CA.2.158 Ongoing Security Assessment (CMMC Level 2)
Periodically assess the security controls in organizational systems to determine if the controls are effective in their application.
Source Discussion
Organizations assess security controls in organizational systems and the environments in which those systems operate as part of the system development life cycle. Security controls are the safeguards or countermeasures organizations implement to satisfy security requirements. By assessing the implemented security controls, organizations determine if the security safeguards or countermeasures are in place and operating as intended. Security control assessments ensure that information security is built into organizational systems; identify weaknesses and deficiencies early in the development process; provide essential information needed to make risk-based decisions; and ensure compliance to vulnerability mitigation procedures. Assessments are conducted on the implemented security controls as documented in system security plans.
Security assessment reports document assessment results in sufficient detail as deemed necessary by organizations, to determine the accuracy and completeness of the reports and whether the security controls are implemented correctly, operating as intended, and producing the desired outcome with respect to meeting security requirements. Security assessment results are provided to the individuals or roles appropriate for the types of assessments being conducted.
Organizations ensure that security assessment results are current, relevant to the determination of security control effectiveness, and obtained with the appropriate level of assessor independence. Organizations can choose to use other types of assessment activities such as vulnerability scanning and system monitoring to maintain the security posture of systems during the system life cycle.
NIST SP 800-53 provides guidance on security and privacy controls for systems and organizations. SP 800-53A provides guidance on developing security assessment plans and conducting assessments.
CMMC Clarification
As organizations implement security controls, they should avoid a “set it and forget it” mentality. The security landscape is constantly changing. Reassess existing controls at periodic intervals in order to validate their usefulness in organizational systems. This will let you determine if the control is still meeting the needs of the organization. Set the assessment schedule according to organizational needs. Consider regulatory obligations and internal policies when assessing the controls.
Typical outputs of the practice include:
- documented assessment results;
- proposed new controls, or updates to existing controls;
- remediation plans; and
- newly identified risks.
CMMC GUIDE FURTHER DISCUSSION
Avoid a “set it and forget it” mentality when implementing security controls. The security landscape is constantly changing. Reassess existing controls at periodic intervals in order to validate their effectiveness in your environment. Set the assessment schedule according to organizational needs. Consider regulatory obligations and internal policies when assessing the controls.
Outputs from security control assessments typically include:
- documented assessment results;
- proposed new controls, or updates to existing controls;
- remediation plans; and
- newly identified risks.
This practice, CA.2.158, which ensures determining security controls are implemented properly, promotes effective security assessments for organizational systems required by CA.3.161.
Examples
You are in charge of IT operations in your company. You ensure that security controls are achieving their objectives. After you implement the controls, you monitor their performance. You should perform this review as often as necessary to meet:
- your organization’s risk planning needs; and
- any regulations or policies you must follow. When you assess the controls, document what you find. When you find your controls are not meeting your requirements, you should act and make changes. You can:
- propose updated or new controls;
- develop a plan to improve the control; and
- document new risks that you find. You should also document these actions.
References
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