Automated Management, Application, and Verification

LOW MODERATE ✓ HIGH

1 Overlay 1 Related Control

Requirements NIST SOURCE

Manage, apply, and verify configuration settings for [system components] using [organization-defined automated mechanisms].

Discussion (NIST Supplemental Guidance)

Automated tools (e.g., hardening tools, baseline configuration tools) can improve the accuracy, consistency, and availability of configuration settings information. Automation can also provide data aggregation and data correlation capabilities, alerting mechanisms, and dashboards to support risk-based decision-making within the organization.

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-6(1) 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

system components for which to manage, apply, and verify configuration settings are defined;
automated mechanisms to manage configuration settings are defined;
automated mechanisms to apply configuration settings are defined;
automated mechanisms to verify configuration settings are defined;
configuration settings for <CM-06(01)_ODP[01] system components> are managed using <CM-06(01)_ODP[02] automated mechanisms>;
configuration settings for <CM-06(01)_ODP[01] system components> are applied using <CM-06(01)_ODP[03] automated mechanisms>;
configuration settings for <CM-06(01)_ODP[01] system components> are verified using <CM-06(01)_ODP[04] automated mechanisms>.

Examine

[SELECT FROM: Configuration management policy; procedures addressing configuration settings for the system; configuration management plan; system design documentation; system configuration settings and associated documentation; system component inventory; common secure configuration checklists; change control records; system audit records; system security plan; privacy plan; other relevant documents or records].

Interview

[SELECT FROM: Organizational personnel with security configuration management responsibilities; organizational personnel with information security and privacy responsibilities; system/network administrators; system developers].

Test

[SELECT FROM: Organizational processes for managing configuration settings; automated mechanisms implemented to manage, apply, and verify system configuration settings].

Overlays

Showing the OT/ICS overlay for the parent control CM-6 — see the CM-6(1) 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

Base control: Included (matches standard baseline)

MODERATE

Base control: Included (matches standard baseline)

HIGH

Base control: Included (matches standard baseline)
Included: (1) (2)

STIGs & CCIs

No STIG checks or CCI mappings are currently loaded for CM-6(1). 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
privacy plan

Configuration

Configuration management policy
procedures addressing configuration settings for the system
configuration management plan
system design documentation
system configuration settings and associated documentation
system component inventory
common secure configuration checklists

Testing

Organizational processes for managing configuration settings
automated mechanisms implemented to manage, apply, and verify system configuration settings

Other Records

change control records
system audit records
other relevant documents or records