Security Content Automation Protocol - SCAP Validation Program

SCAP Validation Program

Security programs overseen by NIST focus on working with government and industry to establish more secure systems and networks by developing, managing and promoting security assessment tools, techniques, services, and supporting programs for testing, evaluation and validation; and addresses such areas as: development and maintenance of security metrics, security evaluation criteria and evaluation methodologies, tests and test methods; security-specific criteria for laboratory accreditation; guidance on the use of evaluated and tested products; research to address assurance methods and system-wide security and assessment methodologies; security protocol validation activities; and appropriate coordination with assessment-related activities of voluntary industry standards bodies and other assessment regimes.

Independent third party testing assures the customer/user that the product meets the NIST specifications. The SCAP standards can be complex and several configurations must be tested for each component and capability to ensure that the product meets the requirements. A third-party lab (accredited by National Voluntary Laboratory Accreditation Program (NVLAP)) provides assurance that the product has been thoroughly tested and has been found to meet all of the requirements. A vendor seeking validation of a product should contact an NVLAP accredited SCAP validation laboratory for assistance in the validation process.

A customer who is subject to the FISMA requirements, or wants to use security products that have been tested and validated to the SCAP standard by an independent third party laboratory should visit the SCAP validated products web page to verify the status of the product(s) being considered.