Space: NIST USGv6 NPD

The NIST USGv6 Network Protection Device (NPD) space contains a comprehensive set of test assets developed by University of New Hampshire InterOperability Lab (UNH-IOL), one of the first two test labs accredited by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to offer US Government IPv6 program (USGv6) testing and certification services.

Support

The test assets in this space were developed by UNH-IOL and are in use today in their lab. All the NPDs that have been certified in the NIST USGv6 program have been tested using these test assets.

If you have questions regarding the content in this space, please contact UNH-IOL.

You must work with UNH-IOL to determine whether your request is aligned with the requirements of the NIST USGv6 NPD test program. After consulting with UNH-IOL, you may elect to open a feature request ticket with Mu Dynamics' support team.

Structure of the NIST USGv6 NPD Test Content

The USGv6 NPD profile specifies test requirements for devices in four categories:

1. Firewalls
2. Application Firewalls
3. Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS)
4. Intrusion Prevention Systems (IPS)

The NIST USGv6 NPD Test Plan includes test assets designed to help simplify and accelerate your IPv6 testing and compliance initiatives. The assets cover thousands of automated test cases that you can run on your Mu Test Suite to perform NPD testing in conjunction with the ability to test hosts and routers for IPv6 conformance against the IPv6 Ready program requirements, with test content available in the IPv6 Ready space.

For more details on these UNH-IOL USGv6 NPD test assets, refer to the Mu Dynamics website (at http://www.mudynamics.com/index.php?id=2285).

Relationship of USGv6 to IPv6 Forum's "IPv6 Ready" Tests

The NIST USGv6 tests cover three types of devices:

• Hosts
• Routers
• Network Protection Devices

UNH's USGv6 NPD content (in this space) applies only to the latter (i.e., USGv6 NPD). The USGv6 Host and Router testing is based on the IPv6 Forum's IPv6 Ready tests, with important differences. For instance, IPsec/IKEv2 testing is optional in IPv6 Ready program, but mandatory in NIST's USGv6 program. Also, NIST is free to define Host or Router tests that do not appear in IPv6 Ready Phase 1 or Phase 2.

The IPv6 Logo Programs Compared spreadsheet on the right maps the tests across IPv6 Ready (Phase 1 and Phase 2, with all its modules) compared to the USGv6 program. This spreadsheet is also provided in the IPv6 Ready space.

Useful Documents re: IPv6 Transition

• NIST's Guidelines for the Secure Deployment of IPv6 (draft)
• FCC's Potential Impacts on Communications from IPv4 Exhaustion & IPv6 Transition
• NTIA's IPv6 Readiness Tool for Business