EVENTS

Dr. Ron Ross Speaks to LMI Staff on Enterprise Risk Management

Discusses current status on FISMA compliance standards at NIST.

MCLEAN, Va., March 1, 2007— Dr. Ron Ross spoke to the LMI staff on enterprise risk management and the role of information assurance.Dr. Ross is a senior computer scientist and information security researcher at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and leads the Federal Information Security Management Act (FISMA) Implementation Project for NIST. Established in January 2003, the project produces key security standards and guidelines required by congressional legislation for the federal government and critical information infrastructure.

Critical information infrastructures are essential to the telecommunications, energy, financial services, manufacturing, water, transportation, health care, and emergency services sectors. Much of the information infrastructure in those sectors is privately owned, necessitating a common foundation for information security that can be customized for a particular industry’s needs. A common framework of standards and guidelines is needed because of two trends in the IT world—complexity and connectivity. As operational systems have become more complex, understanding how modules and parts interact has become more difficult. IT systems are developed for speed and efficiency, and ease of connection is often considered before security implications. 

LMI employees responsible for IT security and involved in supporting IT assurance for our government customers attended the presentation. Dr. Ross’s talk provided insights into the philosophy and process for developing the standards.

LMI is a not-for-profit government consulting firm established in 1961 at the behest of Secretary of Defense Robert S. McNamara. Best known for its logistics expertise, LMI’s work now includes acquisition, facilities management, financial management, information technology, and organizations and human capital. Numbered among its clients are Department of Defense organizations and civil agencies, such as the General Services Administration and Departments of Homeland Security and Energy.