The discussion in this podcast offers a comprehensive overview of Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS), which are guidelines developed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to ensure security, interoperability, and data protection across U.S. federal computer systems. FIPS standards are mandatory for federal agencies under laws like FISMA and serve as a crucial framework for risk mitigation against cyber threats, though their adoption is often voluntary in the private sector. It specifically examine three core standards: FIPS 140, which mandates security requirements for cryptographic modules; FIPS 197, which establishes the Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) for data encryption; and FIPS 199, which provides a framework for categorising information systems based on potential impact levels (low, moderate, high). These standards collectively prevent security incidents by enforcing validated, tested security controls, and they are increasingly influencing global security practices.