Dr. Ron Ross Sr. Computer Scientist Information Security Researcher NIST

Dr. Ron Ross is a senior computer scientist and information security researcher at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). His current areas of specialization include security requirements definition, testing and evaluation, risk management, and information assurance. Dr. Ross leads the Federal Information Security Management Act (FISMA) Implementation Project for NIST, which includes the development of key security standards and guidelines for the federal government, support contractors, and the United States critical information infrastructure.

His recent publications include Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) Publication 199 (security categorization standard), FIPS Publication 200 (security requirements standard), NIST Special Publication 800-53 (security controls guideline), NIST Special Publication 800-53A (security assessment guideline), NIST Special Publication 800-37 (security certification and accreditation guideline), and NIST Special Publication 800-39 (risk management guideline).

Dr. Ross is also the principal architect of the NIST Risk Management Framework that provides a disciplined and structured methodology for integrating the suite of FISMA security standards and guidelines into a comprehensive enterprise-wide information security program. In addition to his FISMA responsibilities, Dr. Ross leads the Joint Task Force Transformation Initiative Working Group, a joint partnership with NIST, the Department of Defense, and the Intelligence Community to develop a unified information security framework for the federal government and its support contractors.

Dr. Ross is a frequent speaker at public and private sector venues including federal agencies, state and local governments, and Fortune 500 companies. In addition to his responsibilities at NIST, Dr. Ross supports the U.S. State Department in the international outreach program for information security and critical infrastructure protection. Dr. Ross previously served as the Director of the National Information Assurance Partnership, a joint activity of NIST and the National Security Agency.

A graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point, Dr. Ross served in a variety of leadership and technical positions during his twenty-year career in the United States Army. While assigned to the National Security Agency, he received the Scientific Achievement Award for his work on an inter-agency national security project and was awarded the Defense Superior Service Medal upon his departure from the agency.

Dr. Ross is a two-time recipient of the Federal 100 award for his leadership and technical contributions to critical information security projects affecting the federal government. He has been inducted into the Information Systems Security Association (ISSA) Hall of Fame and elected to the grade of ISSA Distinguished Fellow. During his twenty-year military career, Dr. Ross served as a White House aide and as a senior technical advisor to the Department of the Army. Dr. Ross is a graduate of the Program Management School at the Defense Systems Management College and holds both Masters and Ph.D. degrees in Computer Science from the United States Naval Postgraduate School.