NIST issues authentication draft

NIST Computer Security Resource Center

In a busy publishing season, officials at the National Institute of Standards and Technology released another technical publication on security this week.

The new document, in draft form, advises agencies on setting up electronic security procedures to authenticate users before giving them access to a computer information system.

The new document is NIST Special Publication 800-63, Recommendation for Electronic Authentication. It is a companion document to an earlier publication on the same topic from the Office of Management and Budget. That document is E-Authentication Guidance for Federal Agencies.

NIST is seeking comments by March 15 on the draft version of its document on authentication procedures. Comments may be mailed to eauth-comments@nist.gov.