The National Institute of Standards and Technology has released an initial preliminary draft of Special Publication 800-82 Revision 4, launching a public comment period as part of its effort to update federal guidance on operational technology, or OT, cybersecurity.
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Why Is NIST Revising Special Publication 800-82?
The agency intends to update Special Publication 800-82, or the Guide to Operational Technology (OT) Security, to reflect lessons learned, ensure consistency with related NIST guidance and account for the evolving OT cybersecurity threat environment, NIST said Thursday. Comments on the planned revision are due Feb. 23.
What Changes Is NIST Proposing?
NIST is considering expanded guidance for different OT systems, including building automation, transit and maritime systems. The proposed revision would also introduce updated guidance on the use of emerging technologies in OT environments, such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, behavioral anomaly detection, digital twins, Internet of Things, zero trust architectures, cloud services, edge computing, 5G and advanced wireless technologies.
The agency also plans to update the OT threat landscape to reflect current vulnerabilities, incidents, standards and recommended cybersecurity practices, including recent activities in OT cybersecurity and updates to capabilities, tools and mitigations.
In addition, the proposed update would reorganize several appendices by moving Appendix F, the OT Overlay, into a standalone document and relocating Appendices C, D and E, which address threats, vulnerabilities, incidents, organizations, research, activities and security tools, to web-based resources. NIST is also considering removing outdated or no longer relevant content.
