NIST Special Publication 800-171 Revision 2

Date Published: January 28th, 2021

Withdrawn on May 14, 2024. Superseded by SP 800-171 Rev. 3

Author(s): Ron Ross (NIST), Victoria Pillitteri (NIST), Kelley Dempsey (NIST), Mark Riddle (NARA), Gary Guissanie (IDA)

Note: A Class Deviation is in effect as of May 2, 2024 (DEVIATION 2024O0013). The deviation clause requires contractors, who are subject to 252.204-7012, to comply with National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Special Publication (SP) 800-171 Revision 2, instead of the version of NIST SP 800-171 in effect at the time the solicitation is issued or as authorized by the contracting officer. Click Here

3.14.3: Monitor system security alerts and advisories and take action in response.

Control Family: System and Information Integrity

Control Type: Basic

SPRS Value: 5

SPRS Supplemental Guidance: N/A

CMMC Level(s):

  • SI.L2-3.14.3

Top Ten Failed Requirement:

No

Referenced in:

DFARS 252.204-7012

Derived From: NIST SP 800-53r4

  • SI-2

  • SI-3

  • SI-5

NIST Supplemental Guidance:

  • [SP 800-161]

Discussion:

There are many publicly available sources of system security alerts and advisories. For example, the Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) generates security alerts and advisories to maintain situational awareness across the federal government and in nonfederal organizations. Software vendors, subscription services, and industry information sharing and analysis centers (ISACs) may also provide security alerts and advisories. Examples of response actions include notifying relevant external organizations, for example, external mission/business partners, supply chain partners, external service providers, and peer or supporting organizations

[SP 800-161] provides guidance on supply chain risk management.

Upon assessment, assessors must determine if-

3.14.3[a] response actions to system security alerts and advisories are identified.
3.14.3[b] system security alerts and advisories are monitored.
3.14.3[c] actions in response to system security alerts and advisories are taken.

Assessors are instructed to-

Examine: [SELECT FROM: System and information integrity policy; procedures addressing security alerts, advisories, and directives; system security plan; records of security alerts and advisories; other relevant documents or records].

Interview: [SELECT FROM: Personnel with security alert and advisory responsibilities; personnel implementing, operating, maintaining, and using the system; personnel, organizational elements, and external organizations to whom alerts, advisories, and directives are to be disseminated; system or network administrators; personnel with information security responsibilities].

Test: [SELECT FROM: Organizational processes for defining, receiving, generating, disseminating, and complying with security alerts, advisories, and directives; mechanisms supporting or implementing definition, receipt, generation, and dissemination of security alerts, advisories, and directives; mechanisms supporting or implementing security directives].

FURTHER DISCUSSION

Solicit and receive security alerts, advisories, and directives from reputable external organizations. Identify sources relevant to the industry and technology used by your company. Methods to receive alerts and advisories may include:

  • signing up for email distributions;

  • subscribing to RSS feeds; and

  • attending meetings.

Review alerts and advisories for applicability as they are received. The frequency of the reviews should be based on the frequency of the alerts and advisories to ensure you have the most up-to-date information. External alerts and advisories may prompt you to generate internal security alerts, advisories, or directives, and share these with all personnel with a need-to-know. The individuals should assess the risk related to a given alert and act to respond as appropriate. Sometimes it may require a configuration update. Other times, the information may also require adjusting system architecture in order to thwart a threat described in an advisory.

Example

You monitor security advisories each week. You review the alert emails and online subscription service alerts to determine which ones apply [b]. You create a list of the applicable alerts and research what steps you need to take to address them. Next, you generate a plan that you review with your change management group so that the work can be scheduled [c].

Potential Assessment Considerations

  • Are the responses to system security alerts and advisories identified in relation to the assessed severity of potential flaws (e.g., communicating with responsible personnel, initiating vulnerability scans, initiating system flaw remediation activities) [a]?

  • Are system security alerts and advisories addressed (e.g., assessing potential severity or likelihood, communicating with responsible personnel, initiating vulnerability scans, initiating system flaw remediation activities) [a,c]?