The purpose of the STIG Viewer is to provide a user-friendly interface for viewing and managing Security Technical Implementation Guides (STIGs). STIGs are a collection of security guidelines and best practices that are developed by the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) to help organizations secure their information systems in accordance with Department of Defense (DoD) security requirements.

The STIG Viewer allows security professionals to easily access and navigate through STIGs, and provides them with tools for managing and customizing the security controls in accordance with their organization’s specific needs. With the STIG Viewer, users can:

  • View the contents of STIGs in an organized and user-friendly format
  • Search for specific guidance or requirements within the STIG
  • Customize the STIG for their specific environment by exporting it to XCCDF format
  • Import modified STIGs back into the STIG Viewer for analysis and reporting
  • Generate reports summarizing the results of STIG checks and assessments

Downloading

The STIG Viewer and related STIGs can be downloaded from the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) website. Here are the steps to download the STIG Viewer and STIGs:

  1. Go to the DISA website at https://public.cyber.mil/stigs/srg-stig-tools/.

  2. Click on the “STIG Viewer” link to download the latest version of the STIG Viewer software.

  3. To download the STIGs, click on the “STIGs” link on the DISA website. You will be prompted to log in with your Common Access Card (CAC) or DISA-provided credentials.

  4. Once logged in, you can browse through the list of STIGs and download the ones you need.

  5. The STIGs are organized by system type, such as Windows, Unix, network devices, etc. You can also search for specific STIGs using the search bar on the website.

  6. Once you have downloaded the STIGs, you can use the STIG Viewer to view and manage them on your local system.

It’s important to note that STIGs are updated frequently, so it’s recommended to check the DISA website periodically for the latest versions of the STIG Viewer and STIGs.

Usage

The STIG Viewer is a tool that is used to view and manage Security Technical Implementation Guides (STIGs). STIGs provide guidance on how to secure various software and hardware systems in accordance with the Department of Defense (DoD) security requirements.

Here are the steps to use the STIG Viewer:

  1. Download and install the STIG Viewer from the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) website. See Downloading

  2. Once installed, open the STIG Viewer.

  3. Click on the “File” menu and select “Open STIG.”

  4. Browse to the location of the STIG file you want to view and select it.

  5. Once the STIG file is loaded, you can navigate through it by clicking on the various tabs and sections. You can also use the search function to quickly find specific information within the STIG.

  6. If you want to customize the STIG for your specific system, you can use the “Export to XCCDF” feature to create an Extensible Configuration Checklist Description Format (XCCDF) file. This file can then be modified to meet your specific requirements.

  7. After making the necessary modifications, you can use the “Import from XCCDF” feature to import the modified STIG back into the STIG Viewer.

  8. You can then generate a report that summarizes the STIG checks and results.

That’s how you use the STIG Viewer. It’s important to note that the STIG Viewer is a powerful tool that should be used by experienced security professionals. It’s important to understand the STIG content and how to properly implement the security controls before making any modifications to the STIG.