The FISMA Focus IPD

Never before has there been such an intense focus on data security and privacy. With data breaches increasing exponentially and the European Union’s recent implementation of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), data security has been at the forefront of news stories over the past several months, with both businesses and consumers suddenly paying very close attention. With this increased attention has come an understanding that data continues to exist even when it is no longer needed or used. Due to this newfound understanding and GDPR’s “Right to be Forgotten,” the eradication of data has new urgency and has become critical to a successful data security program. But where does the National Security Agency (NSA) come into all of this?

The NSA has had an unprecedented influence on commercial data security legislation and regulations, including the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act (FACTA), the Federal Information Security Modernization Act (FISMA), and even GDPR, as well as the National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST) and the German institute for standardization commonly known as DIN.