NIST begins overhaul of SP 800-82 to strengthen OT cybersecurity guidance, align with updated NIST frameworks

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The U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has kicked off a revision of SP 800-82 Rev. 4, the Initial Preliminary Draft of its Guide to Operational Technology Security, a key document for OT (operational technology) environments. The move will incorporate lessons learned, align with relevant NIST guidance, such as Cybersecurity Framework (CSF) 2.0, NIST IR 8286 Rev. 1, NIST SP 800-53 Rev. 5.2.0, and OT cybersecurity standards and practices, to better address changes in the OT threat landscape.

With the pre-draft call for comments, the NIST invites the public to suggest improvements to the document’s effectiveness, relevance, and general use, thereby helping the OT community better understand and manage their cybersecurity risk.

The public comment period for the revision of SP 800-82 is open through Feb. 23 this year. Interested stakeholders should submit comments to [email protected] with the subject line ‘Comments on SP 800-82.’

NIST has called on stakeholders to provide input on several proposed changes to the revision of SP 800-82. The agency is considering expanding guidance for different types of OT systems, such as building automation, transit, and maritime systems, and is asking which additional OT systems should be highlighted in the updated guide.

NIST is also proposing to broaden guidance on the application of technologies and capabilities in OT environments, including behavioral anomaly detection, digital twins, the Internet of Things, artificial intelligence, machine learning, zero trust, cloud, 5G and advanced wireless, and edge computing. It is seeking views on which technologies and capabilities should be emphasized in the revised guidance.

The proposed revision would update guidance throughout the document to align with current OT cybersecurity standards and recommended practices. It would also refresh coverage of the OT threat landscape, vulnerabilities, incidents, ongoing activities in OT cybersecurity, and the sections on cybersecurity capabilities, tools, and mitigations. NIST is asking how it can best capture these updates while also providing an ongoing reference to other relevant resources.

NIST is further proposing to move Appendix F, the OT Overlay, into a separate, standalone document. It would also shift Appendix C, which covers threat sources, vulnerabilities, and incidents, Appendix D, which focuses on OT security organizations, research, and activities, and Appendix E, which addresses OT security capabilities and tools, into dynamic web resources. The agency is seeking feedback on whether moving these appendices would improve the document’s readability.

Finally, NIST is considering removing material that is outdated, unnecessary, or no longer applicable. It is asking stakeholders to identify what content should be removed and provide specific rationale for any proposed additions or deletions.

Anna Ribeiro

Industrial Cyber News Editor. Anna Ribeiro is a freelance journalist with over 14 years of experience in the areas of security, data storage, virtualization and IoT.