Federal Information Security Modernization Act (FISMA)

 

The Federal Information Security Modernization Act (FISMA) is a United States federal law that was enacted in 2014 to strengthen information security and risk management practices across the federal government. FISMA builds upon the earlier Federal Information Security Management Act of 2002 and provides a framework for ensuring the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of federal information and information systems.

The key components of FISMA include:

1. Continuous Monitoring: FISMA requires federal agencies to continuously monitor their information systems for vulnerabilities and threats, and to take appropriate corrective action in a timely manner.
2. Risk Management: FISMA requires federal agencies to conduct regular risk assessments to identify and prioritize security risks and to implement appropriate security controls to mitigate those risks.
3. Reporting: FISMA requires federal agencies to report their security posture to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and Congress on an annual basis. The reports must include an evaluation of the agency's security posture, any significant security incidents that occurred during the reporting period and plans for addressing identified security weaknesses.
4. Oversight: FISMA provides for oversight of federal agency information security programs by the OMB, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and the Government Accountability Office (GAO).
5. Standards and Guidelines: FISMA requires federal agencies to comply with information security standards and guidelines developed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).

Overall, FISMA is designed to promote a risk-based approach to information security and to ensure that federal agencies have the necessary resources and authorities to protect their information and information systems. FISMA is intended to improve the overall security posture of the federal government and to reduce the risk of cyber-attacks and other security incidents.

The Federal Information Security Modernization Act (FISMA) requires federal agencies to comply with information security standards and guidelines developed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). Specifically, federal agencies are required to comply with the NIST Special Publication 800-53, which provides a comprehensive set of security controls that can be used to secure federal information and information systems.

NIST SP 800-53 provides a framework for developing, implementing, and maintaining an effective information security program. The framework is based on a risk management approach and includes the following steps:

1. Categorize Information Systems: Federal agencies are required to categorize their information systems based on the security impact of a potential compromise.
2. Select Security Controls: Based on the security categorization, federal agencies are required to select an appropriate set of security controls from the NIST SP 800-53 control catalog.
3. Implement Security Controls: Once the security controls have been selected, federal agencies are required to implement the controls to protect their information and information systems.
4. Assess Security Controls: Federal agencies are required to assess the effectiveness of their security controls on a regular basis to ensure that they are operating as intended.
5. Authorize Information Systems: Once the security controls have been implemented and assessed, federal agencies are required to authorize their information systems to operate.
6. Monitor Security Controls: Federal agencies are required to continuously monitor their information systems to ensure that the security controls remain effective.

By following the NIST SP 800-53 framework, federal agencies can develop a comprehensive and risk-based information security program that is compliant with FISMA. The framework provides a systematic approach to information security that can be tailored to meet the specific needs of each federal agency.