Implementing the NIST Risk Management Framework.

The NIST-RMF provides a structured process integrating information security and risk management activities into the system development life cycle.

It is important to prioritize security requirements and allocation resources to information security and privacy needs. This decision making gets facilitated by a comprehensive Risk Management Framework (RMF). Likewise, NIST-RMF will help to promote the development and dissemination of security and privacy policies and procedures.

Risk management is a comprehensive process that requires organizations to:

Frame Risk: Establish a risk context by describing the environment in which risk-based decisions are made and produce a risk management strategy.

Assess Risk: Identify threat sources and vulnerabilities to the organization, potential mission/business impact, likelihood and uncertainty of occurrence.

Respond to Risk: Provide consistent organization-wide response to risk by developing and evaluating alternative courses of action, determining appropriate course of action and implementing the risk response.

Monitor Risk: Verify planned risk response measures are implemented, determine ongoing effectiveness of risk response, and how risk is monitored over time.

A key to implement a successful organization-wide risk management program is obtaining a support from the top management. To get this support you can stress the main goal of NIST-RMF is to enable the organization to conduct its day-to-day operations and accomplish its missions without interruption.

The Risk Management Framework provides organizations with several key benefits:

There are seven steps in the NIST-RMF: a preparatory step to ensure that organizations are ready to execute the process and six main steps. The NIST-RMF Steps are listed in sequential order, but the steps following the Prepare step can be carried out in a nonsequential order. Organizations have flexibility in how each of the NIST-RMF steps and tasks are implemented, as long as they meet all applicable requirements and effectively manage security and privacy risk.

All seven steps are essential for the successful execution of the NIST-RMF.

1. Prepare: carry out essential activities to help prepare the organization to manage its security and privacy risks using the NIST-RMF.

1.1 - Establish Risk Management Roles: identify and assign individuals to specific roles associated with security and privacy risk management.

1.2 - Establish a Risk Management Strategy: establish a risk management strategy for the organization that includes a determination of risk tolerance.

1.3 - Risk Assessment – Organization: assess organization-wide security and privacy risk and update the risk assessment results on an ongoing basis.

1.4 - Organizationally-tailored Control Baselines and CSF Profiles (optional): establish, document, and publish organizationally-tailored control baselines and/or cybersecurity framework profiles./p>

1.5 - Common Control Identification: identify, document, and publish organization-wide common controls that are available for inheritance by organizational systems.

1.6 - Impact Level Prioritization: prioritize organizational systems within the same impact level.

1.7 - Continuous Monitoring Strategy – Organization: develop and implement an organization-wide strategy for continuously monitoring control effectiveness.

1.8 - Mission or Business Focus: identify the missions, business functions, and mission/business processes that the system is intended to support.

1.9 - System Stakeholders: Identify stakeholders who have an interest in the design, development, implementation, assessment, operation, maintenance, or disposal of the system.

1.10 - Asset Identification: identify assets that require protection.

1.11 - Authorization Boundary: determine the authorization boundary of the system.

1.12 - Information Types: identify the types of information to be processed, stored, or transmitted by the system.

1.13 - Information Life Cycle: identify and understand all stages of the information life cycle for each information type processed, stored, or transmitted by the system.

1.14 - Risk Assessment – System: conduct a system-level risk assessment and update the risk assessment results on an ongoing basis.

1.15 - Requirements Definition: define the security and privacy requirements for the system and the environment of operation.

1.16 - Enterprise Architecture: determine the placement of the system within the enterprise architecture.

1.17 - Requirements Allocation: allocate security and privacy requirements to the system and to the environment of operation.

1.18 - System Registration: register the system with organizational program or management offices.

2. Categorize: Inform organizational risk management processes and tasks by determining the adverse impact of the loss of confidentiality, integrity, and availability of organizational systems and information to the organization.

2.1 - System Description: document the characteristics of the system.

2.2 - Security Categorization: categorize the system and document the security categorization results.

2.3 - Security Categorization Review and Approval: review and approve the security categorization results and decision.

3. Select: tailor, select and document the controls necessary to protect the system and organization commensurate with risk to organizational operations and assets, individuals, and the Nation.

3.1 - Control Selection: select the controls for the system and environment of operation.

3.2 - Control Tailoring: tailor the controls selected for the system and environment of operation.

3.3 - Control Allocation: allocate security and privacy controls to the system and to the environment of operation.

3.4 - Document Planned Control Implementations: document the controls for the system and environment of operation in security and privacy plans.

3.5 - Continuous Monitoring Strategy – System: develop and implement a system-level strategy for monitoring control effectiveness that is consistent with and supplements the organizational continuous monitoring strategy.

3.6 - Plan Review and Approval: review and approve the security and privacy plans for the system and environment of operation.

4. Implement: accomplish the activities necessary to translate the security and privacy controls identified in the system security plan into an effective implementation.

4.1 - Control Implementation: implement the controls as specified in security and privacy plans.

4.2 - Update Control Implementation Information: document changes to planned control implementations based on the as-implemented state of the controls.

5. Assess: determine if the controls selected for implementation are implemented correctly, operating as intended, and producing the desired outcome with respect to meeting the security and privacy requirements for the system and organization.

5.1 - Assessor Selection: select the appropriate assessor or assessment team for the type of control assessment to be conducted.

5.2 - Assessment Plan: develop, review, and approve plans to assess implemented controls.

5.3 - Control Assessments: assess the security controls in accordance with the assessment procedures defined in the security assessment plan.

5.4 - Assessment Reports: prepare the assessment reports documenting the findings and recommendations from the control assessments.

5.5 - Remediation Actions: conduct initial remediation actions on the controls and reassess remediated controls.

5.6 - Plan of Action and Milestones: prepare the plan of action and milestones based on the findings and recommendations of the assessment reports.

6. Authorize: provide accountability by requiring a senior management official to determine if the security and privacy risk to organizational operations and assets is acceptable.

6.1 - Authorization Package: assemble the authorization package and submit the package to the authorizing official for an authorization decision.

6.2 - Risk Analysis and Determination: analyze and determine the risk from the operation or use of the system or the provision of common controls.

6.3 - Risk Response: identify and implement a preferred course of action in response to the risk determined.

6.4 - Authorization Decision: determine if the risk from the operation or use of the system or the provision or use of common controls is acceptable.

6.5 - Authorization Reporting: report the authorization decision and any deficiencies in controls that represent significant security or privacy risk.

7. Monitor: maintain an ongoing situational awareness about the security and privacy posture of the system and the organization in support of risk management decisions.

7.1 - System and Environment Changes: monitor the system and its environment of operation for changes that impact the security and privacy posture of the system.

7.2 - Ongoing Assessments: assess the controls implemented within and inherited by the system in accordance with the continuous monitoring strategy.

7.3 - Ongoing Risk Response: respond to risk based on the results of ongoing monitoring activities, risk assessments, and outstanding items in plans of action and milestones.

7.4 - Authorization Package Updates: update plans, assessment reports, and plans of action and milestones based on the results of the continuous monitoring process.

7.5 - Security and Privacy Reporting: report the security status of the system (including the effectiveness of security controls employed within and inherited by the system) to appropriate organizational officials on an ongoing basis in accordance with the organization-defined monitoring strategy.

7.6 - Ongoing Authorization: review the reported security status of the system (including the effectiveness of security controls employed within and inherited by the system) on an ongoing basis in accordance with the monitoring strategy to determine whether the risk to organizational operations, organizational assets, individuals, other organizations, or the Nation remains acceptable.

7.7 - System Disposal: implement a system decommissioning strategy which executes required actions when a system is removed from service.

Conclusion.

Understanding what constitutes risk and how risk can be addressed and managed using the NIST-RMF will enable you to do your part to ensure the integrity and trustworthiness of your organization’s systems.

The NIST-RMF is not a process done just once; managing risk is an ongoing activity that supports the organizational mission and business functions. This is a technology-neutral methodology that can be applied to any type of system without modification.

Implementing the NIST Risk Management Framework can significantly bolster the security of small to medium-sized businesses. These frameworks provide a structured yet flexible approach to identifying, protecting, detecting, responding to, and recovering from cybersecurity threats. By integrating these best practices into their daily operations, SMBs can not only protect their valuable assets but also build trust with their customers and partners.

As a cybersecurity professional, my mission is to help businesses navigate these complex frameworks and tailor them to their unique needs. With the right strategies and tools in place, even the smallest business can achieve robust cybersecurity resilience.