United States (federal) · federal standard
SSDF SP 800-218: what it asks, and the records to keep
The SSDF is a set of secure software development practices in four groups: Prepare the Organization (PO), Protect the Software (PS), Produce Well-Secured Software (PW) and Respond to Vulnerabilities (RV). Version 1.1 is final; version 1.2 was released as a draft in December 2025 under Executive Order 14306, and NIST's generative AI profile (SP 800-218A) applies the framework to AI model development.
01 / What it asks
What SSDF SP 800-218 asks
Software producers of all kinds, and in particular vendors whose software is used by US federal agencies.
- 01Define security requirements, roles, training and toolchains for software development (PO).
- 02Protect code, releases and provenance data from tampering and unauthorized access (PS).
- 03Design securely, review and test code, and configure software secure by default (PW).
- 04Identify, analyze and fix vulnerabilities and their root causes after release (RV).
- 05Apply practices on a risk basis and document how each is met.
02 / AI work
Where it touches AI work
SP 800-218A (July 2024) is an SSDF community profile for generative AI and dual-use foundation models; it adds tasks such as protecting training data and model weights and tracking model provenance.
03 / Dates
The dates that matter
SP 800-218, SSDF Version 1.1, published final
SP 800-218A generative AI community profile published
EO 14306 orders NIST to update the SSDF
Draft SP 800-218 Rev. 1 (SSDF 1.2) released
Comment period on SSDF 1.2 draft closed
04 / Enforcement
Who enforces it
None directly; voluntary. Agencies may require SSDF practices or an attestation by contract, and false contract representations can create False Claims Act exposure.
05 / Records
Records an organisation keeps
What an auditor or an inquiry usually asks to see. Your obligations depend on your role and your facts.
- 01Secure development policy mapped to SSDF practices
- 02Code review, testing and scanning results per release
- 03SBOM and provenance records
- 04Vulnerability intake, triage and remediation records
Optional evidence · where Planisphere fits
Keep a record anyone can check
When your team meets a duty, Planisphere can seal the event it reports as a receipt.
A disclosure shown, a review signed, a model change approved: the event your system reports.
The event becomes a sealed receipt, dated and attributed to whoever is signed in.
Paste the receipt into Verify. No account or key.
A record supports your compliance evidence process. It is not a legal finding or a certification. Systems that call Planisphere's gate API can also hold or refuse an action before it runs.
SOURCES
Go back to the source
Federal Register (govinfo)
CHANGE LOG
What changed, and when
Rebuilt from primary sources; facts checked on this date.
Related: SSDF SP 800-218 vs SLSA v1.0 · SSDF SP 800-218 vs C-SCRM · SSDF SP 800-218 vs NIST AI RMF · SSDF SP 800-218 for defense AI workflows · NIST AI RMF · OMB M-25-21/22 · DoW RAI S&IP · EO 14179 · FIPS 140-3 · SHA-256 / FIPS 180-4