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CM-3(5) CM · Configuration Management

Automated Security Response

LOW MODERATE HIGH
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Requirements NIST SOURCE

Implement the following security responses automatically if baseline configurations are changed in an unauthorized manner: [security responses].

Discussion (NIST Supplemental Guidance)

Automated security responses include halting selected system functions, halting system processing, and issuing alerts or notifications to organizational personnel when there is an unauthorized modification of a configuration item.

Implementation Guidance

Engineering Interpretation

Original engineering commentary written for this explorer — not NIST source text and not authoritative guidance.

No engineering interpretation has been authored for CM-3(5) yet. This section is architected to receive it — see the Requirements and Assessment sections above for the authoritative NIST source content in the meantime.

Assessment

NIST SP 800-53A REV 5.2.0

Assessment Objectives

  1. security responses to be automatically implemented are defined;
  2. <CM-03(05)_ODP security responses> are automatically implemented if baseline configurations are changed in an unauthorized manner.

Examine

[SELECT FROM: System security plan; configuration management policy; procedures addressing system configuration change control; configuration management plan; system design documentation; system architecture and configuration documentation; system configuration settings and associated documentation; alerts/notifications of unauthorized baseline configuration changes; system audit records; other relevant documents or records].

Interview

[SELECT FROM: Organizational personnel with configuration change control responsibilities; organizational personnel with information security responsibilities; system/network administrators; system developers; members of change control board or similar].

Test

[SELECT FROM: Organizational processes for configuration change control; automated mechanisms implementing security responses to unauthorized changes to the baseline configurations].

Overlays

Showing the OT/ICS overlay for the parent control CM-3 — see the CM-3(5) entries within each baseline below.

OT/ICS Overlay SP 800-82r3

NIST SP 800-82r3 Appendix F, Table 22. Blank baseline means the control/control enhancement is not selected in that initial OT baseline.

LOW

Not applicable at this tier.

MODERATE

  • Base control: Included (matches standard baseline)
  • Included: (2) (4)

HIGH

  • Base control: Included (matches standard baseline)
  • Included: (1) (2) (4) (6)

STIGs & CCIs

No STIG checks or CCI mappings are currently loaded for CM-3(5). This section is architected to display, per product: STIG ID, Finding ID, Severity, Title, Description, Check, Fix, CCI, and NIST control mapping — but nothing is populated here until a real DISA STIG/CCI dataset is ingested.

Learn more about STIG/CCI integration →

Evidence

Potential Evidence — Derived

Categorized from the SP 800-53A "Examine"/"Test" artifact list above by keyword — not an authoritative NIST evidence list.

Policy

  • System security plan

Configuration

  • configuration management policy
  • procedures addressing system configuration change control
  • configuration management plan
  • system design documentation
  • system architecture and configuration documentation
  • system configuration settings and associated documentation
  • alerts/notifications of unauthorized baseline configuration changes

Testing

  • Organizational processes for configuration change control
  • automated mechanisms implementing security responses to unauthorized changes to the baseline configurations

Other Records

  • system audit records
  • other relevant documents or records