NIST Helps Federal Agencies Jump into the Cloud

The National Institute for Science and technology announced its next cloud workshop scheduled for April 7-8 in Gaithersburg, MD. Last year NIST convened a series of workshops on cloud computing to develop a roadmap for federal agencies to migrate to the cloud.

Specifically, NIST stated, “Federal CIOs need and want answers to practical operational questions. How does an agency protect its data if it doesn’t physically control the hardware and software used to store, transport and process the data?  Is this an option, or is the current approach, building a private cloud where control is maintained by the agency, the only answer?  What are the rules? How does the agency decide? Industry is confident in its technical depth, and the ability to solve technical problems if requirements and policy are defined.”

As a result, NIST organized several working groups with the task of developing a series of template documents to guide CIOs with the migration to the cloud. CompTIA staff has participated in the working groups and you can access the most current draft of the working documents.