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VA Technical Reference Model v 25.7

NVivo

General Information

Technologies must be operated and maintained in accordance with Federal and Department security and privacy policies and guidelines. More information on the proper use of the TRM can be found on the TRM Proper Use Tab/Section.

Website:	Go to site
Description:	NVivo is a qualitative data analysis (QDA) software for researchers dealing with unstructured data, such as text and multimedia. The product is designed to help users organize and analyze large volumes of non-numerical, unstructured data to identify trends and test theories. Note: QSR International merged with other companies to form Lumivero. This product is now owned by Lumivero. At the time of writing, NVivo products include: NVivo Windows, NVivo Mac, NVivo Collaboration Server, Cloud Modules and Supplementary add-ons. This assessment includes: NVivo Windows, NVivo Mac and prior version NVivo 12 Plus for Windows, which includes access to macOS. The TRM decisions in this entry only apply to technologies and versions owned, operated, managed, patched, and version-controlled by VA. This includes technologies deployed as software installations on VMs within VA-controlled cloud environments (e.g., VA Enterprise Cloud (VAEC)). Cloud services provided by the VAEC, which are listed in the VAEC Service Catalog, and those controlled and managed by an external Cloud Service Provider (i.e., SaaS) are not in the purview of the TRM. For more information on the use of cloud services and cloud-based products within VA, including VA private clouds, please see the Enterprise Cloud Solutions Office (ECSO) Portal at: https://dvagov.sharepoint.com/sites/OITECSO
Technology/Standard Usage Requirements:	Users must ensure their use of this technology/standard is consistent with VA policies and standards, including, but not limited to, VA Handbooks 6102 and 6500; VA Directives 6004, 6513, and 6517; and National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) standards, including Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS). Users must ensure sensitive data is properly protected in compliance with all VA regulations. Prior to use of this technology, users should check with their supervisor, Information System Security Officer (ISSO), Facility Chief Information Officer (CIO), or local Office of Information and Technology (OI&T) representative to ensure that all actions are consistent with current VA policies and procedures prior to implementation.
Section 508 Information:	This technology has been assessed by the Section 508 Office and found non-conformant. The Implementer of this technology has the responsibility to ensure the version deployed is 508-compliant. Section 508 compliance may be reviewed by the Section 508 Office and appropriate remedial action required if necessary. For additional information or assistance regarding Section 508, please contact the Section 508 Office at Section508@va.gov. Please see reference tab for more information concerning product versions.
Decision:	View Decisions

Decision Source:	TRM Mgmt Group
Decision Process:	One-VA TRM v25.4
Decision Date:	04/14/2025 at 00:55:02 UTC
Aliases:	NVivo 12 Plus
Introduced By:	SCCM
Vendor Name:	Lumivero

Vendor Release Information

The Vendor Release table provides the known releases for the TRM Technology, obtained from the vendor (or from the release source).

You must be logged into the RSAA website prior to clicking the Attestation URLs or the URLs won't open.

Major versions and minor versions of that Major released on or after 09/14/2022 are NOT EXEMPT. Major Versions released before 09/14/2022 are EXEMPT as well as minor versions of that Major regardless of release date.

Version	Release Date	Vendor End of Life Date	Vendor Desupport Date
Win 9.x	10/21/2010
Win 10.x	06/02/2012
Win 11.x	09/30/2015
Mac 11.x	06/30/2014
Win 12.x	05/07/2019
Mac 12.x	05/01/2019
Mac 1.x	03/18/2020
Win 1.x	03/18/2020
Win 14.x	07/01/2023
Mac 14.x	10/01/2023
Win 15.x	08/27/2024
Mac 15.x	10/01/2024

Current Decision Matrix (04/11/2025)

Users must ensure their use of this technology/standard is consistent with VA policies and standards, including, but not limited to, VA Handbooks 6102 and 6500; VA Directives 6004, 6513, and 6517; and National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) standards, including Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS). Users must ensure sensitive data is properly protected in compliance with all VA regulations. Prior to use of this technology, users should check with their supervisor, Information System Security Officer (ISSO), Facility Chief Information Officer (CIO), or local Office of Information and Technology (OI&T) representative to ensure that all actions are consistent with current VA policies and procedures prior to implementation.

The VA Decision Matrix displays the current and future VAIT position regarding different releases of a TRM entry. These decisions are based upon the best information available as of the most current date. The consumer of this information has the responsibility to consult the organizations responsible for the desktop, testing, and/or production environments to ensure that the target version of the technology will be supported.

Legend:

White	Authorized: The technology/standard has been authorized for use.
Yellow	Authorized w/ Constraints: The technology/standard can be used within the specified constraints located below the decision matrix in the footnote[1] and on the General tab.
Gray	Authorized w/ Constraints (POA&M): This technology or standard can be used only if a POA&M review is conducted and signed by the Authorizing Official Designated Representative (AODR) as designated by the Authorizing Official (AO) or designee and based upon a recommendation from the POA&M Compliance Enforcement, has been granted to the project team or organization that wishes to use the technology.
Orange	Authorized w/ Constraints (DIVEST): VA has decided to divest itself on the use of the technology/standard. As a result, all projects currently utilizing the technology/standard must plan to eliminate their use of the technology/standard. Additional information on when the entry is projected to become unauthorized may be found on the Decision tab for the specific entry.
Black	Unauthorized: The technology/standard is not (currently) permitted to be used under any circumstances.
Blue	Authorized w/ Constraints (PLANNING/EVALUATION): The period of time this technology is currently being evaluated, reviewed, and tested in controlled environments. Use of this technology is strictly controlled and not available for use within the general population. If a customer would like to use this technology, please work with your local or Regional OI&T office and contact the appropriate evaluation office displayed in the notes below the decision matrix. The Local or Regional OI&T office should submit an inquiry to the TRM if they require further assistance or if the evaluating office is not listed in the notes below.

Release/Version Information:

VA decisions for specific versions may include a ‘.x’ wildcard, which denotes a decision that pertains to a range of multiple versions.

For example, a technology authorized with a decision for 7.x would cover any version of 7.(Anything) - 7.(Anything). However, a 7.4.x decision would cover any version of 7.4.(Anything), but would not cover any version of 7.5.x or 7.6.x on the TRM.

VA decisions for specific versions may include ‘+’ symbols; which denotes that the decision for the version specified also includes versions greater than what is specified but is not to exceed or affect previous decimal places.

For example, a technology authorized with a decision for 12.6.4+ would cover any version that is greater than 12.6.4, but would not exceed the .6 decimal ie: 12.6.401 is ok, 12.6.5 is ok, 12.6.9 is ok, however 12.7.0 or 13.0 is not.

Any major.minor version that is not listed in the VA Decision Matrix is considered Authorized w/ Constraints (POA&M).

<Past

CY2024

CY2025

CY2026

Future>

Release

Win 9.x

Unapproved

Authorized w/ Constraints (POA&M)

Win 10.x

Unapproved

Authorized w/ Constraints (POA&M)

Win 11.x

Unapproved

Authorized w/ Constraints (POA&M)

Mac 11.x

Unapproved

Authorized w/ Constraints (POA&M)

Win 12.x

Approved w/Constraints
[5, 16, 21, 22, 23, 24]

Authorized w/ Constraints
[5, 16, 21, 22, 23, 24]

Authorized w/ Constraints (DIVEST)
[5, 16, 21, 23, 24, 25, 26]

Authorized w/ Constraints (DIVEST)
[5, 16, 21, 23, 24, 26, 27]

Authorized w/ Constraints (POA&M)

Mac 12.x

Approved w/Constraints
[5, 16, 21, 22, 23, 24]

Authorized w/ Constraints
[5, 16, 21, 22, 23, 24]

Authorized w/ Constraints (DIVEST)
[5, 16, 21, 23, 24, 25, 26]

Authorized w/ Constraints (DIVEST)
[5, 16, 21, 23, 24, 26, 27]

Authorized w/ Constraints (POA&M)

Mac 1.x

Approved w/Constraints
[5, 16, 21, 22, 23, 24]

Authorized w/ Constraints
[5, 16, 21, 22, 23, 24]

Authorized w/ Constraints (POA&M)

Authorized w/ Constraints
[5, 16, 21, 23, 24, 26, 27]

Win 1.x

Approved w/Constraints
[5, 16, 21, 22, 23, 24]

Authorized w/ Constraints
[5, 16, 21, 22, 23, 24]

Authorized w/ Constraints (POA&M)

Authorized w/ Constraints
[5, 16, 21, 23, 24, 26, 27]

Win 14.x

Approved w/Constraints
[5, 16, 21, 22, 23, 24]

Authorized w/ Constraints
[5, 16, 21, 22, 23, 24]

Authorized w/ Constraints (DIVEST)
[5, 16, 21, 23, 24, 25, 26]

Authorized w/ Constraints (DIVEST)
[5, 16, 21, 23, 24, 26, 27]

Authorized w/ Constraints (POA&M)

Mac 14.x

Approved w/Constraints
[5, 16, 21, 22, 23, 24]

Authorized w/ Constraints
[5, 16, 21, 22, 23, 24]

Authorized w/ Constraints (DIVEST)
[5, 16, 21, 23, 24, 25, 26]

Authorized w/ Constraints (DIVEST)
[5, 16, 21, 23, 24, 26, 27]

Authorized w/ Constraints (POA&M)

Win 15.x

Unapproved

Authorized w/ Constraints (POA&M)

Authorized w/ Constraints
[5, 16, 21, 23, 24, 25, 26]

Authorized w/ Constraints
[5, 16, 21, 23, 24, 26, 27]

Mac 15.x

Unapproved

Authorized w/ Constraints (POA&M)

Authorized w/ Constraints
[5, 16, 21, 23, 24, 25, 26]

Authorized w/ Constraints
[5, 16, 21, 23, 24, 26, 27]

Note:

At the time of writing, version 15.1.1 (Win), released 01/15/2025 and version 15.1.0 (Mac), released 01/15/2025 are the most current versions.

Please Note: NVivo versions 1.x. Versions 1.x may appear as 20.x after the software download and the corresponding License Key for version 1.x reflects NVT20 in the beginning of its naming convention.

Decision Constraints


[5]	Technology must remain patched and operated in accordance with Federal and Department security policies and guidelines in order to mitigate known and future security vulnerabilities.

[16]	Browser plug-ins and extensions may only be installed by VA IT Operations (ITOPS) and must be used with official VA browser installation packages that are managed by ITOPS. For installation, contact the National Service Desk [Mail Group: National Service Desk - Austin]. Browser extensions must be kept up to date with security patches and enhancements.

[21]	Users should check with their supervisor, Information System Security Officer (ISSO) or local OIT representative for permission to download and use this software. Downloaded software must always be scanned for viruses prior to installation to prevent adware or malware. Freeware may only be downloaded directly from the primary site that the creator of the software has advertised for public download and user or development community engagement. Users should note, any attempt by the installation process to install any additional, unrelated software is not authorized and the user should take the proper steps to decline those installations.

[22]	If free trialware is utilized, the software must be purchased or removed at the end of the trial period. Users must ensure that Google Chrome, Microsoft Internet Information Services (IIS) and Microsoft Structured Query Language (SQL) Server are implemented with VA-authorized baselines. (refer to the ‘Category’ tab under ‘Runtime Dependencies’) The user should not use the Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) protocols with this technology, SSL is unapproved at this time. Users must not utilize Apple Boot Camp, as it is at the time of writing, unapproved in the TRM. Per the Security Assessment Review, users must abide by the following constraints: The administrator shall disable automatic update checking from the application. The ISSO shall educate and prohibit users from using the integrated cloud service capability until the VA Cloud Security Requirements have been met and the affected A&A package has been appropriately updated. The administrator shall choose not to participate in the Software Improvement Program by disabling it during installation or through the application menu. Maintenance and support will be provided for the Open Source Software used within NVivo 1.6 (20.6.1.1137) as per the application’s lifecycle The administrator shall update the unsupported version of OpenSSL to a TRM authorized version.

[23]	Due to potential information security risks for cloud-based technologies, users should coordinate closely with their facility ISSO for guidance and assistance on cloud products. If further guidance is needed contact the Enterprise Cloud Solution Office (ECSO), which is the body responsible for new software development in and migration of existing systems to the VA Enterprise Cloud (VAEC) and ensuring organizational information, Personally Identifiable Information (PII), Protected Health Information (PHI), and VA sensitive data are not compromised within the VAEC. For information about Software as a Service (SaaS) products or to submit a SaaS product request, visit the Product Marketplace. (Ref: VA Directive 6004, VA Directive 6517, VA Directive 6513 and VA Directive 6102).

[24]	Per the May 5th, 2015 memorandum from the VA Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) FIPS 140-2 FIPS 140-2 Validate Full Disk Encryption (FOE) for Data at Rest in Database Management Systems (DBMS) and in accordance with Federal requirements and VA policy, database management must use Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) 140-2 or its successor to protect the confidentiality and integrity of VA information at rest at the application level. If FIPS 140-2 encryption at the application level is not technically possible, FIPS 140-2 or 140-3 compliant full disk encryption (FOE) must be implemented on the storage device where the DBMS resides. Appropriate access enforcement and physical security control must also be implemented. All instances of deployment using this technology should be reviewed to ensure compliance with VA Handbook 6500 and National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) standards. It is the responsibility of the system owner to work with the local CIO (or designee) and Information System Security Officer (ISSO) to ensure that a compliant DBMS technology is selected and that if needed, mitigating controls are in place and documented in a System Security Plan (SSP). By September 22, 2026, all FIPS 140-2 certificate validations will be placed on the Historical List, please refer to FIPS Transition Effort for further guidance and timeline of changes.

[25]	Users must not utilize Apple Boot Camp, as it, at the time of writing, requires a POA&M. Users must not utilize the Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) protocol, as it requires a POA&M. Users must ensure that Firefox, Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Microsoft Internet Information Services (IIS), and Microsoft Structured Query Language (SQL ) Server are implemented with VA-approved baselines. (Refer to the ‘Category’ tab under ‘Runtime Dependencies’) If free trialware is utilized, the software must be purchased or removed at the end of the trial period. Per the Security Assessment Review] (SAR) users must abide by the following constraints: To mitigate, administrators shall choose not to participate in the program by disabling it during installation or through the application menu. To mitigate, the ISSO shall educate and prohibit users from using the integrated cloud service capability until the VA Cloud Security Requirements have been met and the affected A&A package has been appropriately updated. To mitigate, administrators shall choose not to participate in the program by disabling it during installation or through the application menu. To mitigate, the administrators shall disable all unauthorized firewall rules. OSS may be used if there is adequate maintenance and support. As a condition of certification, Sponsor/Software admin personnel shall maintain and monitor the distribution of all OSS. The software shall be physically stored in Sponsor/Software admin software library for quality control. To mitigate, system administrators shall use the TRM authorized version of Chromium where possible and monitor both the CVE Details and NIST NVD websites for any new security vulnerabilities. To mitigate, system administrators shall use the TRM authorized version of Microsoft SQL Server where possible and monitor both the CVE Details and NIST NVD websites for any new security vulnerabilities. To mitigate, the administrator shall update the outdated version of Microsoft Visual C++ to a TRM approved version.

[26]	Veterans Affairs (VA) users must ensure VA sensitive data is properly protected in compliance with all VA regulations. All instances of deployment using this technology should be reviewed by the local ISSO (Information System Security Officer) to ensure compliance with both VA Handbook 6500 and VA Directive 6500.

[27]	Users must not utilize Apple Boot Camp, as it, at the time of writing, requires a POA&M. Users must not utilize the Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) protocol, as it requires a POA&M. Users must not utilize Chromium, as it, at the time of writing, requires a POA&M. Users must not utilize Skype, as it, at the time of writing, requires a POA&M. Users must ensure that Firefox, Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Microsoft Internet Information Services (IIS), and Microsoft Structured Query Language (SQL ) Server are implemented with VA-approved baselines. (Refer to the ‘Category’ tab under ‘Runtime Dependencies’) If free trialware is utilized, the software must be purchased or removed at the end of the trial period. Per the Security Assessment Review] (SAR) users must abide by the following constraints: To mitigate, administrators shall choose not to participate in the program by disabling it during installation or through the application menu. To mitigate, the ISSO shall educate and prohibit users from using the integrated cloud service capability until the VA Cloud Security Requirements have been met and the affected A&A package has been appropriately updated. To mitigate, administrators shall choose not to participate in the program by disabling it during installation or through the application menu. To mitigate, the administrators shall disable all unauthorized firewall rules. OSS may be used if there is adequate maintenance and support. As a condition of certification, Sponsor/Software admin personnel shall maintain and monitor the distribution of all OSS. The software shall be physically stored in Sponsor/Software admin software library for quality control. To mitigate, system administrators shall use the TRM authorized version of Chromium where possible and monitor both the CVE Details and NIST NVD websites for any new security vulnerabilities. To mitigate, system administrators shall use the TRM authorized version of Microsoft SQL Server where possible and monitor both the CVE Details and NIST NVD websites for any new security vulnerabilities. To mitigate, the administrator shall update the outdated version of Microsoft Visual C++ to a TRM approved version.

Name	Description
NVivo Collaboration Cloud	Collaboration Cloud is an NVivo add-on module allowing teams to collaborate on NVivo projects.
NVivo Transcription	NVivo Transcription transcribes audio and video files and transfers them in an NVivo-ready format into the user's project. The editor allows the user to make changes, tag speakers, and ensure the transcription is formatted to their needs.


Information Management Technologies Business Intelligence and Data Warehouse Platforms	Data Analytics (Statistical Analysis, Prediction, and Modeling)
Information Management Technologies Business Intelligence and Data Warehouse Platforms	Unstructured Data / Natural Language Processing

General Analysis

Adoption Benefits

This technology is Federal Information Processing (FIPS) 140-2 compliant.
This technology has a comprehensive set of documentation.
At the time of writing, no National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) vulnerabilities had been reported and no VA Cyber Security Operations Center (CSOC) bulletins had been issued for the latest versions of this technology.

Adoption Risks

The potential exists to store Personally Identifiable Information (PII), Protected Health Information (PHI) and/or VA Sensitive data and proper security standards must be followed in these cases.
This technology has a free trial period, which carries the potential for the disruption of service delivery and inaccurate financial planning.
There are other authorized solutions that provide similar functionality available on the TRM. The use of several similar solutions may increase organization requirements for support and maintenance.
This technology can integrate with and alter database technologies.
Due to the rapid release schedule of this technology, the VA may be unable to update to the most recent patch and may require a deployment model requiring the use of specific versions.
This technology can potentially use Apple Boot Camp which requires a POA&M for use on the VA network.
This technology can potentially use Secure Sockets Layer (SSL), a protocol which requires a POA&M for use on the VA network.
This technology is a browser plug-in or extension.
IPR/SAR Adoption Risk - A vulnerability exists because NVivo v15.0.0.12 includes a Software Improvement Program called “Customer Experience Improvement Program” which automatically sends various types of information back to the Vendor. To mitigate, administrators shall choose not to participate in the program by disabling it during installation or through the application menu.
IPR/SAR Adoption Risk - A vulnerability exists because NVivo v15.0.0.12 includes/utilizes commercial cloud computing services. To mitigate, the Information Systems Security Officer (ISSO) shall educate and prohibit users from using the integrated cloud service capability until the VA Cloud Security Requirements have been met and the affected Assessment and Authorization (A&A) package has been appropriately updated.
IPR/SAR Adoption Risk - A vulnerability exists because NVivo v15.0.0.12 provides automatic/user configurable checks for updates. To mitigate, administrators shall choose not to participate in the program by disabling it during installation or through the application menu.
IPR/SAR Adoption Risk - A vulnerability exists because NVivo v15.0.0.12 installs unauthorized firewall rule for Skype for which the firewall rule is opened. These unauthorized firewall rules use protocols TCP/UDP to open up any port from any IP address allowing access to the system. To mitigate, the administrators shall disable all unauthorized firewall rules.
IPR/SAR Adoption Risk - A vulnerability exists because NVivo v15.0.0.12 uses Open-Source Software (OSS). To mitigate, OSS may be used if there is adequate maintenance and support. As a condition of certification, Sponsor/Software admin personnel shall maintain and monitor the distribution of all OSS. The software shall be physically stored in Sponsor/Software admin software library for quality control.
IPR/SAR Adoption Risk - A vulnerability exists because the application uses the following Chromium dependencies with published vulnerabilities. Chromium is listed as Authorized w/ Constraints (POA&M). - Chromium Embedded Framework (CEF) Dynamic Link Library v117.2.2. - Chromium v117.0.5938.132. To mitigate, system administrators shall use the TRM authorized version of Chromium where possible and monitor both the CVE Details and NIST NVD websites for any new security vulnerabilities.
IPR/SAR Adoption Risk - A vulnerability exists because NVivo v15.0.0.12 installs Microsoft SQL Server 2019 v15.0.2000.5 with a published vulnerability. To mitigate, system administrators shall use the TRM authorized version of Microsoft SQL Server where possible and monitor both the CVE Details and NIST NVD websites for any new security vulnerabilities.
IPR/SAR Adoption Risk - A vulnerability exists because NVivo v15.0.0.12 installs an outdated version of Microsoft Visual C++ 2010 x86 Redistributable (10.00.40219.1). To mitigate, the administrator shall update the outdated version of Microsoft Visual C++ to a TRM approved version.
This technology can potentially use Chromium which requires a POA&M for use on the VA network.
This technology can potentially use Skype which requires a POA&M for use on the VA network.

Architectural Benefits

This technology can use a VA-preferred database.
This technology is compatible with virtual machines, therefore consistent with the enterprise Server Virtualize First Policy (VAIQ 7266972 08-27-2012).
This technology is portable as it runs on multiple TRM-authorized operating systems.

Architectural Risks

This technology includes cloud-based functionality which has potential information security risks.

- The information contained on this page is accurate as of the Decision Date (04/14/2025 at 00:55:02 UTC).

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VA Technical Reference Model v 25.7

General Information

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Current Decision Matrix (04/11/2025)

Decision Constraints

References

Technology Components

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General Analysis

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Architectural Risks

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VA Technical Reference Model v 25.7

General Information

Vendor Release Information

Current Decision Matrix (04/11/2025)

Decision Constraints

References

Technology Components

VA Categories View the VA Categorization Framework

Operating Systems Supported by the Technology

Technologies/Standards Relationships

Runtime Dependencies:

Optional Dependencies:

Comparable Technologies:

Companion Technologies/Supported Standards:

General Analysis

Adoption Benefits

Adoption Risks

Architectural Benefits

Architectural Risks

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