What Is the Open Security Controls Assessment Language (OSCAL)?

Dec 21, 2023 Continuum GRC 0 Comment

There’s recently been a push within FedRAMP towards modernizing the framework to meet modern security challenges and better align federal security standards across agencies and technologies.

Part of this push is standardizing how security controls are measured and assessed, and the most recent blog from FedRAMP mentions a new standard–OSCAL.

Here, we will discuss OSCAL, why the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is creating it to address assessments, and how we streamline them.

What Are Digital Signatures and How Do They Work?

Jul 26, 2023 Continuum GRC 0 Comment

In traditional document management, we have several ways to authenticate the legitimacy of information–a signature, a watermark, etc. In digital spaces, we don’t readily have these tools to use. That fact, along with the reality that any piece of information can be copied ad infinitum, made authentication a challenge that security experts needed to solve.

Enter digital signatures or use cryptography to create an artifact to verify the authenticity and integrity of any piece of digital data. Digital signatures provide a way to ensure that the information has not been altered or tampered with during transmission or storage.

NIST and the Industrial Internet of Things

Jun 28, 2023 Continuum GRC 0 Comment

From the comfort of smart homes and the convenience of wearable devices to the intelligent operations of manufacturing systems and the functionality of smart cities, the Internet of Things (IoT) serves as the connective tissue of a digitally unified world. While a hallmark of modern innovation, this proliferation of interconnectivity also introduces a multifaceted set of cybersecurity challenges that necessitate vigilant attention and robust countermeasures.

Leading the charge to secure this interconnected world, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), a global frontrunner in defining standards, has crafted extensive guidelines to mitigate cybersecurity risks. This article will illuminate the pervasive influence of IoT across industrial and manufacturing contexts, focusing on Industrial IoT (or IIoT). Further, it will dissect these crucial NIST documents, translating their intricate technical specifics into understandable insights.