CISA Releases Final IPv6 Security Guidance for Federal Agencies

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The U.S. government's Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) on Thursday released the final version of its IPv6 security guidance for federal agencies.

The guidance, officially named the Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) Considerations for Trusted Internet Connections (TIC) 3.0, is meant to support the deployment of the IPv6 network protocol across federal agencies’ networks, to “ensure future growth and innovation in internet services and technology.”

The final iteration of of the newly released document includes feedback that CISA received following a public comment period in September-October last year.

CISA issued the IPv6 guidance in accordance with Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Memorandum 21-07, and the document provides federal agencies with information on what responsibilities OMB M-21-07 draws for them.

The document also provides information on the IPv6 network protocol and its security features, as well as security considerations regarding IPv6 and the TIC 3.0 security capabilities. However, the guidance does not apply to virtualized environments or IPv6 deployments in the cloud.

[ READ: NSA, CISA Issue Guidance on Selecting and Securing VPNs ]

The document is meant to help guide U.S. government agencies in taking decisions regarding the appropriate security level of environments implementing the protocol, and should not be interpreted as a compliance requirement.

The agency encourages IT decision-makers and administrators across federal agencies to review the IPv6 guidance to facilitate the implementation of the network protocol in federal IT environments.

“Agencies are required to cooperate to enhance security guidelines for IPv6 adoption throughout the federal IT infrastructure. Agencies should be prepared to enhance and maintain their IPv6 deployments in accordance with OMB M-21-07,” the document reads.