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NIST SP 800-30: Your Ultimate Guide to Proactive Risk Assessment

Nathan Oliver, Head of Cyber Security Nov 30, 2023

Nov 30, 2023

In the fast-paced digital landscape, where threats lurk in the shadows of every byte, safeguarding your organisation's information systems is paramount. One potent tool in this cybersecurity arsenal is NIST SP 800-30, your guide to conducting risk assessments that transcend the ordinary. Let's embark on a journey to unravel the essence of NIST SP 800-30 and explore how it can fortify your organisation's defences.

What is NIST SP 800-30? NIST SP 800-30, officially known as the "Guide for Conducting Risk Assessments," is the brainchild of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). This guide is not just a document; it's a shield against the evolving landscape of cyber threats. It provides a roadmap for conducting risk assessments tailored for federal information systems and organisations.

Establishing the Context:

In the world of risk assessment, clarity is power. NIST SP 800-30 emphasises setting the stage by defining the assessment's scope, identifying assets, and establishing clear objectives. Without this foundation, you're navigating uncharted waters blindfolded.

Identifying Threats and Vulnerabilities:

Think of this as a cyber detective's manual. It guides you on a quest to uncover potential threats and vulnerabilities that could compromise your organisation's security. The goal? Spot weaknesses before cyber adversaries exploit them.

Estimating Likelihood and Impact:

Assessing risk is like predicting the weather, but for cybersecurity. This step involves evaluating the likelihood of threats and the potential impact on the holy trinity of security: confidentiality, integrity, and availability.

Analysing and Prioritising Risks:

Not all risks are created equal. NIST SP 800-30 introduces a method to analyse and prioritise risks based on their potential impact and likelihood. It's your roadmap to focus your efforts where they matter the most.

Recommending Mitigation Strategies:

Armed with insights, it's time to take action. NIST SP 800-30 guides you in developing practical strategies to mitigate identified risks. Whether it's implementing security controls or tweaking system configurations, this step is about fortifying your defences.

Monitoring and Reviewing:

Cybersecurity is not a one-time event; it's an ongoing process. NIST SP 800-30 advocates for continuous monitoring and periodic reviews. This ensures your defences remain robust in the face of evolving threats.

Enhanced Security Posture: Implementing the risk assessment process outlined in NIST SP 800-30 is your proactive stance against potential threats. It significantly enhances your organisation's overall security posture, creating a resilient environment.

Informed Decision-Making:

Knowledge is power. Risk assessments empower you with valuable information for making informed decisions about resource allocation, security investments, and risk mitigation strategies.

Compliance with Regulations:

In the ever-evolving landscape of cybersecurity regulations, NIST SP 800-30 stands as a beacon of best practices. Implementing it ensures your organisation aligns with various regulations and standards, fostering a culture of compliance.

Improved Risk Management:

NIST SP 800-30 isn't just a guide; it's a philosophy. It lays the groundwork for a systematic approach to NIST risk management framework 800-30, ensuring risks are identified, assessed, and addressed in a structured manner.

Reduced Risk of Cyberattacks:

By proactively identifying and mitigating potential threats and vulnerabilities, organisations significantly reduce their risk of falling prey to cyberattacks. It's the armour that shields you in the digital battleground.

Microminder CS offers a range of services that align seamlessly with the principles outlined in NIST SP 800-30, providing tailored solutions to elevate your organisation's cybersecurity posture. Here's how our services can specifically benefit organisations navigating the landscape of risk assessments and cybersecurity:

1. Tailored Risk Assessment Programs:

Organisations can benefit from our expertise in aligning security postures with NIST SP 800-30 standards. Our tailored risk assessment programs are designed to identify, assess, and manage cybersecurity risks based on your unique business environment.

2. NIST SP 800-30 Compliance Programs:

Our compliance programs leverage NIST SP 800-30 controls and best practices to reduce security risks. We guide organisations in meeting compliance needs, ensuring adherence to standards that enhance overall cybersecurity resilience.

3. Comprehensive Security Solutions:

Microminder CS provides holistic security solutions that address vulnerabilities identified through risk assessments. From implementing security controls to offering a suite of services aimed at protecting valuable assets, our comprehensive approach enhances overall security.

4. Advanced Threat Detection and Response:

Proactive threat detection is crucial. Our services include advanced threat detection and response mechanisms, allowing organisations to swiftly identify and mitigate potential cyber threats before they escalate.

5. Security Awareness Training:

Human factors are often the weakest link in cybersecurity. Microminder CS offers security awareness training to educate employees about cybersecurity best practices, creating a workforce that can identify and report suspicious activity.

6. Continuous Monitoring:

Cybersecurity is not a one-time effort. Our continuous monitoring services ensure that your organisation's security measures are regularly assessed, and any evolving threats are promptly addressed.

7. Incident Response Planning:

In the event of a cyber incident, a well-defined incident response plan is crucial. Microminder CS assists organisations in developing and implementing effective incident response strategies, minimising the impact of security incidents. By combining these services, Microminder CS provides a robust cybersecurity framework that aligns with the proactive risk assessment philosophy of NIST SP 800-30. We empower organisations to navigate the cybersecurity landscape with confidence, ensuring their digital assets are secure and their operations remain resilient against emerging threats.

In the dynamic world of cybersecurity, proactive measures are the key to resilience. NIST SP 800-30 isn't just a guide; it's a philosophy that empowers organisations to navigate the riskscape with confidence. With Microminder CS by your side, this journey becomes not just a task but a triumph. Secure your digital frontier with the power of knowledge, proactive risk assessments, and the unwavering support of Microminder CS.

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What is NIST SP 800-30?

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How To Implement NIST 800-30 in Risk Assessments

Bad actors looking to exploit organizations have existed as long as the internet. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) developed its NIST Cybersecurity Framework (CSF) to meet the security demands of the emerging digital age. Special Publication 800-30 (NIST 800-30) offers guidance to public and private entities on how to perform risk assessments on their systems. 

What is NIST 800-30?

It can be hard for executives and security professionals with a primarily technical background to get on the same page about the best way to conduct risk assessments. NIST 800-30 acts as a bridge to help both parties understand what it will take to bolster their organizational and computer security defenses against inside and outside threats.

NIST SP 800 gives risk assessment teams clear guidance on analyzing and reporting risks to company leaders. Using a standard language format makes it easier to translate the impacts to the company in a business format, including the type of threats faced by an organization, how they could impact the company, and potential financial losses. 

Another benefit of using NIST 800-30 is that it provides common terminology for explaining risks, making it easier for security teams to translate risk assessment results into a business context. At the same time, company leaders gain a clear understanding of how any residual risks affect everyone in the organization. 

Who must comply with NIST 800-30?

NIST 800-30 is a voluntary framework that organizations can decide whether or not they want to adopt. It’s not audited — however, any company heavily reliant on technology should follow the NIST 800-30 guidelines for its risk management process. There’s never a day that organizations don’t face constant online threats looking for weak points in their IT infrastructure. 

Size shouldn’t be a factor in whether you use the NIST 800-30 guidance for risk analysis. Even small startups often rely on remote workers tapping into shared software-as-a-service (SaaS) applications and other cloud services. What happens if a hacker manages to compromise one of those assets?

Cybersecurity attackers often target healthcare organizations, financial institutions, and government agencies. Things got worse for hospitals and other healthcare institutions because of the COVID-19 epidemic. Ransomware became the weapon of choice as attackers sought to hijack healthcare systems and tap into valuable personal health information (PHI) data. The healthcare industry lost an average of $10 million to data breaches. 

How NIST 800-30 fits into cybersecurity risk management

With daily headlines about companies falling victim to cyber-attacks, company leaders have started facing the realities of how their internet dependency for essential business functions can expose them. As noted in IBM's annual Cost of a Data Breach report, companies lose an average of $9.44 million per data breach , with stolen credentials being the most common attack vector. 

Many companies need help figuring out how to carry out the risk assessment process and the associated impact analysis. Vulnerability identification regarding the multitude of cybersecurity threats they face can seem daunting. There’s the issue of data collection, parsing the information, and translating all of it into a readable, easily understood format. 

The NIST 800-30 framework guides company leaders and security personnel in creating and executing risk assessments that follow the NIST framework. Organizations should conduct risk assessments to gain a better understanding of the following:

• Any internal and external vulnerabilities that currently exist
• The most relevant threats to the company
• How various threats would impact business
• The likelihood of a threat occurring

Technology like HyperComply efficiently generates risk assessment questionnaires, making it easier for companies with the regulatory standard required for mandates like PCI DSS or HIPAA using the NIST 800-30 framework.

How to implement NIST 800-30 in your organization

Use the following best practices to develop and use risk assessments for improved risk mitigation and threat identification within your organization. 

1) Prepare for a risk assessment

Start by mapping out the reason for conducting the risk assessment. Are you looking to ensure you are complying with industry regulations? Is there a need to reinforce the protections you have around network endpoints? Are you looking to assess the current security protections of a new vendor ?

Once you’ve established the purpose of the assessment, you can start working on the following:

• Determining the scope of the risk assessment
• Coming up with assumptions and identifying restraints associated with the assessment
• Identifying the information sources to use for the risk assessment
• Determining which analytical approaches and models to use during the risk assessment

2) Conduct risk assessment

You can’t start your risk determination until you understand the following:

• The data held by your organization
• Where you hold the information (IT systems)
• What technology infrastructure your company has in place
• The value of the information you’re looking to protect

Start your data audit by answering the following questions:

• What information are we collecting?
• Who are we collecting the data from?
• Where are we storing the data?
• Who has access to the data?
• How secure is the data?

Assign a priority to individual assets to help you determine the width of the scope of your risk assessment. That enables you to decide which items you should work on: It may not be practical to conduct risk assessments on every person, device, or data source based on their perceived value. 

Identify sources of threat

Figure out the most significant threat sources your organization deals with. Examples include accidents, natural disasters, power outages, environmental concerns, and person-made problems. An example of a person-made issue might include an employee logging into a company system using an unsecured Wi-Fi connection or failing to implement a security patch.

Any of the above could trigger secondary vulnerabilities within your security safeguards and lead to threats like:

• Inside attacks
• Endpoint attacks
• Social engineering 
• Lax security controls
• Service disruptions
• Vulnerable business applications or cloud services

Pinpoint vulnerabilities and predisposing conditions

Start looking at past risk assessments, including comments within logs left by auditors. Map out each vulnerability you discover within the context of any security requirements. That means figuring out which information technology systems are associated with those risks and if conditions already exist that leave your company more exposed to threats. 

Determine the likelihood of occurrence

Assign each risk to different tears based on how likely it is that the threat could occur and cause adverse impacts to your company. If a potential adversary doesn’t have the resources to initiate a specific scenario, you should move that threat lower on the chances of it happening. You should also consider how likely it is that your organization would be targeted for specific attacks based on the functions it performs. 

Determine the magnitude of the impact

Examine the extent of harm a threat could cause to your operations, assets, workers, or vendors. Factor in the likelihood of your organization’s ability to contain the threat to determine impact severity. You should examine potential threat targets like:

• Data repositories
• Information systems
• Business applications
• Communication links

You have to understand the magnitude of the impact of every risk identified through your process.

Determine risk

Figure out the actual risk level a threat poses to your organization based on the likelihood of it occurring and the depth of the impact. Explicitly spell out assumptions about your organization and how you came to your decision. Come up with a way to score each risk, keeping in mind that multiple moderate-level risks can be as much of a danger as one high-level risk. 

3) Communicate results of the risk assessment

Decision-makers should have risk assessment information to guide their decisions around security investments. Formats to use include interactive dashboards, briefings, or risk assessment reports. You can make the presentation formal or informal based on your company environment. 

4) Maintain risk assessment

Organizations need to keep the information within risk assessments current to support ongoing decision-making related to risk response. A change management mechanism should be in place to capture changes found through risk monitoring. 

NIST 800-53 control families

The control families outlined in NIST Special Publication 800-53 (SP 500-53), initially developed for federal agencies, can be used by any organization to help with risk management around storing, processing, and transmitting data. Each control family contains specific techniques and functions. 

Access control

The access control section covers any controls tied to system, network, and device access. The guidance helps organizations correctly implement the following:

• Access control policies
• Account management policies
• User privileges

Awareness and training

The guidance here gives companies insight into ensuring that users given access to information systems have proper training and the awareness needed to recognize potential threats. Use this section to help develop policies around good record-keeping and cybersecurity training. This can be especially important for companies that work with third-party vendors . 

Audit and accountability

This control family provides explanations on establishing event logging and audit procedures, including the following:

• Baselines for audit records
• How much capacity to allot for log storing
• How to conduct reviews and log monitoring

Assessment, authorization, and monitoring

Here, the focus is on improving security and privacy controls. You can also learn about delegating responsibilities, setting up assessment plans, and locating and fixing vulnerabilities.

Configuration management

This section contains information on configuring software and devices on company networks. The goal is to help organizations lower their risk of someone installing unauthorized hardware or software within business systems. It contains details on the following:

• Baseline system configurations
• Configuration policy
• Dealing with managed access to devices

Contingency planning

The guidance here teaches companies about controls needed to prepare for potential breaches or system failures. It details system backup and alternative storage options to mitigate potential system downtime.

Identification and authentication

This section covers controls to identify users and devices using a company’s systems and networks. You can use the information here to strengthen your management policies and lower risks associated with unauthorized access. 

Incident response

The IR family covers enhanced controls used to cover specific threat events like data breaches, supply chain issues, malicious code, and dealing with PR fallout. 

Maintenance

This section covers various methods of conducting system maintenance, inspections, software updates, and logging. It outlines specific policies aimed at reducing risks associated with outages. You can also learn more about managing maintenance personnel. 

Media protection

The media protection control family offers insight into storing, using, and destroying company media files safely. Use it to come up with baseline controls for your organization and how to lower your organization’s risk of experiencing a data breach. 

Physical and environmental protection

The controls outlined in this section cover physical facility and device access. Use the techniques outlined here to establish physical access control policies. You can also use them for planning responses to sudden power loss or the need to relocate to a different facility in an emergency. 

The controls in the planning section cover baseline system settings for security controls related to:

• System architecture
• System security plans
• Privacy security plans
• Management processes

Program management

The controls outlined under program management cover the management of information and organizational systems. Organizations can use them to establish information security, risk management, and critical infrastructure plans. 

Personnel security

This control family covers procedures related to personnel management and provides insight into IT security risks linked to different company positions. Use them to establish organizational guidelines around terminating contracts.

Personally identifiable information processing and transparency

This section helps businesses understand how to reduce risks by establishing policies for storing and managing PII. 

Risk assessment

The risk assessment control family helps organizations protect their systems and information when they acquire assets or install a new system.

System and services acquisition

These controls cover various ways organizations can safely acquire new devices and services while protecting existing data and information systems. 

System and communications protection

The controls outlined in this section cover how to establish safe management policies for shared devices. Organizations can use this information to develop access controls, set-up procedures, usage restrictions, and guidelines for managing communication systems. 

System and information integrity

SI controls help maintain the integrity of information systems throughout the organization. Topics covered in this section include best practices for setting up protections against malicious code and spam. 

Supply chain risk management

The controls here cover ways for organizations to mitigate supply chain risks. Topics covered include conducting supply chain component inspections, assessing suppliers and vendors, and managing suppliers. 

Establish NIST 800-30 guidelines successfully with HyperComply

The information provided in NIST 800-30 helps establish a unified set of guidelines for conducting risk assessments on organizational threats. Industries like healthcare and finance face extensive threats from bad actors looking to steal personal data or hijack business systems. 

HyperComply helps companies simplify the workflows associated with developing risk assessment questionnaires. Click here to learn how to use HyperComply to adapt to using NIST 800-30 guidelines within your company.

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Basics of the NIST Risk Assessment Framework

In the same way businesses have security measures for their physical locations, every business needs to shore up its cyberdefenses. With cybercrime on the rise, and hackers often outpacing even the strongest and smartest cybersecurity systems, it’s extremely important to keep all architecture and practices up to date. To that end, the NIST risk assessment framework is one of the best ways to understand exactly what risks are posed to your business, as well as how to mitigate and manage them.

That’s why you need to be thinking seriously about assessment.

The National Institute of Standards and Technology , also known as NIST, is an agency within the broader United States Department of Commerce. It’s responsible for establishing many requirements and precedents for the operation of technology, including rules and regulations regarding the assessment and management of risk.

Over the course of the following sections, we’ll cover the following NIST frameworks and protocols in detail:

• NIST Risk Assessment Guidelines
• NIST Risk Management Framework
• NIST Cybersecurity Framework

But first, let’s get into why any of this even matters.

Why is NIST Risk Assessment Important?

It’s important because risk assessment is an essential part of your institution’s overall cybersecurity practices. Plus, it may be a requirement for your business.

Businesses in the private sector may or may not need to follow the controls in the NIST Cybersecurity Framework (CSF). But all companies in business with the Department of Defense (DoD) need to follow NIST Risk Management Framework (RMF) principles, including risk assessment, due to the Federal Information Security Modernization Act (FISMA).

Let’s go over what the risk assessment protocols are, then dive deeper into the overall requirements of both the RMF and the CSF.

NIST Risk Assessment 101

The NIST risk assessment methodology is a relatively straightforward set of procedures laid out in NIST Special Publication 800-30: Guide for conducting Risk Assessments . In this guide, NIST breaks the process down into four simple steps:

• Prepare assessment
• Conduct assessment
• Share assessment findings
• Maintain assessment

Let’s take a closer look at each, beginning with the preparation step:

Preparing the Assessment

This first step is key to the overall success of your risk assessment—and therefore your entire risk management . Preparation is heavily influenced and shaped by the framing stage of your risk management, which the RMF 101 section below covers in more detail.

In order to prepare for a full-fledged risk assessment, you need to:

• Identify purpose for the assessment.
• Identify scope of the assessment.
• Identify assumptions and constraints to use.
• Identify sources of information (inputs).
• Identify risk model and analytic approach to use.

Across these various identification processes, you’ll set yourself up for a successful implementation by knowing exactly what you’re studying, why, and how.

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Conducting the assessment.

This step is the main focus of the entire risk assessment process; it entails putting your plan into action. The assessment comprises two main sub-processes.

The first is further identification, and the second involves analysis of data uncovered:

• Identification – You need to define what particular threats exist, what their sources are, and what potential events could occur as a result of vulnerabilities being exploited.
• Determination – Once you have identified the threats, you need to determine all possible negative impacts they could have on all parties involved, as well as the relative likelihood of each possible scenario.

Once all this data is compiled, it’s time to put it to use.

Sharing Assessment Findings

The next step entails gathering the information generated from the assessment and communicating it to all parties who could be impacted by the risks and scenarios plotted.

This stage is more straightforward than the previous two. It’s virtually the same for all organizations that undertake it, with the caveat that major differences in scope and scale of both the company and the risk assessment are reflected in how this stage functions.

Maintaining Assessment

The final part of NIST risk assessment methodology entails setting yourself up for continued, ongoing assessment over the long term. This stage comprises a combination of detailed monitoring of all previously identified risk factors, as well as scanning for new ones.

In addition, you also need to constantly update your communication and other risk management practices based on new findings. It’s important that assessment is not an isolated one-time occurrence. Rather, it needs to be an element of your company’s overall culture.

NIST Risk Management Framework 101

NIST Special Publication 800-37 , titled “Risk Management Framework for Information Systems and Organizations: A System Life Cycle Approach for Security and Privacy,” is the document that details the specific procedures required for risk management.

As the name makes explicit, the RMF is comprehensive and long term, spanning the “life cycle” of a company. The seven steps detailed throughout the guide are:

• Preparation
• Categorization
• Implementation
• Authorization

Now, let’s take a close look at each in order to better understand how they relate to risk assessment and overall management:

Step 1: Prepare

Just like the microcosm of NIST cybersecurity assessment framework , the broader macro level of RMF begins with a solid foundation of preparation. However, unlike the equivalent of this stage in the above scheme, preparing for RMF is a much less particular and granular process.

Rather than a specific set of items that need to be identified for study, preparation for company-wide risk management involves gathering all data possible that could pertain to risk. That includes information about all stakeholders in the company, as well as detailed breakdowns of the company’s assets and business practices.

This stage is all about compiling as much information as possible.

Step 2: Categorize

Once you have the information, it’s time to mobilize it for future analysis and processing by implementing strong indexing and categorization.

NIST publishes several documents to aid in the schematic categories various risk-related information may fall into:

• Overall potential impact on system
• Specific resources and personnel impacted
• Confidentiality
• Availability

This step, coupled with the first, completes the framing portion of risk management.

Step 3: Select

This step works in conjunction with the next; selection refers to the determination of any and all particular security controls that will be implemented in order to address the risks identified previously. Selection will depend upon the cybersecurity architecture deployed by the company, as well as any relevant compliance requirements.

Step 3 is also informed by Steps 1 and 2 in that the particular practices and measures selected pertain to the categorization of risks identified.

Step 4: Implement

Implementation comprises actually putting into place any and all controls and practices selected in the previous step. This can be an arduous process, and is by far the most involved and high-stakes portion of the entire RMF.

Some examples of what implementation may look like include:

• Adoption of pre-shared key identity authentication, per SP 800-77 , “Guide to IPsec VPNs,” for companies migrating to or otherwise dealing with VPN issues.
• Corrections to bring inventory and other practices up to date according to the requirements detailed in SP 1800-23A , “Energy Sector Asset Management.”

The particular controls put in place will vary widely, depending on the specific risks being dealt with, as well as the needs and means of the organization.

Step 5: Assess

This step involves assessing the efficacy of all practices and measures implemented in the previous step. In particular, assessment seeks to identify success and failure rates (as well as outcomes and side effects) of the implementation step.

While it shares a name with the risk assessment procedure detailed above, it’s unrelated. This form of assessment does suss out whether risks are present, but that’s not the primary focus. Instead, you’re looking to see if your risk management practices worked.

The ultimate aim of assessment, as part of the RMF? Getting back to normal.

Step 6: Authorize

This is the stage where that stamp of normalcy is set—or isn’t. Authorization involves deciding whether or not some portion of your overall systems impacted by risk (or all systems) are fit to return to business as normal. A few of the most likely outcomes include:

• Full authorization to operate, subject to monitoring (see below)
• Indefinite or definite suspension of authorization to operate
• Full removal of authorization, pending radical recovery

This is ultimately the final payoff of all preceding steps – where you finally know whether your risks have been addressed well enough to return to normal.

But that doesn’t mean you’re done yet…

Step 7: Monitor

Finally, the last step in RMF involves an extension of the assessment process (step 5) over a longer period of time. Namely, in order to ensure proper authorization into the future, you need to monitor any impacted systems at regular intervals (once every 3 years, etc.) to ensure that no new threats have developed, nor have any previously addressed threats resurfaced.

NIST Cybersecurity Framework 101

Aside from the rigid RMF that DoD contractors must follow, NIST also publishes more generalized security guidelines applicable to businesses in any sector. The Cybersecurity Framework is detailed in the publication Framework for Improving Critical Infrastructure Cybersecurity , version 1.1 of which was published in 2018 to update 2014’s initial v.1.

The CSF is a risk-based approach that centers around a deep understanding of the risks themselves. It ultimately breaks down into three major components:

• Framework Core
• Framework Implementation Tiers
• Framework Organizational profiles

As we did for the RMF above, let’s take a closer look at each part of the CSF here:

Component 1: Framework Core

The CSF Framework Core is the main logical underpinning of all cybersecurity architecture based on CSF. It gives shape to the various practices and procedures meant to deliver outcomes—namely, privacy and security.

All in all, the CSF Core is composed of five main functions:

• Identify – Identifying and documenting all resources, assets, risks, etc.
• Protect – Developing safety measures designed to keep critical services operating
• Detect – Recognizing and preparing for response to abnormal events
• Respond – Undertaking immediate practices to mitigate and eliminate risks
• Recover – Planning resilience and pathways to recoup compromised assets

The outcomes each core function aims at depend upon successful implementation of the practices each comprises.

Component 2: Implementation Tiers

The tiers of implementation within the CSF designate the scope of an organization’s particular approach to risk management with respect to how robust and rigorous their practices are. There are four tiers in total, with ascending levels of rigor:

• Tier 1: Partial
• Tier 2: Risk Informed
• Tier 3: Repeatable
• Tier 4: Adaptive

Importantly, while the tiers do reflect the relative strength of an organization’s dedication to risk management, they are not indicators of maturity. A company doesn’t need to move “up” the tier ladder to be more safe. Many companies at Tier 1 operate safely enough for their needs.

Component 3: Organizational Profiles

Profiles, similar to the tiers above, provide descriptions of the state of cybersecurity and risk management at a company. In particular, they are detailed descriptions of various cybersecurity activities. Just as a tier provides a picture of what risk management looks like at a company, a profile provides a smaller-scale picture of what an individual part of the whole system looks like.

Companies may choose to create several profiles for any individual activity. Each profile takes into consideration various factors concerning an activity, including all risks associated and information about the institution’s tier and approach.

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Here at RSI Security, our mission is to help companies of all shapes and sizes get the cybersecurity protection they need. A key component of that, as we’ve established above, is generating a cyber risk assessment report that breaks down your:

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Guide to Password Management in Network Security

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Information Technology Laboratory

Computer security resource center.

SP 800-30 Rev. 1

Guide for conducting risk assessments.

    Documentation     Topics

Date Published: September 2012

Supersedes: SP 800-30 (July 2002)

Joint Task Force Transformation Initiative

Control Families

Security Assessment and Authorization; Planning; Program Management; Risk Assessment; System and Services Acquisition;

Documentation

Publication: SP 800-30 Rev. 1 (DOI) Local Download

Supplemental Material: SP 800-30 Rev. 1 (EPUB) (txt) Press Release (other)

Security and Privacy audit & accountability ; planning ; risk assessment

Laws and Regulations Federal Information Security Modernization Act ; Homeland Security Presidential Directive 7

• September 12, 2023

Mastering NIST 800-30: A Guide to Effective Risk Assessments

Art Clomera

Vice President, Operations

What is NIST 800-30?

Who must comply with nist 800-30, how to implement nist 800-30 in your organization, step 1: prepare the assessment, assemble a diverse team, define scope and assets, identify potential threats and vulnerabilities, set well-defined goals, determine analysis detail, step 2: conduct the assessment, gather relevant data, utilize established methodologies, quantify risk likelihood and impact, evaluate existing security controls, calculate overall risk levels, prioritize risks, inform risk response strategy, step 3: communicate, present assessment findings, use non-technical language, explain organizational impact, discuss the rationale for prioritization, propose mitigation strategies, address costs and benefits, collaboratively finalize risk management plan, step 4: implement mitigation measures, execute the risk management plan, enhance existing controls, adopt new technologies, revise operational procedures, responsibility assignment, establish a timeline, regular monitoring, adaptability, documentation, step 5: monitor and review, regular monitoring of effectiveness, measurement of risk reduction, tracking changes in the threat landscape, periodic reviews for alignment, step 6: continuous improvement, iterative risk assessment process, incorporating lessons learned, step 7: training and awareness, educating employees about cybersecurity importance, empowering employees through training, prompt reporting of unusual activities, step 8: collaboration and integration, integrating risk assessment with organizational frameworks, fostering it and cross-department collaboration, establish nist 800-30 guidelines and automate your cybersecurity program with ipkeys, automated assessments  , save time and money  , experienced team  , comprehensive reporting  , customized risk management  , real-time monitoring  , regulatory compliance  , nist 800-30 – common faqs  , what is the difference between nist 800-30 and 800-39, what is the nist 800 series, what are the benefits of nist 800-30, how is nist sp 800-30 implemented in the department of defense (dod) systems, more from ipkeys.

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Comparison between ISO 27005, OCTAVE & NIST SP 800-30

Unfortunately, hope is not a plan, so organizations look to standards bodies like ISO , OCTAVE, PCI DSS , NIST, etc for guidance on security best practices. But choosing a best practices standard or framework to follow is its challenge. There are many of them and many factors to evaluate, including the standards’ similarities to existing organizational practices, costs, complexity, supporting documentation.

Risk Assessment Methodologies:

The term methodology means an organized set of principles and rules that drive action in a particular field of knowledge. A methodology does not describe specific methods; nevertheless it does specify several processes that need to be followed. These processes constitute a generic framework. They may be broken down in sub-processes, they may be combined, or their sequence may change. However, any risk management exercise must carry out these processes in one form or another; the following document compares the processes foreseen by three leading standards (ISO 27005, NIST SP 800-30 & OCTAVE).

ISO/IEC 27005:2008 is applicable to all types of organizations (e.g. commercial enterprises, government agencies, non-profit organizations) which intend to manage risks that could compromise the organization’s information security.” ISO 27005 is widely accepted methodology and it covers technology, people and process in risk assessment.

ISO 27005 Framework

The framework can divided in the following steps:

• Risk identification
• Risk estimation
• Risk evaluation

The ISO/IEC 27002:2005 Code of practice for information security management recommends the following be examined during a risk assessment:

• security policy,
• organization of information security,
• asset management,
• human resources security,
• physical and environmental security,
• communications and operations management,
• access control,
• information systems acquisition, development and maintenance
• information security incident management,
• business continuity management, and
• Regulatory compliance.

Risk Identification

Risk identification states what could cause a potential loss; the following are to be identified:

• assets, primary (i.e. Business processes and related information) and supporting (i.e. hardware, software, personnel, site, organization structure)
• existing and planned security measures
• vulnerabilities
• consequences
• related business processes

The output of sub process is made up of:

• list of asset and related business processes to be risk managed with associated list of threats, existing and planned security measures
• list of vulnerabilities unrelated to any identified threats
• list of incident scenarios with their consequences.

Risk estimation has as input the output of risk analysis and can be split in the following steps:

• assessment of the consequences through the valuation of assets
• assessment of the likelihood of the incident (through threat and vulnerability valuation)
• assign values to the likelihood and consequence of the risks

Purely quantitative risk assessment is a mathematical calculation based on security metrics on the  asset (system or application). Qualitative risk assessment (three to five steps evaluation, from Very High to Low) is performed when the organization requires a risk assessment be performed in a relatively short time or to meet a small budget, a significant quantity of relevant data is not available, or the persons performing the assessment don’t have the sophisticated mathematical, financial, and risk assessment expertise required. Qualitative risk assessment can be performed in a shorter period of time and with less data. Qualitative risk assessments are typically performed through interviews of a sample of personnel from all relevant groups within an organization charged with the security of the asset being assessed. Qualitative risk assessments are descriptive versus measurable. Usually a qualitative classification is done followed by a quantitative evaluation of the highest risks to be compared to the costs of security measures.

Risk Evaluation

The risk evaluation process receives as input the output of risk analysis process. It compares each risk level against the risk acceptance criteria and prioritises the risk list with risk treatment indications.

NIST SP 800 30 framework

NIST SP 800-30 is most suited for Technology related risk assessment aligned with common criteria. The risk assessment methodology encompasses nine primary steps:

• Step 1 System Characterization
• Step 2 Threat Identification
• Step 3 Vulnerability Identification
• Step 4 Control Analysis
• Step 5 Likelihood Determination
• Step 6 Impact Analysis
• Step 7 Risk Determination
• Step 8 Control Recommendations
• Step 9 Results Documentation

Risk Mitigation

Risk mitigation, the second process according to SP 800-30, the third according to ISO 27005 of risk management, involves prioritizing, evaluating, and implementing the appropriate risk-reducing controls recommended from the risk assessment process.

ISO 27005 framework

The risk treatment process aim at selecting security measures to:

Risk and produce a risk treatment plan, that is the output of the process with the residual risks subject to the acceptance of management.

Risk mitigation is a systematic methodology used by senior management to reduce mission risk. Risk mitigation can be achieved through any of the following risk mitigation options:

• Risk Assumption . To accept the potential risk and continue operating the IT system or to implement controls to lower the risk to an acceptable level
• Risk Avoidance . To avoid the risk by eliminating the risk cause and/or consequence (e.g., forgo certain functions of the system or shut down the system when risks are identified)
• Risk Limitation . To limit the risk by implementing controls that minimize the adverse impact of a threat’s exercising a vulnerability (e.g., use of supporting, preventive, detective controls)
• Risk Planning . To manage risk by developing a risk mitigation plan that prioritizes, implements, and maintains controls
• Research and Acknowledgement . To lower the risk of loss by acknowledging the vulnerability or flaw and researching controls to correct the vulnerability
• Risk Transference . To transfer the risk by using other options to compensate for the loss, such as purchasing insurance.

OCTAVE framework

OCTAVE is targeted at organizational risk and focused on strategic, practice-related issues. It is a flexible evaluation that can be tailored for most organizations. OCTAVE is most suited for process specific risk assessment which is based on people’s knowledge. The organizational, technological and analysis aspects of an information security risk evaluation are undertaken by a three-phased approach with eight processes.

• Process 1 – Identify senior management knowledge
• Process 2 – Identify operational area management knowledge
• Process 3 – Identify staff knowledge
• Process 4 – Create threat profile
• Phase 2: Identify infrastructure vulnerabilities (technological evaluation) –

The analysis team identifies network access paths and the classes of IT components related to each critical asset. The team then determines the extent to which each class of component is resistant to network attacks and establishes the technological vulnerabilities that expose the critical assets.

• Process 5 – Identify key components
• Process 6 – Evaluate selected components

Phase 3: Develop security strategy and mitigation plans (strategy and plan development)   — The analysis team establishes risks to the organisation’s critical assets based on analysis of the information gathered and decides what to do about them. The team creates a protection strategy for the organisation and mitigation plans to address identified risks. The team also determines the ‘next steps’ required for implementation and gains senior management’s approval on the outcome of the whole process.

• Process 7 – Conduct risk analysis
• Process 8 – Develop protection mitigation plan

Differences – Organizational Perspective

• NIST  is primarily a management system and allows for third party execution. NIST SP 800-30 is most suited for Technology related risk assess. NIST guidance explores more tactical, organizational issues.
• OCTAVE  Method is self directed. Only organizational resources are allowed to implement the process. Evaluation is an actual process managed by conducting elicitation, consolidation and analysis workshops.
• ISO 27005  covers People, Process & Technology and is generally geared towards higher-level, management practices.
• NIST  mentions roles in methodology but does not create an assessment team
• OCTAVE  details the creation on an analysis (assessment) team comprising representatives from both the business lines and the IT department of the organization
• ISO 27005   mention that right persons (both technical and business people) are involved in the risk assessment
• NIST  uses typical techniques for information gathering such as questionnaires, interviews and document reviews
• OCTAVE  uses a workshop-based approach to both gather information and make decisions
• ISO 27005   uses same techniques as used in NIST SP 800 – 30 with addition to observation of processes mentioned in organization policies.

Differences – Technical Perspective

• NIST  does not address human resources as a possible organizational asset
• OCTAVE  Method seeks to identify human resources that may be a “mission-critical” asset with respect to IT issues
• ISO 27005   specifically covers human resource security which include employees, contractors and third – party users.
• NIST  relies on role definition to determine use for testing purposes
• OCTAVE  uses a workshop for process 5, whose participants are primarily the core team, to use software tools specifically for previously identified vulnerabilities.
• ISO 27005   uses system and network audit tools for technical compliance checking
• NIST  develops Security Requirements Checklists for the security areas of management, operational and technical.
• OCTAVE  relies upon the creation of three catalogs of information: catalog of practices, threat profile and catalog of vulnerabilities. These catalogs then create the baseline for the organization.
• ISO 27005 documentation covers all security controls clauses defined in ISO 27002 standard. And each clause contains a number of main security categories based on which an organization identify applicable clauses.

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Change Number: DFARS Change 04/25/2024 Effective Date: 04/25/2024

252.204-7019 Notice of NISTSP 800-171 DoD Assessment Requirements.

As prescribed in 204.7304(d), use the following provision:

NOTICE OF NIST SP 800–171 DOD ASSESSMENT REQUIREMENTS (NOV 2023)

(a) Definitions .

“Basic Assessment”, “Medium Assessment”, and “High Assessment” have the meaning given in the clause 252.204-7020, NIST SP 800-171 DoD Assessments.

“Covered contractor information system” has the meaning given in the clause 252.204-7012, Safeguarding Covered Defense Information and Cyber Incident Reporting, of this solicitation.

(b) Requirement. In order to be considered for award, if the Offeror is required to implement NIST SP 800–171, the Offeror shall have a current assessment ( i.e., not more than 3 years old unless a lesser time is specified in the solicitation) (see 252.204–7020) for each covered contractor information system that is relevant to the offer, contract, task order, or delivery order. The Basic, Medium, and High NIST SP 800–171 DoD Assessments are described in the NIST SP 800–171 DoD Assessment Methodology located at https://www.acq.osd.mil/asda/dpc/cp/cyber/docs/safeguarding/NIST-SP-800-171-Assessment-Methodology-Version-1.2.1-6.24.2020.pdf .

(c) Procedures .

(1) The Offeror shall verify that summary level scores of a current NIST SP 800-171 DoD Assessment (i.e., not more than 3 years old unless a lesser time is specified in the solicitation) are posted in the Supplier Performance Risk System (SPRS) () for all covered contractor information systems relevant to the offer.

(2) If the Offeror does not have summary level scores of a current NIST SP 800-171 DoD Assessment (i.e., not more than 3 years old unless a lesser time is specified in the solicitation) posted in SPRS, the Offeror may conduct and submit a Basic Assessment to for posting to SPRS in the format identified in paragraph (d) of this provision.

(d) Summary level scores . Summary level scores for all assessments will be posted 30 days post-assessment in SPRS to provide DoD Components visibility into the summary level scores of strategic assessments.

(1) Basic Assessments . An Offeror may follow the procedures in paragraph (c)(2) of this provision for posting Basic Assessments to SPRS.

(i) The email shall include the following information:

(A) Cybersecurity standard assessed (e.g., NIST SP 800-171 Rev 1).

(B) Organization conducting the assessment (e.g., Contractor self-assessment).

(C) For each system security plan (security requirement 3.12.4) supporting the performance of a DoD contract—

(1) All industry Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) code(s) associated with the information system(s) addressed by the system security plan; and

(2) A brief description of the system security plan architecture, if more than one plan exists.

(D) Date the assessment was completed.

(E) Summary level score (e.g., 95 out of 110, NOT the individual value for each requirement).

(F) Date that all requirements are expected to be implemented (i.e., a score of 110 is expected to be achieved) based on information gathered from associated plan(s) of action developed in accordance with NIST SP 800-171.

(ii) If multiple system security plans are addressed in the email described at paragraph (d)(1)(i) of this section, the Offeror shall use the following format for the report:

(2) Medium and High Assessments . DoD will post the following Medium and/or High Assessment summary level scores to SPRS for each system assessed:

(i) The standard assessed (e.g., NIST SP 800-171 Rev 1).

(ii) Organization conducting the assessment, e.g., DCMA, or a specific organization (identified by Department of Defense Activity Address Code (DoDAAC)).

(iii) All industry CAGE code(s) associated with the information system(s) addressed by the system security plan.

(iv) A brief description of the system security plan architecture, if more than one system security plan exists.

(v) Date and level of the assessment, i.e., medium or high.

(vi) Summary level score (e.g., 105 out of 110, not the individual value assigned for each requirement).

(vii) Date that all requirements are expected to be implemented (i.e., a score of 110 is expected to be achieved) based on information gathered from associated plan(s) of action developed in accordance with NIST SP 800-171.

(3) Accessibility .

(i) Assessment summary level scores posted in SPRS are available to DoD personnel, and are protected, in accordance with the standards set forth in DoD Instruction 5000.79, Defense-wide Sharing and Use of Supplier and Product Performance Information (PI).

(ii) Authorized representatives of the Offeror for which the assessment was conducted may access SPRS to view their own summary level scores, in accordance with the SPRS Software User’s Guide for Awardees/Contractors available at https://www.sprs.csd.disa.mil/pdf/SPRS_Awardee.pdf .

(iii) A High NIST SP 800-171 DoD Assessment may result in documentation in addition to that listed in this section. DoD will retain and protect any such documentation as “Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI)” and intended for internal DoD use only. The information will be protected against unauthorized use and release, including through the exercise of applicable exemptions under the Freedom of Information Act (e.g., Exemption 4 covers trade secrets and commercial or financial information obtained from a contractor that is privileged or confidential).

(End of provision)

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https://www.nist.gov/news-events/news/2024/05/nist-finalizes-updated-guidelines-protecting-sensitive-information

NIST Finalizes Updated Guidelines for Protecting Sensitive Information

• To do business with the federal government, contractors and other organizations are required to follow NIST guidelines for protecting the sensitive information they handle.
• NIST has updated these guidelines for consistency and ease of use.
• The final updates were based in part on feedback that users provided on earlier drafts published last year.

Contractors and other organizations that do business with the federal government now have clearer, more straightforward guidance for protecting the sensitive data they handle. 

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has finalized its updated guidelines for protecting this data, known as controlled unclassified information (CUI), in two publications: Protecting Controlled Unclassified Information in Nonfederal Systems and Organizations  ( NIST Special Publication [SP] 800-171, Revision 3 ), and its companion, Assessing Security Requirements for Controlled Unclassified Information  ( NIST SP 800-171A, Revision 3 ). 

These guidelines require organizations to safeguard CUI such as intellectual property and employee health information. Systems that process, store and transmit CUI often support government programs involving critical assets, such as weapons systems and communications systems, which are potential targets for adversaries. 

The two publications draw on NIST’s source catalog of security and privacy controls (NIST SP 800-53) and assessment procedures (NIST  SP 800-53 A). Before this update, the wording of these documents did not match the language of the source catalogs, potentially creating ambiguity in the security requirements and uncertainty in security requirement assessments. The update is designed to address these issues and also streamline and harmonize NIST’s portfolio of cybersecurity guidance.

“For the sake of our private sector customers, we want our guidance to be clear, unambiguous and tightly coupled with the catalog of controls and assessment procedures used by federal agencies,” said NIST’s Ron Ross, one of the publications’ authors. “This update is a significant step toward that goal.”

NIST released draft versions of the guidelines for public comment last year. Ross said that the update acknowledges the community’s interest in making the safeguards available in machine-readable formats, such as JSON and Excel, which would benefit cybersecurity tool developers and implementing organizations. These alternate formats are now available through NIST’s  Cybersecurity and Privacy Reference Tool . 

“Toolmakers often want to import relevant sections of the guidance directly into an electronic form for easier reference and use,” he said. “Providing the guidance in these additional formats will allow them to do that. It will help a wider group of users to understand the requirements and implement them more quickly and efficiently.”

Additionally, to assist implementers already using Revision 2, NIST has issued an analysis of changes that details how each requirement has evolved. 

The companion publication, SP 800-171A, is designed to help users assess the security requirements in SP 800-171 to determine if the requirements have been met. The publication includes a complete set of updated assessment procedures that correspond to the changes to the security requirements as well as new material to illustrate how to conduct security requirement assessments.

In the coming months, NIST plans to revise other supporting publications on protecting CUI associated with high-value assets and critical programs. These forthcoming updates will include NIST SP 800-172 (enhanced security requirements) and NIST SP 800-172A (enhanced security requirement assessments). 

Read more about the release at the NIST Computer Security Resource Center .