National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is a non-regulatory government agency in the United States of America. Headquartered in Gaithersburg, Maryland, it is part of the United States Department of Commerce. Established in 1901 as the National Bureau of Standards, it was renamed to the National Institute of Standards and Technology in 1988. The primary purpose is the promotion of technological innovation and industrial competitiveness.
NIST is responsible for developing technology standards and metrics for use in industry as well as advancing measurement science. NIST works across multiple industries to promote innovation and American competitiveness by helping manufacturers and other businesses improve the efficiency of product and service development, demonstrate improvement, and reduce cost. This includes the development of a variety of standards, including computer and internet standards, as well as cybersecurity standards.
NIST also provides technical assistance and information to the general public as well as to government and private industry for the development of products and services that adhere to the standards set forth by NIST. This includes providing information about the latest developments in science, technology, and technology assessment. Additionally, NIST maintains a public database of information for research and educational purposes called the NIST Digital Library of Computer Science.
NIST also hosts an annual cybersecurity research symposium and publishes the NIST Cyberspace Security Technical Reference Guide, which provides details on many of the technologies and measures used to secure computer networks.
