Providing Continuous Compliance for the Confidentiality, integrity, and Availability of our customer's systems and applications
AC
Access Control
AT
Awareness and Training
AU
Audit and Accountability
CA
Security Assessment and Authorization
CM
Configuraiton Management
CP
Contingency Planning
IA
Identification and Authentication
IP*
Individual Participation
IR
Individual Response
MA
Maintenance
MP
Media Protection
PA*
Privacy Authorization
PE
Physical and Environmental Protection
PL
Planning
PM
Program Management
PS
Personnel Security
RA
Risk Assessment
SA
System and Service Acquisition
SC
System and Communication Protection
SI
System and Information Integrity
AC
SI-2(2)
SI-2(3)
SI-7
SI-7(1)
SI-7(2)
SI-7(3)
Flaw Remediation
Automated Flaw Remediation Status
Time to Remediate Flaws and Benchmarks for Corrective Actions
Software, Firmware, and Information Integrity
Integrity Checks
Automated Notifications of Integrity Violations
Centrally Managed Integrity Tools
CM-2
CM-2(2)
CM-3
CM-3(5)
PL-9
SI-13
Baseline Configuration
Automation Support for Accuracy and Concurrency
Configuration Change Control
Automated Security Response
Central Management
Predictable Failure Prevention
a. Identify, report, and correct system flaws;
b. Test software and firmware updates related to flaw remediation for effectiveness and potential side effects before installation;
c. Install security-relevant software and firmware updates within [Assignment: organization-defined time period] of the release of the updates; and
d. Incorporate flaw remediation into the organizational configuration management process.
The need to remediate system flaws applies to all types of software and firmware. Organizations identify systems affected by software flaws, including potential vulnerabilities resulting from those flaws, and report this information to designated organizational personnel with information security and privacy responsibilities. Securityrelevant updates include patches, service packs, and malicious code signatures. Organizations also address flaws discovered during assessments, continuous monitoring, incident response activities, and system error handling. By incorporating flaw remediation into configuration management processes, required remediation actions can be tracked and verified. Organization-defined time periods for updating security-relevant software and firmware may vary based on a variety of risk factors, including the security category of the system, the criticality of the update (i.e., severity of the vulnerability related to the discovered flaw), the organizational risk tolerance, the mission supported by the system, or the threat environment. Some types of flaw remediation may require more testing than other types. Organizations determine the type of testing needed for the specific type of flaw remediation activity under consideration and the types of changes that are to be configuration-managed. In some situations, organizations may determine that the testing of software or firmware updates is not necessary or practical, such as when implementing simple malicious code signature updates. In testing decisions, organizations consider whether security-relevant software or firmware updates are obtained from authorized sources with appropriate digital signatures.
Determine if system components have applicable securityrelevant software and firmware updates installed using [Assignment: organization-defined automated mechanisms] [Assignment: organization-defined frequency].
Automated mechanisms can track and determine the status of known flaws for system components.
(a) Measure the time between flaw identification and flaw remediation; and (b) Establish the following benchmarks for taking corrective actions: [Assignment: organization-defined benchmarks].
Organizations determine the time it takes on average to correct system flaws after such flaws have been identified and subsequently establish organizational benchmarks (i.e., time frames) for taking corrective actions. Benchmarks can be established by the type of flaw or the severity of the potential vulnerability if the flaw can be exploited.
a. Employ integrity verification tools to detect unauthorized changes to the following software, firmware, and information: [Assignment: organization-defined software, firmware, and information]; and
b. Take the following actions when unauthorized changes to the software, firmware, and information are detected: [Assignment: organization-defined actions].
Unauthorized changes to software, firmware, and information can occur due to errors or malicious activity. Software includes operating systems (with key internal components, such as kernels or drivers), middleware, and applications. Firmware interfaces include Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) and Basic Input/Output System (BIOS). Information includes personally identifiable information and metadata that contains security and privacy attributes associated with information. Integritychecking mechanisms—including parity checks, cyclical redundancy checks, cryptographic hashes, and associated tools—can automatically monitor the integrity of systems and hosted applications.
Perform an integrity check of [Assignment: organizationdefined software, firmware, and information] [Selection (one or more): at startup; at [Assignment: organization-defined transitional states or security-relevant events]; [Assignment: organization-defined frequency]].
Security-relevant events include the identification of new threats to which organizational systems are susceptible and the installation of new hardware, software, or firmware. Transitional states include system startup, restart, shutdown, and abort.
Employ automated tools that provide notification to [Assignment: organization-defined personnel or roles] upon discovering discrepancies during integrity verification.
The employment of automated tools to report system and information integrity violations and to notify organizational personnel in a timely matter is essential to effective risk response. Personnel with an interest in system and information integrity violations include mission and business owners, system owners, senior agency information security official, senior agency official for privacy, system administrators, software developers, systems integrators, information security officers, and privacy officers.
Employ centrally managed integrity verification tools.
Centrally managed integrity verification tools provides greater consistency in the application of such tools and can facilitate more comprehensive coverage of integrity verification actions.
a. Develop, document, and maintain under configuration control, a current baseline configuration of the system; and
b. Review and update the baseline configuration of the system:
1. [Assignment: organization-defined frequency];
2. When required due to [Assignment: organization-defined circumstances]; and
3. When system components are installed or upgraded.
Baseline configurations for systems and system components include connectivity, operational, and communications aspects of systems. Baseline configurations are documented, formally reviewed, and agreed-upon specifications for systems or configuration items within those systems. Baseline configurations serve as a basis for future builds, releases, or changes to systems and include security and privacy control implementations, operational procedures, information about system components, network topology, and logical placement of components in the system architecture. Maintaining baseline configurations requires creating new baselines as organizational systems change over time. Baseline configurations of systems reflect the current enterprise architecture.
Maintain the currency, completeness, accuracy, and availability of the baseline configuration of the system using [Assignment: organization defined automated mechanisms].
Automated mechanisms that help organizations maintain consistent baseline configurations for systems include configuration management tools, hardware, software, firmware inventory tools, and network management tools. Automated tools can be used at the organization level, mission and business process level, or system level on workstations, servers, notebook computers, network components, or mobile devices. Tools can be used to track version numbers on operating systems, applications, types of software installed, and current patch levels. Automation support for accuracy and currency can be satisfied by the implementation of CM-8(2) for organizations that combine system component inventory and baseline configuration activities.
a. Determine and document the types of changes to the system that are configuration-controlled;
b. Review proposed configuration-controlled changes to the system and approve or disapprove such changes with explicit consideration for security and privacy impact analyses;
c. Document configuration change decisions associated with the system;
d. Implement approved configuration -controlled changes to the system;
e. Retain records of configuration-controlled changes to the system for [Assignment: organisation-defined time period];
f. Monitor and review activities associated with configuration controlled changes to the system; and
8. Coordinate and provide oversight for configuration change control activities through [Assignment: organization-defined configuration change control element] that convenes [Selection (one or more): [Assignment: organization-defined frequency]; when [Assignment: organization-defined configuration change conditions]].
Configuration change control for organizational systems involves the systematic proposal, justification, implementation, testing, review, and disposition of system changes, including system upgrades and modifications. Configuration change control includes changes to baseline configurations, configuration items of systems, operational procedures, configuration settings for system components, remediate vulnerabilities, and unscheduled or unauthorized changes. Processes for managing configuration changes to systems include Configuration Control Boards or Change Advisory Boards that review and approve proposed changes. For changes that impact privacy risk, the senior agency official for privacy updates privacy impact assessments and system of records notices. For new systems or major upgrades, organizations consider including representatives from the development organizations on the Configuration Control Boards or Change Advisory Boards. Auditing of changes includes activities before and after changes are made to systems and the auditing activities required to implement such changes. See also SA-10.
Implement the following security responses automatically if baseline configurations are changed in an unauthorized manner: [Assignment: organization-defined security responses].
Automated security responses include halting selected system functions, halting system processing, and issuing alerts or notifications to organizational personnel when there is an unauthorized modification of a configuration item.
Centrally manage [Assignment: organization-defined controls and related processes].
Central management refers to organization-wide management and implementation of selected controls and processes. This includes planning, implementing, assessing, authorizing, and monitoring the organization-defined, centrally managed controls and processes. As the central management of controls is generally associated with the concept of common (inherited) controls, such management promotes and facilitates standardization of control implementations and management and the judicious use of organizational resources. Centrally managed controls and processes may also meet independence requirements for assessments in support of initial and ongoing authorizations to operate and as part of organizational continuous monitoring. Automated tools (e.g., security information and event management tools or enterprise security monitoring and management tools) can improve the accuracy, consistency, and availability of information associated with centrally managed controls and processes. Automation can also provide data aggregation and data correlation capabilities; alerting mechanisms; and dashboards to support risk-based decision-making within the organization. As part of the control selection processes, organizations determine the controls that may be suitable for central management based on resources and capabilities. It is not always possible to centrally manage every aspect of a control. In such cases, the control can be treated as a hybrid control with the control managed and implemented centrally or at the system level. The controls and control enhancements that are candidates for full or partial central management include but are not limited to: AC-2(1), AC-2(2), AC2(3), AC-2(4), AC-4(all), AC-17(1), AC-17(2), AC-17(3), AC-17(9), AC-18(1), AC-18(3), AC18(4), AC-18(5), AC-19(4), AC-22, AC-23, AT-2(1), AT-2(2), AT-3(1), AT-3(2), AT-3(3), AT4, AU-3, AU-6(1), AU-6(3), AU-6(5), AU-6(6), AU-6(9), AU-7(1), AU-7(2), AU-11, AU-13, AU-16, CA-2(1), CA-2(2), CA-2(3), CA-3(1), CA-3(2), CA-3(3), CA-7(1), CA-9, CM-2(2), CM3(1), CM-3(4), CM-4, CM-6, CM-6(1), CM-7(2), CM-7(4), CM-7(5), CM-8(all), CM-9(1), CM-10, CM-11, CP-7(all), CP-8(all), SC-43, SI-2, SI-3, SI-4(all), SI-7, SI-8.
a. Determine mean time to failure (MTTF) for the following system components in specific environments of operation: [Assignment: organization-defined system components]; and b. Provide substitute system components and a means to exchange active and standby components in accordance with the following criteria: [Assignment: organization-defined MTTF substitution criteria].
While MTTF is primarily a reliability issue, predictable failure prevention is intended to address potential failures of system components that provide security capabilities. Failure rates reflect installation-specific consideration rather than the industry-average. Organizations define the criteria for the substitution of system components based on the MTTF value with consideration for the potential harm from component failures. The transfer of responsibilities between active and standby components does not compromise safety, operational readiness, or security capabilities. The preservation of system state variables is also critical to help ensure a successful transfer process. Standby components remain available at all times except for maintenance issues or recovery failures in progress.