2008.02.01 - IMPROVING FISMA EFFECTIVENESS AND EFFICIENCY THROUGH THE SECURITY CONTENT AUTOMATION PROGRAM (SCAP) PAPER PUBLISHED

Bethesda, MD, USA – Argosy Omnimedia, Inc. announced the publication of a white paper in cooperation with the American Council for Technology (ACT)/ Industry Advisory Council’s (IAC).  The Security and Privacy Committee of the IAC's Information Security & Privacy (IS&P) Shared Interest Group (SIG) today announced the release of its white paper entitled, Improving FISMA Effectiveness and Efficiency through the Security Content Automation Program (SCAP).

This paper addresses the challenges facing every federal agency given the cost and complexity of achieving the Federal Information Security Management Act (FISMA) security readiness and maintaining this readiness 24/7/365. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), in cooperation with several federally funded research and development centers (FFRDCs) are defining the standards and interfaces for encoding information security information necessary to achieve, maintain and operationalize a high-level of information system security (ISS) readiness. The Committee’s paper not only provides a roadmap to these standards, but also provides examples of how to connect infosec testing tools together to further automate network device testing as well as provide constant, comprehensive monitoring and management of security readiness.

Security & Privacy Committee Chairperson, Rob Montgomery further emphasizes, “Attaining a high-level of security readiness requires round-the-clock vigilance. The ability to integrate ‘best-in-class’ security testing tools and techniques is now possible due to the outstanding work of the NIST SCAP initiative. The purpose of this paper is to increase awareness of how these standards can be applied to the automation of security testing, monitoring, and response. To that end, we will , we will be conducting several webinars throughout the year as the standards and innovative uses of these tools are realized.
 

About the American Council for Technology and the Industry Advisory Council

The American Council for Technology (ACT) is a non-profit educational organization established in 1979 to assist government in acquiring and using information technology resources effectively and efficiently. Working with all levels of government, ACT provides education, programming, and networking opportunities that enhance and advance the government IT profession. In 1989 ACT established the Industry Advisory Council (IAC) to bring industry and government executives together to exchange information, support professional development, improve communications, and build partnership and trust, thereby enhancing government’s ability to serve the nation. ACT and IAC work together to provide an objective, professional and ethical forum where government and industry leaders can collaborate on addressing common issues towards a shared vision. For more information, visit www.actgov.org or call (703) 208-4800.

For more information, contact:

Rob Montgomery
6701 Democracy Blvd., Suite 300

Bethesda, MD 20817

301.816.9373(O)
240.597.0834 (F)
rob.montgomery@argoc.com