U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock ( ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Taking Measure Blog Posts

Information technology

Put exact phrase in quotes (e.g., "artificial intelligence")

Subscribe

Get Taking Measure blogs
delivered to your inbox.

GovDelivery
Displaying 76 - 100 of 111
concept art showing profiles of featureless faces behind a filed of 1s and 0s

A Framework for Online Privacy

September 26, 2018
Naomi Lefkovitz
Online privacy is a growing concern. Companies are mining our personal information and preferences to sell us products and present us with other kinds of content that we will like. But as useful as the fruits of this data sharing can be, there is a dark side. Data breaches have exposed us to
a gold chip with electrodes attached to either side inside a chamber lit with purple light

Quantum Information Science: A Q&A With NIST's Carl Williams

September 13, 2018
Quantum information science will contribute to one of the next revolutions in computing, but realizing that promise will stretch our scientific understanding and technological skills to their limits. We sat down with NIST Physical Measurement Laboratory Acting Director Carl Williams to get his take
Jabez, McClelland, Adam Steele and Brenton Knuffman pose in their lab with their cesium ion source.

An Invention in Focus: When Science Gets Real

May 24, 2018
Jabez McClelland
As a research scientist, I often face a difficult problem when discussing my work with family or friends. Everyone seems initially fascinated that I am a physicist, but if I start to talk about what I actually do, the going quickly gets tough. How do I make cold atoms and ion beams understandable
Scott Glancy, a sandy blonde-haired Caucasian man with blue eyes, standing in his office wearing a black T-shirt that reads "Quantum physics: The Dreams Stuff is Made of

Local Realism, Bell’s Inequality, and T-Shirts: An Entangled Tale

April 26, 2018
Scott Glancy
For this past Christmas my wife, Rebecca, gave me a T-shirt that says "Quantum mechanics: The dreams stuff is made of." This is an allusion to the book The Dreams That Stuff Is Made Of: The Most Astounding Papers of Quantum Physics— and How They Shook the Scientific World, edited by the late Stephen
top left: circuit board; top right: materials from HHCIII; bottom left: leaf; bottom right: 3-D atomic clock

Twelve Ways NIST Is Working for You: 2017 Edition

December 29, 2017
Ben P. Stein
As managing editor in the NIST Public Affairs Office, I learn every day how our researchers tackle important societal issues in their work. As 2017 comes to a close, I’d like to share how our news during the last year has connected to many of this year’s current events. Protecting Our First
graphic illustrating different aspects of critical infrastructure, including power transmission, nuclear plants, and factories

A Framework for Protecting Our Critical Infrastructure

October 30, 2017
Matt Barrett
There’s no disputing the importance of a reliable and well-functioning critical infrastructure when it comes to our daily lives—in fact, our national and economic security depend on it. Because our critical infrastructure systems are becoming increasingly complex and connected, we need to understand
pumpkin spice latte

Small-Business Cybersecurity is Twice as Nice as Pumpkin Spice

October 10, 2017
Pat Toth
I think we’ve taken this pumpkin spice thing too far. Don’t get me wrong, I love fall. That first crisp evening when you need to put on a sweater, the crunch of leaves under your feet, homecoming football games, but pumpkin spice? It’s obvious that the pumpkin spice council’s marketing team has done
Timothy Zimmerman checking connections in the Cybersecurity for Smart Manufacturing Systems testbed

Ensuring the Cybersecurity of Manufacturing Systems

October 2, 2017
Timothy Zimmerman
Cybersecurity, at this point in the technological age, has become a household word. Every week, almost like clockwork, it seems there is a story on the news about a newly discovered hack or data breach often made possible by poor cybersecurity practices. Many of these incidents are focused around
man satisfied with his computing experience

Easy Ways to Build a Better P@$5w0rd

October 2, 2017
Mike Garcia
Last year I provided a number of simple steps to lower the risk to your online presence without making your life harder. This year, I'm focusing on making logging into your accounts easier. First, I'm going to share the takeaways from our new password guidance. Simply put: Use passphrases, not
abstract web world illustration

Why Security and Privacy Matter in a Digital World

September 28, 2017
Ron Ross
One cannot pick up a newspaper, watch TV, listen to the radio, or scan the news on the internet without some direct or veiled reference to the lack of information security or intrusions into personal privacy. Many intrusions into government and private-sector systems have exposed sensitive mission
man standing in front of a white board filled with equations. Four other men sit around a table watching.

Quantum Information: Changing the Rules of the Game

August 2, 2017
Carl Miller
I was a math researcher at the University of Michigan back in 2008 when I had the crazy—one could even say random—notion to shift from studying pure mathematics to studying quantum information science. My mentor at the time was confused by this. Why give up the field in which you have all your
Concept of internet of things ecosystem

'Cybersecuring' the Internet of Things

June 27, 2017
Donna Dodson
I recently had the chance to talk with the legendary Vint Cerf, one of the founding fathers of the internet. We had a wide-ranging discussion about the past, present and future of the internet, network security and what it would take to successfully, safely and reliably merge the digital and
Man at WannaCry computer

Things That Make Me Wannacry

June 21, 2017
Pat Toth
I’m a bit emotional these days. My youngest—my baby—just graduated from high school. It’s the end of an era for our family: The years of homework, packing lunches, attending sporting events, and endless nagging to study for exams are finally over. It’s a bittersweet time as a mom. If I think about
Lily Chen at her whiteboard

Deciphering: The Thrill of a Lifetime

June 9, 2017
Lily Chen
When I went to graduate school to pursue my master’s degree 35 years ago, I couldn’t have predicted where my study of mathematics would end up taking me. I simply thought I was going to become a math professor. Before digital communications, the internet, and personal computers became part of our
Photo of U.S. kilogram masses

7 Ways Measurements Help You Get Around

May 19, 2017
Fran Webber
With International Firefighters’ Day behind us and World Turtle Day looming, you might not think you’ve got time for another international day in May. But don’t skip World Metrology Day, which is observed on May 20 every year—the anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of the Meter in 1875. Because
Diagram with blue background and man standing behind rope line

Ideas Whose Time Has Come (and Gone), v. 2017

December 20, 2016
Robin Materese
A catchphrase from a popular reality show goes: “One day you're in. And the next day, you're out.” For the purposes of the show, the host is referencing fashion. But the same could be said about science. With each new discovery or advance, an old theory or idea often becomes obsolete … or at least
Man in suit with briefcast looking over edge of crevice

Ignoring Cybersecurity is Risky Business

November 17, 2016
Pat Toth
They say opposites attract. While my husband and I have many important things in common, we are complete opposites in one area. He’s a “risk taker,” and me … well, not so much. Rather than being labeled as “risk averse,” I prefer the term “caution giver.” I’m a federal employee. I come from a long
man sitting at large screen with smaller monitor screens

Rethinking Cybersecurity from the Inside Out

November 15, 2016
Ron Ross
After four years of research and development, NIST has published a groundbreaking new security guideline that addresses the longstanding problem of how to engineer trustworthy, secure systems—systems that can provide continuity of capabilities, functions, services, and operations during a wide range
Blonde woman in black top sitting at desk with laptop across from man in blue shirt

Sizing Up the NIST Cybersecurity Framework

October 31, 2016
Carrie Johnson
Those of us who work for small businesses regularly perform duties outside our job description. I’ve experienced the “all hands on deck” approach that drives the day-to-day operations of many small and midsize businesses. This approach fittingly applies to cybersecurity, which is no longer a
Infusion pump in foreground of hospital room with patient lying in bed

SoS: Securing Wireless Infusion Pumps in a System of Systems

October 27, 2016
Gavin O'Brien
Aristotle once said, “The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.” Two gears together can accomplish much more than one gear alone. And when you connect multiple systems together, whether of gears or computers, you can achieve even greater functionality and performance. We call these “systems of