System Recovery and Reconstitution
✓ LOW ✓ MODERATE ✓ HIGHRequirements NIST SOURCE
Provide for the recovery and reconstitution of the system to a known state within [organization-defined time period consistent with recovery time and recovery point objectives] after a disruption, compromise, or failure.
Discussion (NIST Supplemental Guidance)
Recovery is executing contingency plan activities to restore organizational mission and business functions. Reconstitution takes place following recovery and includes activities for returning systems to fully operational states. Recovery and reconstitution operations reflect mission and business priorities; recovery point, recovery time, and reconstitution objectives; and organizational metrics consistent with contingency plan requirements. Reconstitution includes the deactivation of interim system capabilities that may have been needed during recovery operations. Reconstitution also includes assessments of fully restored system capabilities, reestablishment of continuous monitoring activities, system reauthorization (if required), and activities to prepare the system and organization for future disruptions, breaches, compromises, or failures. Recovery and reconstitution capabilities can include automated mechanisms and manual procedures. Organizations establish recovery time and recovery point objectives as part of contingency planning.
Enhancements NIST SOURCE
CP-10(1) Contingency Plan Testing WITHDRAWN
Withdrawn. Incorporated into CP-4.
CP-10(2) Transaction Recovery LOW ✓ MODERATE ✓ HIGH
Implement transaction recovery for systems that are transaction-based.
Discussion
Transaction-based systems include database management systems and transaction processing systems. Mechanisms supporting transaction recovery include transaction rollback and transaction journaling.
CP-10(3) Compensating Security Controls WITHDRAWN
Withdrawn from the catalog.
CP-10(4) Restore Within Time Period LOW MODERATE ✓ HIGH
Provide the capability to restore system components within [restoration time periods] from configuration-controlled and integrity-protected information representing a known, operational state for the components.
Discussion
Restoration of system components includes reimaging, which restores the components to known, operational states.
CP-10(5) Failover Capability WITHDRAWN
Withdrawn. Incorporated into SI-13.
CP-10(6) Component Protection LOW MODERATE HIGH
Protect system components used for recovery and reconstitution.
Discussion
Protection of system recovery and reconstitution components (i.e., hardware, firmware, and software) includes physical and technical controls. Backup and restoration components used for recovery and reconstitution include router tables, compilers, and other system software.
Implementation Guidance
Original engineering commentary written for this explorer — not NIST source text and not authoritative guidance.
No engineering interpretation has been authored for CP-10 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
Assessment Objectives
- time period consistent with recovery time and recovery point objectives for the recovery of the system is determined;
- time period consistent with recovery time and recovery point objectives for the reconstitution of the system is determined;
- the recovery of the system to a known state is provided within <CP-10_ODP[01] time period> after a disruption, compromise, or failure;
- a reconstitution of the system to a known state is provided within <CP-10_ODP[02] time period> after a disruption, compromise, or failure.
Examine
[SELECT FROM: Contingency planning policy; procedures addressing system backup; contingency plan; system backup test results; contingency plan test results; contingency plan test documentation; redundant secondary system for system backups; location(s) of redundant secondary backup system(s); system security plan; other relevant documents or records].
Interview
[SELECT FROM: Organizational personnel with contingency planning, recovery, and/or reconstitution responsibilities; organizational personnel with information security responsibilities].
Test
[SELECT FROM: Organizational processes implementing system recovery and reconstitution operations; mechanisms supporting and/or implementing system recovery and reconstitution operations].
Overlays
STIGs & CCIs
No STIG checks or CCI mappings are currently loaded for CP-10. 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
Categorized from the SP 800-53A "Examine"/"Test" artifact list above by keyword — not an authoritative NIST evidence list.
Policy
- Contingency planning policy
- contingency plan
- contingency plan test results
- contingency plan test documentation
- system security plan
Testing
- Organizational processes implementing system recovery and reconstitution operations
- mechanisms supporting and/or implementing system recovery and reconstitution operations
Other Records
- procedures addressing system backup
- system backup test results
- redundant secondary system for system backups
- location(s) of redundant secondary backup system(s)
- other relevant documents or records