NIST is a non-regulatory federal agency within the U.S. Department of Commerce. NIST's mission is to promote U.S. innovation and industrial competitiveness by advancing measurement science, standards, and technology in ways that enhance economic security and improve our quality of life. NIST publishes a wide variety of Guidelines and Special Publications. Two of the most relevant and widely referred to are:

NIST 800-36 Guide to Selecting Information Technology Products

NIST 800-88 Guidelines for Media Sanitization