NIST Introduces a Meta-Framework to Strengthen Supply Chain Traceability in Critical Infrastructure Sectors

The security and stability of the United States’ national manufacturing and critical infrastructure supply chains are vital to the health, security, and growth of the economy. As global supply chains become more complex, the need for enhanced traceability of goods and materials is crucial for identifying potential disruptions, improving risk management, and ensuring the authenticity of products and components.

One of the main challenges facing supply chain operations in national critical infrastructure sectors is the lack of reliable mechanisms to capture and link product pedigree and provenance information. Without this data, it is difficult to detect patterns of adversarial attacks, assess risks effectively, or ensure that supply chain events—such as manufacturing, shipping, and receiving—are securely recorded and verifiable.

In response to these challenges, NIST researchers, working with the National Cybersecurity Center of Excellence, have published the initial public draft of NISTIR 8536: Meta-Framework for Supply Chain Traceability. This draft outlines a framework that allows stakeholders to record, link, and query supply chain event data in a secure and verifiable manner. The Meta-Framework is also intended to provide stakeholders with the tools necessary to discover, understand, and trust the supply chain data they retrieve. With improved visibility, organizations can better identify and respond to potential disruptions or threats, thereby supporting the resilience of critical infrastructure sectors. As supply chains grow more complex, this framework offers a flexible and scalable solution to safeguarding the essential sectors that underpin the nation’s economy and security.

To gather broad feedback from industry, government, and academia, comments on the initial public draft are being accepted until November 15, 2024. Your feedback is vital to refining the framework, helping ensure it meets the diverse needs of stakeholders and strengthens the security and resilience of supply chains.

Additionally, a webinar is scheduled for October 28, 2024, from 2pm to 4pm eastern, to discuss key aspects of the framework including the proposed traceability ecosystems, data types, and manufacturing event structures. A notification for the webinar was distributed via GovDelivery. Registration details, along with further information about the project, can be found on our project page (https://www.nccoe.nist.gov/projects/manufacturing-supply-chain-traceability-using-blockchain-related-technologies#project-promo). The page also includes a link to download the initial public draft of NISTIR 8536 and an option to join the project’s community of interest.