Nexus of Cybersecurity and Public Policy is a call for action to make cybersecurity a public safety priority. For a number of years, the cybersecurity issue has received increasing public attention; however, most policy focus has been on the short-term costs of improving systems. In its explanation of the fundamentals of cybersecurity and the discussion of potential policy responses, this book will be a resource for policy makers, cybersecurity and IT professionals, and anyone who wants to understand threats to cyberspace.

FISMA and the Risk Management Framework: The New Practice of Federal Cyber Security deals with the Federal Information Security Management Act (FISMA), a law that provides the framework for securing information systems and managing risk associated with information resources in federal government agencies. Comprised of 17 chapters, the book explains the FISMA legislation and its provisions, strengths and limitations, as well as the expectations and obligations of federal agencies subject to FISMA. It also discusses the processes and activities necessary to implement effective information security management following the passage of FISMA, and it describes the National Institute of Standards and Technology's Risk Management Framework. The book looks at how information assurance, risk management, and information systems security is practiced in federal government agencies; the three primary documents that make up the security authorization package: system security plan, security assessment report, and plan of action and milestones; and federal information security-management requirements and initiatives not explicitly covered by FISMA. This book will be helpful to security officers, risk managers, system owners, IT managers, contractors, consultants, service providers, and others involved in securing, managing, or overseeing federal information systems, as well as the mission functions and business processes supported by those systems. - Learn how to build a robust, near real-time risk management system and comply with FISMA - Discover the changes to FISMA compliance and beyond - Gain your systems the authorization they need

Policymakers and program managers are continually seeking ways to improve accountability in achieving an entity's mission. A key factor in improving accountability in achieving an entity's mission is to implement an effective internal control system. An effective internal control system helps an entity adapt to shifting environments, evolving demands, changing risks, and new priorities. As programs change and entities strive to improve operational processes and implement new technology, management continually evaluates its internal control system so that it is effective and updated when necessary. Section 3512 (c) and (d) of Title 31 of the United States Code (commonly known as the Federal Managers' Financial Integrity Act (FMFIA)) requires the Comptroller General to issue standards for internal control in the federal government.

In today's computing environment, there are many threats to the confidentiality of information stored on end user devices, such as personal computers, consumer devices (e.g., personal digital assistant, smart phone), and removable storage media (e.g., universal serial bus [USB] flash drive, memory card, external hard drive, writeable CD or DVD). Some threats are unintentional, such as human error, while others are intentional. Intentional threats are posed by people with many different motivations, including causing mischief and disruption and committing identity theft and other fraud. A common threat against end user devices is device loss or theft. Someone with physical access to a device has many options for attempting to view or copy the information stored on the device. Another concern is insider attacks, such as an employee attempting to access sensitive information stored on another employee's device. Malware, another common threat, can give attackers unauthorized access to a device, transfer information from the device to an attacker's system, and perform other actions that jeopardize the confidentiality of the information on a device.

This glossary provides a central resource of definitions most commonly used in Nat. Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) information security publications and in the Committee for National Security Systems (CNSS) information assurance publications. Each entry in the glossary points to one or more source NIST publications, and/or CNSSI-4009, and/or supplemental sources where appropriate. This is a print on demand edition of an important, hard-to-find publication.