NIST 800-53r5 Framework

 The NIST 800-53r5 Access Control Policy provides a comprehensive strategy to manage access within information systems, supporting organizations in maintaining a secure environment that protects against internal and external threats. The policy aligns with broader organizational security goals to ensure compliance with federal standards and to maintain the integrity, confidentiality, and availability of information systems.

The NIST SP 800-53r5 Security Awareness and Training control family outlines requirements for establishing a comprehensive program to ensure that personnel understand their security responsibilities and are equipped to protect information systems and data. The objective of this control family is to develop a workforce that is aware of cybersecurity threats, understands the risks posed by unsafe behavior, and follows best practices to safeguard organizational assets.

The NIST SP 800-53r5 Audit and Accountability (AU) control family provides a framework for managing audit functions within an organization’s information systems to ensure accountability and transparency in operations. The policy is designed to respond to, and mitigate security incidents by ensuring that events and actions are monitored, logged, and analyzed effectively. This supports overall risk management and compliance efforts by ensuring that system activities are properly tracked and reviewed. 

The NIST SP 800-53r5 Configuration Management (CM) control family outlines the processes and practices required for managing and controlling the configurations of information systems and their components throughout their life cycle. The goal is to ensure that systems are securely configured, changes are systematically managed, and vulnerabilities are minimized to protect the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of information. 

The NIST SP 800-53r5 Contingency Planning (CP) control family establishes requirements for preparing, implementing, and maintaining plans to respond to and recover from adverse events . The goal of the Contingency Planning Policy is to ensure continuity of operations and services during emergencies, cyberattacks, natural disasters, and other incidents that may impact information systems. It focuses on minimizing damage, restoring functionality, and ensuring the organization can continue to meet its mission-critical objectives. 

The NIST SP 800-53r5 Identification and Authentication (IA) control family defines the requirements for establishing and maintaining robust processes to ensure that individuals and devices accessing information systems are properly identified and authenticated. The goal of the Identification and Authentication Policy is to prevent unauthorized access to systems and data by ensuring that only authenticated users and devices can interact with organizational resources.

Key elements of the Identification and Authentication Policy include:

The NIST SP 800-53r5 Maintenance (MA) control family establishes requirements for the ongoing maintenance of organizational information systems to ensure their continued security, functionality, and compliance. The Maintenance Policy ensures that maintenance activities—whether routine, emergency, or corrective—are performed in a controlled and secure manner, minimizing risks associated with system vulnerabilities, unauthorized access, or unintentional disruptions. 

The NIST SP 800-53r5 Physical and Environmental Protection (PE) control family outlines requirements for safeguarding the physical infrastructure of an organization’s information systems, including buildings, equipment, and personnel. The Physical and Environmental Protection Policy ensures that information systems are protected from unauthorized physical access, damage, and environmental threats such as fire, flooding, and extreme temperatures. 

The NIST SP 800-53r5 Risk Assessment (RA) control family provides guidelines for identifying, assessing, and managing risks to an organization’s information systems. The Risk Assessment Policy  can proactively identify vulnerabilities, assess the potential impact of threats, and implement appropriate measures to reduce or mitigate risks. The goal of the policy is to support effective risk management, enhancing the security posture of the organization while ensuring compliance with regulatory and operational requirements. 

The NIST SP 800-53r5 System and Communications Protection (SC) control family establishes requirements for safeguarding the security and integrity of information systems and the data they transmit. The System and Communications Protection Policy ensures that organizations implement effective measures to protect the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of their information systems from unauthorized access, tampering, and interference during processing, storage, and transmission. 

 The NIST SP 800-53r5 Security Planning (PL) control family defines the requirements for developing, documenting, and maintaining a security plan that establishes security controls and outlines how those controls are implemented within an organization’s information systems. The Security Planning Policy ensures that organizations have a structured approach to managing security risks, aligning security practices with operational objectives, and ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements. 

The NIST SP 800-53r5 System and Information Integrity (SI) control family outlines the requirements for ensuring that information systems and their data maintain accuracy, reliability, and security. The System and Information Integrity Policy is designed to protect systems from threats like malware, vulnerabilities, and unauthorized changes, ensuring that critical system functions and data remain intact and secure from tampering, corruption, and exploitation