NIST update to 800-53 with focus on AI risks coming within a year

Typically, tech moves at the speed of money, while standards take the long, slow road to formalization. But new guidance for AI is on the way, according to the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), which has announced that a new control overlay for the Special Publication 800-53 series is coming “over the next six months to a year.”

A report from GovCIO Media & Research says the update will focus on “what the unique risks to AI systems are that cybersecurity can help with.”

The last revision to the Security and Privacy Controls for Information Systems and Organizations (NIST SP 800-53 Rev. 5) was in 2020, and integrated advice on biometrics and digital identity use. At that time, ChatGPT was still two years away.

Since then, AI has entered the tech stack and the lexicon in a big way, with big ambitions, major cybersecurity implications, and a glaring lack of regulatory oversight.

But, work to get standards in line with reality (or what passes for it these days) is ongoing. NIST says a cybersecurity framework profile for AI is also in the works as a longer-term project, beginning with a workshop to discuss the overlay and develop a Cyber AI Profile under the NIST Cybersecurity Framework.

Article Topics

AI  |  cybersecurity  |  NIST  |  NIST Cybersecurity Framework  |  U.S. Government