Information Technology Security Training Requirements: A Role- and Performance-Based Model - NIST Special Publication 800-16

GuidanceNational Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)Information Security
Risk Management

1.1 Background

Federal agencies and organizations cannot protect the integrity, confidentiality, and availability of information in today's highly networked systems environment without ensuring that each person involved understands their roles and responsibilities and is adequately trained to perform them. The human factor is so critical to success that the Computer Security Act of 1987 (Public Law [P.L.] 100-235) required that, "Each agency shall provide for the mandatory periodic training in computer security awareness and accepted computer practices of all employees who are involved with the management, use, or operation of each Federal computer system within or under the supervision of that agency."

In accordance with P.L. 100-235, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), working with the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM), was charged with developing and issuing guidelines for Federal computer security training. This requirement was satisfied by NIST's issuance of "Computer Security Training Guidelines" (Special Publication [SP] 500¬172) in November 1989. In January 1992, OPM issued a revision to the Federal personnel regulations which made these voluntary guidelines mandatory. This regulation, 5 CFR Part 930, is entitled "Employees Responsible for the Management or Use of Federal Computer Systems" and requires Federal agencies to provide training as set forth in NIST guidelines.

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