Verifying against the live site and live WHOIS/DNS…
Common questions
Is nist.gov legit or a scam?
nist.gov was registered Oct 2, 1997 (29 years old), per public registration records. AboutUs doesn't label sites "legit" or "a scam": this page lists the dated registration, DNS, HTTPS, mail-authentication and safety checks we could verify, each with its source, so you can decide for yourself.
Who owns nist.gov?
Nobody has completed AboutUs's owner verification for nist.gov. That's true of most sites here — it isn't itself a warning sign.
When was nist.gov registered?
nist.gov's registration dates to Oct 2, 1997 (29 years old), per public registration records. get.gov is the registrar on record today.
Correct a description, link or other detail. Submissions are reviewed before publication.
Registered 1997 · site is live · HTTPS valid
National Institute of Standards and Technology
NIST is the U.S. National Metrology Institute that advances measurement science, standards, and technology to enhance economic security and quality of life. It provides calibration services, standard reference materials, and research across fields including cybersecurity, manufacturing, quantum science, and artificial intelligence. The organization maintains the foundational measurements that enable industry and society to function.
Checked in the last 30 daysOlder, dated recordFrom registration records
Registered 29 years ago · on AboutUs since 2006 · 1 registrar change since Nov 28, 2023 · no ownership change on record since 2023 · last checked Oct 25, 2026.
Registration
RegisteredOct 2, 1997nist.gov was registered on Oct 2, 1997.Source: RDAP, fetched Oct 25, 2026
AboutUs record
AboutUs wiki pageJun 21, 2006 – Apr 5, 2008An AboutUs wiki page described nist.gov from Jun 21, 2006 to Apr 5, 2008 (2 edits).Source: AboutUs wiki archive, 2006–2023Said about itself in 2006Jul 1, 2006
Registrar
Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security AgencyNov 28, 2023 – Nov 20, 2024Registrar Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency in the WHOIS and RDAP records held for nist.gov, from Nov 28, 2023 to Nov 20, 2024.Source: WHOIS / RDAP archive (who.is)get.gov
Ownership
Ownership recordsNov 28, 2023 – Jun 11, 2026Registration records for nist.gov are held from Nov 28, 2023 to Jun 11, 2026 (78 records). None shows a change of registrant. Privacy-service and redaction changes are not counted.Source: WHOIS / RDAP archive (who.is); counted by registrant name and organization only
No ownership changes recorded, 2023–2026
Zone file
Nameservers: AkamaiNov 28, 2023 – Mar 28, 2024Registration records listed Akamai nameservers (a1-216.akam.net, a12-65.akam.net, a13-67.akam.net…) for nist.gov from Nov 28, 2023 to Mar 28, 2024.Source: From registration records (WHOIS / RDAP archive, who.is)
Certificate
Let's EncryptOct 18, 2026 – Oct 27, 2026Let's Encrypt issued 157 certificates for nist.gov from Oct 18, 2026, the latest valid until Jan 24, 2027.Source: Certificate Transparency logs (AboutUs's own certificate-log reader)DigiCert IncOct 20, 2026 – Oct 27, 2026DigiCert Inc issued 7 certificates for nist.gov from Oct 20, 2026, the latest valid until May 7, 2027.
200020102020Jan ’26Oct ’26← last 12 months, drawn wider
Every dated fact on this lifeline (17)
Oct 2, 1997Registration: nist.gov was registered on Oct 2, 1997.Source: RDAP, fetched Oct 25, 2026
Jun 21, 2006 – Apr 5, 2008AboutUs record: An AboutUs wiki page described nist.gov from Jun 21, 2006 to Apr 5, 2008 (2 edits).Source: AboutUs wiki archive, 2006–2023
Jul 1, 2006AboutUs record: “Welcome to the National Institute of Standards and Technology's web site. NIST, an agency of the Commerce Department's Technology Administration, was founded in 1901 as the nation's first federal physical science resear…”Source: AboutUs wiki archive, 2006
Nov 28, 2023 – Nov 20, 2024Registrar: Registrar Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency in the WHOIS and RDAP records held for nist.gov, from Nov 28, 2023 to Nov 20, 2024.Source: WHOIS / RDAP archive (who.is)
Nov 28, 2023 – Jun 11, 2026Ownership: Registration records for nist.gov are held from Nov 28, 2023 to Jun 11, 2026 (78 records). None shows a change of registrant. Privacy-service and redaction changes are not counted.Source: WHOIS / RDAP archive (who.is); counted by registrant name and organization only
Nov 28, 2023 – Mar 28, 2024
All 4 safety checks passed (Oct 27, 2026).
Automated safety checks
DNS (passed)
HTTPS (passed)
Page metadata (passed)
Security headers (passed)
Current facts
Latest available measurements; dated entries retain their dates. These are measurements, not an endorsement of the site.
latest result
Domain registered Oct 2, 1997 — 29 years old.
latest result
Registrar on record: get.gov — unchanged since AboutUs began tracking (Jul 23, 2026).
“Welcome to the National Institute of Standards and Technology's web site. NIST, an agency of the Commerce Department's Technology Administration, was founded in 1901 as the nation's first federal physical science resear…”
Source: AboutUs wiki archive, 2006
Current AboutUs recordJun 16, 2026 – Oct 25, 2026 (latest)Authority and Safety last refreshed Oct 25, 2026.Source: AboutUs checks
get.gov
Dec 21, 2024 – Oct 23, 2026 (latest)
Registrar get.gov (IANA 8888888) in the registration data recorded, first on Dec 21, 2024 and most recently on Oct 23, 2026.
Source: RDAP, fetched Oct 25, 2026
Nameservers: Cloudflare
Apr 23, 2024 – Jun 26, 2024
Registration records listed Cloudflare nameservers (dara.ns.cloudflare.com, mcgrory.ns.cloudflare.com) for nist.gov from Apr 23, 2024 to Jun 26, 2024.
Source: From registration records (WHOIS / RDAP archive, who.is)
DNS moved to CloudflareApr 23, 2024nist.gov's nameservers moved from Akamai to Cloudflare between Mar 28, 2024 and Apr 23, 2024. Last seen at Akamai: Mar 28, 2024 (registration record). First seen at Cloudflare: Apr 23, 2024 (registration record).Source: Derived from the nameserver records on this lifeline (registration record → registration record)
Nameservers: foundationdns.com, foundationdns.net, foundationdns.orgNameservers: foundationdns.com, foundationdns.net, foundationdns.orgJul 25, 2024 – Jun 11, 2026Registration records listed foundationdns.com, foundationdns.net, foundationdns.org nameservers (gold.foundationdns.com, gold.foundationdns.net, gold.foundationdns.org) for nist.gov from Jul 25, 2024 to Jun 11, 2026.Source: From registration records (WHOIS / RDAP archive, who.is)
DNS moved to foundationdns.com, foundationdns.net, foundationdns.orgJul 25, 2024nist.gov's nameservers moved from Cloudflare to foundationdns.com, foundationdns.net, foundationdns.org between Jun 26, 2024 and Jul 25, 2024. Last seen at Cloudflare: Jun 26, 2024 (registration record). First seen at foundationdns.com, foundationdns.net, foundationdns.org: Jul 25, 2024 (registration record).Source: Derived from the nameserver records on this lifeline (registration record → registration record)
Seen in the .gov zone fileJul 28, 2026 – Jul 29, 2026 (latest)First seen in the .gov zone file records AboutUs holds on Jul 28, 2026; latest sighting Jul 29, 2026.Source: ICANN CZDS zone file
Source: Certificate Transparency logs (AboutUs's own certificate-log reader)
Google Trust ServicesOct 21, 2026 – Oct 27, 2026Google Trust Services issued 16 certificates for nist.gov from Oct 21, 2026, the latest valid until Jan 24, 2027.Source: Certificate Transparency logs (AboutUs's own certificate-log reader)
Certificate from Let's EncryptOct 13, 2026 – Oct 19, 2026 (latest)Let's Encrypt certificate valid Oct 13, 2026 to Jan 11, 2027, as seen on Oct 19, 2026.Source: TLS check, Oct 19, 2026
Zone file: Registration records listed Akamai nameservers (a1-216.akam.net, a12-65.akam.net, a13-67.akam.net…) for nist.gov from Nov 28, 2023 to Mar 28, 2024.Source: From registration records (WHOIS / RDAP archive, who.is)
Apr 23, 2024 – Jun 26, 2024Zone file: Registration records listed Cloudflare nameservers (dara.ns.cloudflare.com, mcgrory.ns.cloudflare.com) for nist.gov from Apr 23, 2024 to Jun 26, 2024.Source: From registration records (WHOIS / RDAP archive, who.is)
Apr 23, 2024Zone file: nist.gov's nameservers moved from Akamai to Cloudflare between Mar 28, 2024 and Apr 23, 2024. Last seen at Akamai: Mar 28, 2024 (registration record). First seen at Cloudflare: Apr 23, 2024 (registration record).Source: Derived from the nameserver records on this lifeline (registration record → registration record)
Jul 25, 2024 – Jun 11, 2026Zone file: Registration records listed foundationdns.com, foundationdns.net, foundationdns.org nameservers (gold.foundationdns.com, gold.foundationdns.net, gold.foundationdns.org) for nist.gov from Jul 25, 2024 to Jun 11, 2026.Source: From registration records (WHOIS / RDAP archive, who.is)
Jul 25, 2024Zone file: nist.gov's nameservers moved from Cloudflare to foundationdns.com, foundationdns.net, foundationdns.org between Jun 26, 2024 and Jul 25, 2024. Last seen at Cloudflare: Jun 26, 2024 (registration record). First seen at foundationdns.com, foundationdns.net, foundationdns.org: Jul 25, 2024 (registration record).Source: Derived from the nameserver records on this lifeline (registration record → registration record)
Dec 21, 2024 – Oct 23, 2026Registrar: Registrar get.gov (IANA 8888888) in the registration data recorded, first on Dec 21, 2024 and most recently on Oct 23, 2026.Source: RDAP, fetched Oct 25, 2026
Jun 16, 2026 – Oct 25, 2026AboutUs record: Authority and Safety last refreshed Oct 25, 2026.Source: AboutUs checks
Jul 28, 2026 – Jul 29, 2026Zone file: First seen in the .gov zone file records AboutUs holds on Jul 28, 2026; latest sighting Jul 29, 2026.Source: ICANN CZDS zone file
Oct 13, 2026 – Oct 19, 2026Certificate: Let's Encrypt certificate valid Oct 13, 2026 to Jan 11, 2027, as seen on Oct 19, 2026.Source: TLS check, Oct 19, 2026
Oct 18, 2026 – Oct 27, 2026Certificate: Let's Encrypt issued 157 certificates for nist.gov from Oct 18, 2026, the latest valid until Jan 24, 2027.Source: Certificate Transparency logs (AboutUs's own certificate-log reader)
Oct 20, 2026 – Oct 27, 2026Certificate: DigiCert Inc issued 7 certificates for nist.gov from Oct 20, 2026, the latest valid until May 7, 2027.Source: Certificate Transparency logs (AboutUs's own certificate-log reader)
Oct 21, 2026 – Oct 27, 2026Certificate: Google Trust Services issued 16 certificates for nist.gov from Oct 21, 2026, the latest valid until Jan 24, 2027.Source: Certificate Transparency logs (AboutUs's own certificate-log reader)
latest result
HTTPS request succeeded for www.nist.gov.
checked Oct 3, 2026
The site names nist as the organisation behind it.
checked Oct 3, 2026
The live front page reads as a government or public-body site that is a public service, mainly for specialists in its field.
Authority 99/100— in the top 1% of the August 2026 scored sampleClear
Why this authority score
99 is a percentile: higher than 99% of sites we score.
How it's calculated
Prominence (Tranco rank #233)+13
Verified continuity: 29.1 years (RDAP registration)+11
Identity corroboration (capped)+4
Security & email hygiene+5
Prominence × continuity interaction+1
Calibration adjustment (published map)+21
Model score: 55/99 — what these reason lines add up to.
Published Authority (percentile): 99/100 — this site's rank against the August 2026 scored sample. Public Authority is capped at 99.
Safety evidence
No unexpired threat-feed result; name-similarity check available (recorded about 1 days ago); 3/3 transport and email checks available (oldest recorded about 1 days ago). This is evidence coverage, not a probability that a website is safe.
No caution flags in the available scoring observations; this is not a complete safety assessment
What nist.gov said about itself, 2006
Quoted from the site's AboutUs wiki page in each year it changed (1 version). These are the page's own words at the time, not AboutUs's assessment. New words · dropped words
2006
Welcome to the National Institute of Standards and Technology's web site. NIST, an agency of the Commerce Department's Technology Administration, was founded in 1901 as the nation's first federal physical science research laboratory.
Now
NIST is the U.S. National Metrology Institute that advances measurement science, standards, and technology to enhance economic security and quality of life. It provides calibration services, standard reference materials, and research across fields including cybersecurity, manufacturing, quantum science, and artificial intelligence. The organization maintains the foundational measurements that enable industry and society to function.
AboutUs summary of the current website, Sep 30, 2026.
Site history
Dated record — historical facts always carry their date.
1997
Domain registered (Oct 2, 1997).
2006
First tracked by AboutUs (Jun 21, 2006); profile edited 2 times through 2008.