The number of available IPv4 addresses is expected to run out in less than a year, as we’ve reported before. The proliferation of mobile devices and sensors, all of which use IP addresses, is depleting the total number available. Organizations need to migrate to the newer IPv6 standard to avoid running out of these critical points in the network.
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has issued a free 188 page report to help guide managers, network engineers, transition teams and others working on IPv6 deployments. The report explains IPv6, covers IPv6 security issues, explains how to deploy dual IPv4/IPv6 environments and more.
NIST developed this guide to assist the Office of Management and Budget with its IPv6 deployment, which required Federal Information Security Management Act (FISMA) compliance. The report is designed for federal agencies, but will become helpful to private sector organizations seeking a comprehensive migration guide.
According to an announcement from FIST, some of the security issues organizations may face while deploying IPv6 include “fending off attackers that have more experience than an organization in the early stages of IPv6 deployment and the difficulty of detecting unknown or unauthorized IPv6 assets on existing IPv4 production networks.”
To learn more about IPv6, visit IPv6 Act Now.
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