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NIST 800-53 Rev 5: What You Need to Know

If you are involved in information security or privacy, you have probably heard of NIST Special Publication (SP) 800-53, which provides a catalog of security and privacy controls for information systems and organizations. NIST SP 800-53 is widely used by federal agencies, contractors, and other organizations to protect their data, systems, and operations from various threats and risks.

In September 2020, NIST published the latest revision of SP 800-53, Revision 5, which represents a significant update and improvement over the previous version, Revision 4. Revision 5 introduces many changes and enhancements to the security and privacy control catalog, as well as new features and tools to help users implement the controls effectively.

In this article, we will give you an overview of what NIST SP 800-53 Rev 5 is, why it is important, and how you can download and access it. We will also highlight some of the main changes and updates in Rev 5, and provide some examples of how you can use it in your organization. By the end of this article, you will have a better understanding of what NIST SP 800-53 Rev 5 can do for you and how you can benefit from it.

What is NIST SP 800-53 Rev 5 and why is it important?

NIST SP 800-53 Rev 5 is a publication that provides a catalog of security and privacy controls for information systems and organizations. The controls are designed to protect organizational operations and assets, individuals, other organizations, and the nation from a diverse set of threats and risks, including hostile attacks, human errors, natural disasters, structural failures, foreign intelligence entities, and privacy risks.

The controls are flexible and customizable, and can be implemented as part of an organization-wide process to manage risk. The controls are also aligned with other standards and frameworks, such as the NIST Cybersecurity Framework (CSF), the NIST Privacy Framework (PF), and the ISO/IEC 27001.

NIST SP 800-53 Rev 5 is important because it represents a multi-year effort to develop the next generation of security and privacy controls that are needed to strengthen and support the federal government and every sector of critical infrastructure. It also reflects the evolving landscape of threats, technologies, laws, policies, best practices, and lessons learned in the field of security and privacy.

Some of the benefits of using NIST SP 800-53 Rev 5 include:

• It helps you comply with federal laws and regulations that require security and privacy controls for information systems and organizations.
• It helps you improve your security posture and resilience against cyberattacks.
• It helps you enhance your privacy practices and protect personal data.
• It helps you foster trust and confidence among your stakeholders, customers, partners, regulators, auditors, etc.</
  

  Overview of the main changes and updates in Rev 5

  One of the most noticeable changes in Rev 5 is the integration of security and privacy controls into a single, unified catalog. This means that there is no longer a separate appendix for privacy controls, as there was in Rev 4. Instead, the privacy controls are now embedded within the security control families, and are identified by a (P) notation. This integration reflects the interdependence and interrelationship between security and privacy, and aims to facilitate a holistic approach to managing risk.

  Another major change in Rev 5 is the reorganization and consolidation of the control families. The number of control families has been reduced from 18 to 17, by merging the Program Management (PM) family with the Risk Assessment (RA) family. The order of the control families has also been changed to follow a more logical sequence, starting with governance and ending with monitoring. The new order of the control families is as follows:

  Control Family	Acronym
  Assessing Security and Privacy Controls	CA
  Awareness and Training	AT
  Audit and Accountability	AU
  Security Assessment and Authorization	SA
  Configuration Management	CM
  Contingency Planning	CP
  Identification and Authentication	IA
  Incident Response	IR
  Maintenance	MA
  Media Protection	MP
  Physical and Environmental Protection	PE
  Planning	PL
  Personnel Security	PS
  Risk Assessment and Program Management	RAPM*</
  System and Services Acquisition	SA
  System and Communications Protection	SC
  System and Information Integrity	SI
  Supply Chain Risk Management	SR
  Monitoring Security and Privacy Controls	MO

  *Note: The RAPM family is a new addition in Rev 5, which combines the RA and PM families from Rev 4.

  In addition to the changes in the control families, Rev 5 also introduces new security and privacy controls, as well as updates and enhancements to existing controls. Some of the new controls include:

  • CA-9: Information System Connections (P)
  • RAPM-1: Risk Management Strategy and Program Plan (P)
  • RAPM-2: Risk Executive Function (P)
  • RAPM-3: Risk Management Roles and Responsibilities (P)
  • RAPM-4: Risk Management Process (P)
  • RAPM-5: Risk Assessment Methodology (P)
  • RAPM-6: Risk Assessment (P)
  • RAPM-7: Risk Response (P)
  • RAPM-8: Risk Monitoring (P)
  • RAPM-9: Program Reviews and Assessments (P)
  • RAPM-10: Program Improvement (P)
  • SR-1: Supply Chain Policy and Procedures (P)
  • SR-2: Supply Chain Risk Management Plan (P)
  • SR-3: Supply Chain Protection Strategy (P)
  • SR-4: Supply Chain Risk Assessment (P)
  • SR-5: Supply Chain Vulnerability Scanning (P)
  • SR-6: Supply Chain Remediation (P)
  • SR-7: Supply Chain Monitoring and Reporting (P)
  • SR-8: Supply Chain Awareness and Training (P)
  • SR-9: Supply Chain Security Requirements for Information Systems, Components, and Services (P)
  • SR-10: Supplier Reviews and Assessments (P)
  • SR-11: Supplier Agreements (P)

  How to download and access Rev 5 documents and resources

  If you want to download and access Rev 5 documents and resources, you can visit the NIST website at https://csrc.nist.gov/publications/detail/sp/800-53/rev-5/final, where you will find the following files:

  • NIST.SP.800-53r5.pdf – This is the main document that contains the catalog of security and privacy controls, as well as the introductory chapters that explain the purpose, scope, applicability, organization, implementation, and tailoring of the controls.
  • NIST.SP.800-53r5-control-baselines.xlsx – This is a spreadsheet file that contains the control baselines for low-, moderate-, and high-impact systems, as well as the privacy control baseline. The control baselines are subsets of controls that are recommended for different types of systems based on their impact levels. The impact levels are determined by the potential harm that could result from a loss of confidentiality, integrity, or availability of the system or its data.
  • NIST.SP.800-53r5-control-summary.xlsx – This is a spreadsheet file that contains a summary of all the security and privacy controls in Rev 5, including their control numbers, titles, parameters, enhancements, supplemental guidance, references, priority codes, mapping to CSF functions, mapping to PF functions, mapping to ISO/IEC 27001 clauses, and mapping to COBIT 2019 processes.
  • NIST.SP.800-53r5-control-mappings.xlsx – This is a spreadsheet file that contains detailed mappings of the security and privacy controls in Rev 5 to other standards and frameworks, such as the NIST CSF, the NIST PF, the ISO/IEC 27001, and the COBIT 2019.
  • NIST.SP.800-53r5-database.zip – This is a zip file that contains a database file (.mdb) that can be used to query and manipulate the security and privacy controls in Rev 5. The database file can be opened with Microsoft Access or other compatible software.

  To download any of these files, you can simply click on the corresponding link on the NIST website. You can also use the “Download All” button to download all the files in a single zip file. You can also use the “Subscribe” button to receive email notifications when there are updates or changes to the publication.

  Aside from the NIST website, you can also access Rev 5 documents and resources from other sources and references, such as:

  • The NIST SP 800-53 Rev 5 Online Viewer – This is a web-based tool that allows you to browse, search, filter, and compare the security and privacy controls in Rev 5. You can access it at https://nvd.nist.gov/800-53/Rev5.
  • The NIST SP 800-53 Rev 5 Control Selection Tool – This is a web-based tool that helps you select the appropriate security and privacy controls for your system based on its impact level and other factors. You can access it at https://csrc.nist.gov/CSRC/media/Publications/sp/800-53/rev-5/final/documents/sp800-53r5-control-selection-tool.xlsx.
  • The NIST SP 800-53 Rev 5 Control Implementation Tool – This is a web-based tool that helps you document and track the implementation status of the security and privacy controls for your system. You can access it at https://csrc.nist.gov/CSRC/media/Publications/sp/800-53/rev-5/final/documents/sp800-53r5-control-implementation-tool.xlsx.
  • The NIST SP 800-53 Rev 5 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) – This is a document that provides answers to some of the most common questions about Rev 5, such as the purpose, scope, applicability, organization, implementation, and tailoring of the controls. You can access it at https://csrc.nist.gov/CSRC/media/Publications/sp/800-53/rev-5/final/documents/sp800-53r5-faqs.pdf.
  • The NIST SP 800-53 Rev 5 Webinar Series – This is a series of webinars that provide an overview and introduction to Rev 5, as well as more detailed and technical discussions on specific topics and aspects of Rev 5. You can access the recordings and slides of the webinars at https://csrc.nist.gov/events/2020/nist-sp-800-53-rev-5-webinar-series.

  Conclusion

  NIST SP 800-53 Rev 5 is a comprehensive and up-to-date catalog of security and privacy controls for information systems and organizations. It provides a flexible and customizable framework for managing risk and protecting organizational operations and assets, individuals, other organizations, and the nation from various threats and risks.

  Rev 5 introduces many changes and updates to the previous version, such as the integration of security and privacy controls, the reorganization and consolidation of control families, and the addition of new controls. It also provides new features and tools to help users implement the controls effectively.

  If you want to download and access Rev 5 documents and resources, you can visit the NIST website or other sources and references that we have mentioned in this article. You can also subscribe to receive email notifications when there are updates or changes to the publication.

  We hope that this article has given you an overview of what NIST SP 800-53 Rev 5 is, why it is important, and how you can download and access it. We also hope that you have learned some of the main changes and updates in Rev 5, and how you can use it in your organization.

  If you have any questions or feedback about this article or Rev 5 in general, please feel free to contact us or leave a comment below. We would love to hear from you and help you with your security and privacy needs.

  FAQs

  Here are some of the frequently asked questions about NIST SP 800-53 Rev 5:

  1. What is the difference between security controls and privacy controls?

  Security controls are safeguards or countermeasures that protect information systems and organizations from threats to their confidentiality, integrity, or availability. Privacy controls are safeguards or countermeasures that protect individuals’ privacy rights and interests from threats to their personal data or personally identifiable information (PII).

  2. How do I determine the impact level of my system?

  The impact level of your system is determined by the potential harm that could result from a loss of confidentiality, integrity, or availability of your system or its data. The impact level can be low, moderate, or high, depending on the severity of the harm. You can use the criteria and guidelines in NIST SP 800-60, Volume 1 and Volume 2, to help you determine the impact level of your system.

  3. What are the control baselines and how do I use them?

  The control baselines are subsets of controls that are recommended for different types of systems based on their impact levels. The control baselines are intended to provide a starting point for selecting and implementing the controls, and can be tailored to meet the specific needs and requirements of your system and organization. You can use the NIST SP 800-53 Rev 5 Control Selection Tool to help you select the appropriate control baseline for your system.

  4. How do I tailor the controls to fit my system and organization?

  Tailoring the controls means adjusting or modifying the controls to fit the specific characteristics, needs, and requirements of your system and organization. Tailoring can involve adding, removing, or modifying control parameters, enhancements, supplemental guidance, references, priority codes, or mapping information. You can use the guidance in Chapter 3 of NIST SP 800-53 Rev 5 to help you tailor the controls.

  5. How do I document and track the implementation status of the controls?

  Documenting and tracking the implementation status of the controls means recording and reporting the progress and results of applying the controls to your system and organization. Documenting and tracking can help you monitor and evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency of the controls, as well as identify and address any gaps or issues. You can use the NIST SP 800-53 Rev 5 Control Implementation Tool to help you document and track the implementation status of the controls.

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