Federal Information Processing Standards facts for kids

The Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) are a special set of rules for computer systems. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in the United States creates these rules. They are used by non-military U.S. government offices and companies that work with them. FIPS standards help make sure government computers are safe and can work well together. They are used when there aren't already good rules from other groups. Many FIPS rules are based on standards used by other technical groups, like ANSI or ISO.

What Are FIPS Standards?

FIPS standards are like a rulebook for how government computers should handle information. These rules help keep important data safe and make sure different computer systems can understand each other. Imagine if all your friends spoke different languages; it would be hard to share ideas! FIPS helps computers "speak the same language."

Why Do We Need FIPS?

The main reasons for FIPS are computer security and making sure systems can work together.

• Security: FIPS helps protect sensitive government information from being seen by the wrong people. This is super important for national safety and privacy.
• Working Together: These standards ensure that different government departments can share information smoothly. This makes government services more efficient.

Different Kinds of FIPS Standards

The U.S. government has created many FIPS rules for various topics.

Codes for Places and Emergencies

FIPS creates special codes for different things. For example, there are codes for counties or to show weather conditions and emergencies.

• In 1994, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) started sending out FIPS codes with their weather broadcasts.
• These codes tell people the type of emergency and the exact area, like a county, that is affected.

Keeping Information Secret (Encryption)

Some FIPS standards deal with encryption. Encryption is like putting information into a secret code so only authorized people can read it.

• A well-known FIPS standard is the AES (FIPS 197). It is a very strong way to protect digital information.
• An older system, called DES (FIPS 46-3), was used before AES but is not as secure today.

Protecting Data Systems

Other FIPS standards focus on the overall security of computer systems that process data. This includes methods to protect digital keys, which are like passwords for encrypted information.

How FIPS Codes Change Over Time

Over the years, some FIPS codes for geographic areas have been updated or replaced. This happens to make sure the codes are the best and most current available.

• For example, FIPS codes for countries (FIPS 10-4), U.S. states (FIPS 5-2), and counties (FIPS 6-4) were replaced in 2002.
• They were updated to use international standards like ISO 3166 and other modern systems.
• In 2008, NIST also replaced FIPS 55-3, which had codes for cities and towns. These were replaced with the more stable GNIS Feature ID. The GNIS database is now the official source for geographic names in the U.S. government.
• The U.S. Census Bureau used to rely on these FIPS place codes. After NIST's decision, the Census Bureau started switching to the GNIS Feature ID. This change was completed after the 2010 United States census.

See also

In Spanish: Federal Information Processing Standard para niños

• Federal Information Security Management Act of 2002 (FISMA)
• FIPS 140 (Rules for cryptography modules)
• FIPS 197 (Rijndael / AES cipher)
• FIPS 201 (Rules for identifying federal employees and contractors)
• List of FIPS state codes