US Government IPv6 (USGv6)

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) works with other USG agencies and industries to develop and maintain the standards, test program, deployment guidance, and test and measurement tools necessary to provide the technical basis for the wide-scale adoption of IPv6 in the USG. 

In response, NIST developed a technical standards profile for the US Government’s acquisition of IPv6-enabled networked information technology. The USGv6 Profile includes a forward-looking set of protocol specifications published by the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF), encompassing basic IPv6 functionality, specific requirements and key optional capabilities for routing, security, multicast, network management, and quality of service. The profile also contains NIST-defined requirements for IPv6-aware firewalls and intrusion detection systems. 

The University of New Hampshire Independently Operated Laboratory (UNH-IOL) is the only North American laboratory offering ISO/IEC 17025 accredited testing designed specifically for the USGv6 Test Program. The test program designated by NIST provides proof of compliance with IPv6 specifications outlined in current industry standards for common network products.