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NIST’s Expanding International Engagement on Cybersecurity

By: Amy Mahn
Celebrating 50 years of Cybersecurity at NIST

In providing a foundation for cybersecurity advancements over the years, NIST has taken the global context into account when determining priorities and approaches. Our participation in Standards Developing Organizations (SDOs) has expanded steadily, and we encourage international participation in the development of our own programs and resources. As we celebrate the 50th anniversary of cybersecurity at NIST, it is more important than ever that we work with our partners around the world.

NIST’s growing impact on the international stage is reflected in the many translations of our signature resources, including the Cybersecurity Framework (CSF), the Privacy Framework, and the Workforce Framework for Cybersecurity (NICE Framework). Our outreach on cybersecurity and privacy resources continues to play a key role in ensuring international alignment on these resources. Recent engagement includes participation at the RSA Conference (RSAC) in San Francisco, Israel Cyber Week in Tel Aviv, International Cybersecurity Challenge (ICC) in Athens, Greece, and events with Brazil.

  • At RSAC, NIST had the opportunity to engage with government and industry partners from around the world.  We shared information on a number of different topics, including the CSF update, the Privacy Framework, IoT cybersecurity, zero trust architecture, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and many other topics. We also:
    • participated in the International Cybersecurity Forum, where we shared information about the CSF update and recently released summary of analysis, as well as invited engagement and participation from international stakeholders in this process; 
    • shared information about the Cybersecurity Framework Profile on Ransomware Risk Management, which is available in Spanish and Portuguese;
    • hosted a Birds of a Feather session on the CSF update process that touched on many of the themes in the summary of analysis of the initial request for information, including the importance of international engagement and alignment with international standards; and   
    • shared information about the CSF update in an event hosted by the Coalition to Reduce Cyber Risk (CR2) who spoke about their recently launched cybersecurity pledge
  • At  Israel Cyber Week, we had conversations with several international stakeholders and provided insight on the CSF update during a session on Bridging International Approaches to Cyber Risk Management. Speakers from NIST and the Coalition to Reduce Cyber Risk (CR2) discussed the importance of a common approach, how the CSF has served as a bridge between approaches, the CSF update process, and CR2’s recent initiatives.  
  • At the International Cybersecurity Challenge (ICC), NIST’s National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education (NICE) accompanied the first-ever US Cyber Team to Athens, Greece. Leading up to the challenge, NICE, in cooperation with Katzcy, led a year and a half long effort called the US Cyber Games to bring together elite cybersecurity athletes, coaches, and industry leaders to help scout, select, and train the US Cyber Team. The Team competed against seven groups from over 50 counties and left Athens securing third place in the overall competition. Season two of the US Cyber Games has already begun, and we’re looking forward to hosting the next ICC in the U.S. See the Summer 2022 NICE eNewsletter for more details about this event.
  • At two recent events with Brazil, we discussed cybersecurity approaches and resources.  We shared perspectives on these topics with visitors from Brazil at an Information Technology Industry Council (ITI) event on “Cybersecurity in Brazil: Opportunities and Challenges for a Digital Society.” We also participated virtually in a U.S. – Brazil Cybersecurity and Trade Workshop at the invitation of the International Trade Administration (ITA) that focused on governmental policies and competencies on cybersecurity.

We continue to welcome international visitors to NIST, including recent delegations from Italy and Australia to discuss a number of cybersecurity topics. These conversations offer us an opportunity to learn from our partners and benefit from them on initiatives like the CSF update process.  NIST will continue these conversations on the CSF update with stakeholders in an virtual workshop on August 17, which will include a panel on international alignment.

Finally, we continue to add to the growing collection of translations that can be found on our International Cybersecurity and Privacy Resources page. Recent additions include:

As we look ahead to building on our foundation for cybersecurity advancement, working with our international partners will remain an important component of our efforts. We look forward to ongoing engagement and fruitful partnerships around the globe.

For questions or to discuss opportunities for international engagement, reach out to us at intl-cyber-privacy [at] nist.gov (intl-cyber-privacy[at]nist[dot]gov).

About the author

Amy Mahn

Amy Mahn is an international policy specialist in the NIST Applied Cybersecurity Division.  Amy’s primary focus in this role is support of the international aspects and alignment of the Framework for Improving Critical Infrastructure Cybersecurity. Amy previously worked eleven years at the Department of Homeland Security in various roles, including international policy coordination in cybersecurity and critical infrastructure protection within the National Protection and Programs Directorate and the Office of Cyber, Infrastructure and Resilience Policy.

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