RA - Risk Assessment
- Controls Count: 2
- Controls IDs: RA-5 (5), RA-9
Controls
RA-5 (5): Privileged Access
Implement privileged access authorization to system components to which privileged access is authorized for selected vulnerability scanning activities are defined; for vulnerability scanning activities selected for privileged access authorization to system components are defined;.
In certain situations, the nature of the vulnerability scanning may be more intrusive, or the system component that is the subject of the scanning may contain classified or controlled unclassified information, such as personally identifiable information. Privileged access authorization to selected system components facilitates more thorough vulnerability scanning and protects the sensitive nature of such scanning.
privileged access authorization is implemented to system components to which privileged access is authorized for selected vulnerability scanning activities are defined; for vulnerability scanning activities selected for privileged access authorization to system components are defined;.
Risk assessment policy
procedures addressing vulnerability scanning
system design documentation
system configuration settings and associated documentation
list of system components for vulnerability scanning
personnel access authorization list
authorization credentials
access authorization records
system security plan
other relevant documents or records
Organizational personnel with vulnerability scanning responsibilities
system/network administrators
organizational personnel responsible for access control to the system
organizational personnel responsible for configuration management of the system
system developers
organizational personnel with security responsibilities
Organizational processes for vulnerability scanning
organizational processes for access control
mechanisms supporting and/or implementing access control
mechanisms/tools supporting and/or implementing vulnerability scanning
RA-9: Criticality Analysis
Identify critical system components and functions by performing a criticality analysis for systems, system components, or system services to be analyzed for criticality are defined; at decision points in the system development life cycle when a criticality analysis is to be performed are defined;.
Not all system components, functions, or services necessarily require significant protections. For example, criticality analysis is a key tenet of supply chain risk management and informs the prioritization of protection activities. The identification of critical system components and functions considers applicable laws, executive orders, regulations, directives, policies, standards, system functionality requirements, system and component interfaces, and system and component dependencies. Systems engineers conduct a functional decomposition of a system to identify mission-critical functions and components. The functional decomposition includes the identification of organizational missions supported by the system, decomposition into the specific functions to perform those missions, and traceability to the hardware, software, and firmware components that implement those functions, including when the functions are shared by many components within and external to the system.
The operational environment of a system or a system component may impact the criticality, including the connections to and dependencies on cyber-physical systems, devices, system-of-systems, and outsourced IT services. System components that allow unmediated access to critical system components or functions are considered critical due to the inherent vulnerabilities that such components create. Component and function criticality are assessed in terms of the impact of a component or function failure on the organizational missions that are supported by the system that contains the components and functions.
Criticality analysis is performed when an architecture or design is being developed, modified, or upgraded. If such analysis is performed early in the system development life cycle, organizations may be able to modify the system design to reduce the critical nature of these components and functions, such as by adding redundancy or alternate paths into the system design. Criticality analysis can also influence the protection measures required by development contractors. In addition to criticality analysis for systems, system components, and system services, criticality analysis of information is an important consideration. Such analysis is conducted as part of security categorization in RA-2.
critical system components and functions are identified by performing a criticality analysis for systems, system components, or system services to be analyzed for criticality are defined; at decision points in the system development life cycle when a criticality analysis is to be performed are defined;.
Risk assessment policy
assessment reports
criticality analysis/finalized criticality for each component/subcomponent
audit records/event logs
analysis reports
system security plan
other relevant documents or records
Organizational personnel with assessment and auditing responsibilities
organizational personnel with criticality analysis responsibilities
system/network administrators
organizational personnel with security responsibilities
Organizational processes for assessments and audits
mechanisms/tools supporting and/or implementing assessments and auditing