NIST updates specs for the latest version of SCAP

 

Connecting state and local government leaders

Specifications released for comment by NIST define and explain version 1.1 of the Security Content Automation Protocol for the standardized organization of security-related information.

A revised version of specifications for Version 1.1 of the Security Content Automation Protocol has been released for comment by the National Institute of Standards and Technology.

SCAP comprises specifications for the standard organization and expression of security-related information. NIST’s Special Publication 800-126 Rev. 1, “The Technical Specification for the Security Content Automation Protocol Version 1.1,” provides an overview of the protocol, focusing on how software developers can integrate SCAP technology into their product offerings and interfaces. Major changes from SCAP version 1.0 to 1.1 include the addition of Open Checklist Interactive Language (OCIL) and an upgrade to Open Vulnerability and Assessment Language (OVAL) version 5.6.

“The U.S. federal government, in cooperation with academia and private industry, is adopting SCAP and encourages its use in support of security automation activities and initiatives,” the publication states. “SCAP is achieving widespread adoption by major software and hardware manufacturers and has become a significant component of large information security management and governance programs.”


Related story:

NIST out to ensure security products comply with vulnerability testing language

 


The SCAP protocols support automated vulnerability and patch checking, compliance with required and recommended technical control, and security measurement. The goal of the protocols is to standardize information system security management, promote interoperability of security products, and foster the use of standard expressions of security content.

SCAP v1.1 includes seven specifications: eXtensible Configuration Checklist Description Format (XCCDF), OVAL, OCIL, Common Platform Enumeration (CPE), Common Configuration Enumeration (CCE), Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE), and Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS). These specifications are grouped into three categories:

  • Languages, providing standard vocabularies and conventions for expressing security policy, technical check mechanisms, and assessment results.
  • Enumerations, defining a standard nomenclature and an official dictionary or list of items expressed in that nomenclature.
  • Measurement and scoring systems for the evaluation of specific characteristics of a vulnerability and, based on those characteristics, generating a score that reflects the vulnerability’s severity.

Users or developers of content and tools using SCAP should make sure that their use of the protocol complies with the requirements laid out in NIST recommendations. Use of SCAP should help administrators in complying with existing government guidelines and requirements, including NIST SP 800-53, “Recommended Security Controls for Federal Information Systems and Organizations”; Defense Department Instruction 8500.2; and the Payment Card Industry security framework.

Comments on draft SP 800-126 Rev. 1 should be sent by June 28 to 800-126comments@nist.gov with “Comments SP 800-126” in the subject line.

NIST also is revising its Glossary of Key Information Security Terms (Interagency Report 7298). The document contains more than 200 pages of definitions, from “access” to “zone of control.” The latter is defined as the "three dimensional space surrounding equipment that processes classified and/or sensitive information within which TEMPEST exploitation is not considered practical or where legal authority to identify and remove a potential TEMPEST exploitation exists."

A draft of the revised glossary has been released for comment. The glossary has been extracted from NIST's Federal Information Processing Standards, the Special Publication 800 series of security guidance, NIST Interagency Reports, and from the Committee for National Security Systems Instruction 4009 (CNSSI-4009). The glossary does not include all terms found in the NIST publications, but does contain all of the terms and definitions from CNSSI-4009.

NIST intends to keep the glossary current by providing updates online. New definitions will be added to the glossary and updated versions will be posted to the Computer Security Resource Center Web site.

Comments on the draft should be sent to secglossary@nist.gov by June 30. The source documents for the terms and definitions are considered authoritative. Better definitions for a given term may be suggested, but definitions will not change in the glossary until they have been changed in the source document.

X
This website uses cookies to enhance user experience and to analyze performance and traffic on our website. We also share information about your use of our site with our social media, advertising and analytics partners. Learn More / Do Not Sell My Personal Information
Accept Cookies
X
Cookie Preferences Cookie List

Do Not Sell My Personal Information

When you visit our website, we store cookies on your browser to collect information. The information collected might relate to you, your preferences or your device, and is mostly used to make the site work as you expect it to and to provide a more personalized web experience. However, you can choose not to allow certain types of cookies, which may impact your experience of the site and the services we are able to offer. Click on the different category headings to find out more and change our default settings according to your preference. You cannot opt-out of our First Party Strictly Necessary Cookies as they are deployed in order to ensure the proper functioning of our website (such as prompting the cookie banner and remembering your settings, to log into your account, to redirect you when you log out, etc.). For more information about the First and Third Party Cookies used please follow this link.

Allow All Cookies

Manage Consent Preferences

Strictly Necessary Cookies - Always Active

We do not allow you to opt-out of our certain cookies, as they are necessary to ensure the proper functioning of our website (such as prompting our cookie banner and remembering your privacy choices) and/or to monitor site performance. These cookies are not used in a way that constitutes a “sale” of your data under the CCPA. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not work as intended if you do so. You can usually find these settings in the Options or Preferences menu of your browser. Visit www.allaboutcookies.org to learn more.

Sale of Personal Data, Targeting & Social Media Cookies

Under the California Consumer Privacy Act, you have the right to opt-out of the sale of your personal information to third parties. These cookies collect information for analytics and to personalize your experience with targeted ads. You may exercise your right to opt out of the sale of personal information by using this toggle switch. If you opt out we will not be able to offer you personalised ads and will not hand over your personal information to any third parties. Additionally, you may contact our legal department for further clarification about your rights as a California consumer by using this Exercise My Rights link

If you have enabled privacy controls on your browser (such as a plugin), we have to take that as a valid request to opt-out. Therefore we would not be able to track your activity through the web. This may affect our ability to personalize ads according to your preferences.

Targeting cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.

Social media cookies are set by a range of social media services that we have added to the site to enable you to share our content with your friends and networks. They are capable of tracking your browser across other sites and building up a profile of your interests. This may impact the content and messages you see on other websites you visit. If you do not allow these cookies you may not be able to use or see these sharing tools.

If you want to opt out of all of our lead reports and lists, please submit a privacy request at our Do Not Sell page.

Save Settings
Cookie Preferences Cookie List

Cookie List

A cookie is a small piece of data (text file) that a website – when visited by a user – asks your browser to store on your device in order to remember information about you, such as your language preference or login information. Those cookies are set by us and called first-party cookies. We also use third-party cookies – which are cookies from a domain different than the domain of the website you are visiting – for our advertising and marketing efforts. More specifically, we use cookies and other tracking technologies for the following purposes:

Strictly Necessary Cookies

We do not allow you to opt-out of our certain cookies, as they are necessary to ensure the proper functioning of our website (such as prompting our cookie banner and remembering your privacy choices) and/or to monitor site performance. These cookies are not used in a way that constitutes a “sale” of your data under the CCPA. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not work as intended if you do so. You can usually find these settings in the Options or Preferences menu of your browser. Visit www.allaboutcookies.org to learn more.

Functional Cookies

We do not allow you to opt-out of our certain cookies, as they are necessary to ensure the proper functioning of our website (such as prompting our cookie banner and remembering your privacy choices) and/or to monitor site performance. These cookies are not used in a way that constitutes a “sale” of your data under the CCPA. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not work as intended if you do so. You can usually find these settings in the Options or Preferences menu of your browser. Visit www.allaboutcookies.org to learn more.

Performance Cookies

We do not allow you to opt-out of our certain cookies, as they are necessary to ensure the proper functioning of our website (such as prompting our cookie banner and remembering your privacy choices) and/or to monitor site performance. These cookies are not used in a way that constitutes a “sale” of your data under the CCPA. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not work as intended if you do so. You can usually find these settings in the Options or Preferences menu of your browser. Visit www.allaboutcookies.org to learn more.

Sale of Personal Data

We also use cookies to personalize your experience on our websites, including by determining the most relevant content and advertisements to show you, and to monitor site traffic and performance, so that we may improve our websites and your experience. You may opt out of our use of such cookies (and the associated “sale” of your Personal Information) by using this toggle switch. You will still see some advertising, regardless of your selection. Because we do not track you across different devices, browsers and GEMG properties, your selection will take effect only on this browser, this device and this website.

Social Media Cookies

We also use cookies to personalize your experience on our websites, including by determining the most relevant content and advertisements to show you, and to monitor site traffic and performance, so that we may improve our websites and your experience. You may opt out of our use of such cookies (and the associated “sale” of your Personal Information) by using this toggle switch. You will still see some advertising, regardless of your selection. Because we do not track you across different devices, browsers and GEMG properties, your selection will take effect only on this browser, this device and this website.

Targeting Cookies

We also use cookies to personalize your experience on our websites, including by determining the most relevant content and advertisements to show you, and to monitor site traffic and performance, so that we may improve our websites and your experience. You may opt out of our use of such cookies (and the associated “sale” of your Personal Information) by using this toggle switch. You will still see some advertising, regardless of your selection. Because we do not track you across different devices, browsers and GEMG properties, your selection will take effect only on this browser, this device and this website.