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Manufacturing Supply Chain Traceability Using Blockchain Related Technologies

Presently, end operating environments within critical infrastructure sectors have limited ability to obtain trusted pedigree and provenance information for the components supporting their operational environments. Insufficient traceability information for critical components reduces effectiveness of risk-based evaluations of security, safety, sustainability, and other compliance needs within end operating environments, including reduced ability to detect vectors of adversarial attack.

A decentralized data approach to help manufacturers and critical infrastructure sectors to secure their supply chains and end operating environments

This effort delivers a Minimal Viable Product (MVP) Reference Implementation (RI). This MVP RI is a follow-on effort from NIST IR 8419 and explores mechanics of sharing manufacturing supply chain traceability information across industries and critical end operating environments using multiple blockchain-enabled ecosystems.
Status: Preparing Draft

The project team is expanding and enhancing the framework outlined in the project description for supporting the cross-ecosystem linking and querying. The team will present their findings and the updated framework by publishing a NIST Interagency Report (IR) that will describe the framework in greater detail. A draft report is being prepared and the team is targeting April 2024 to provide the document for public review and comment.

If you have any questions, please reach out to our project team at blockchain_nccoe@nist.gov.

Project DescriptionDocument Version Project Description

Abstract

The MVP RI demonstrates traceability of non-repudiable claims and supporting evidence about products and production methods from authoritative sources across manufacturing supply chains using blockchain related technologies. This is a follow-on effort from NIST IR 8419.

The delivered MVP reference implementation serves as an early example of the mechanics of manufacturing supply chain traceability using blockchain related technologies and is a starting point for further refinement. The MVP implementation will provide a generalized architecture, applicable across a broad array of verticals and use cases. 

This MVP implementation may be further refined and specialized by industry, academia, or other organizations, using specific data standards, and illustrating different supply chain domain contexts. The MVP implementation will demonstrate the traceability mechanics in the context of microelectronics and industrial control software used by end operating environments in critical infrastructure sectors. 

To help manufacturers across the United States to secure supply chains, the NCCoE, together with industry and standards stakeholders, will implement a reference implementation illustrating securing and exchanging component traceability information using multiple blockchain enabled ecosystems. 

Join the Community of Interest

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A Community of Interest (COI) is a group of professionals and advisors who share business insights, technical expertise, challenges, and perspectives to guide NCCoE projects. COIs often include experts, innovators, and everyday users of cybersecurity and privacy technologies. Share your expertise and consider becoming a member of this project's COI. 

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