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SA-15(3) SA · System and Services Acquisition

Criticality Analysis

LOW ✓ MODERATE ✓ HIGH
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Requirements NIST SOURCE

Require the developer of the system, system component, or system service to perform a criticality analysis:

Discussion (NIST Supplemental Guidance)

Criticality analysis performed by the developer provides input to the criticality analysis performed by organizations. Developer input is essential to organizational criticality analysis because organizations may not have access to detailed design documentation for system components that are developed as commercial off-the-shelf products. Such design documentation includes functional specifications, high-level designs, low-level designs, source code, and hardware schematics. Criticality analysis is important for organizational systems that are designated as high value assets. High value assets can be moderate- or high-impact systems due to heightened adversarial interest or potential adverse effects on the federal enterprise. Developer input is especially important when organizations conduct supply chain criticality analyses.

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 SA-15(3) 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. decision points in the system development life cycle are defined;
  2. the breadth of criticality analysis is defined;
  3. the depth of criticality analysis is defined;
  4. the developer of the system, system component, or system service is required to perform a criticality analysis at <SA-15(03)_ODP[01] decision points> in the system development life cycle;
  5. the developer of the system, system component, or system service is required to perform a criticality analysis at the following rigor level: <SA-15(03)_ODP[02] breadth>;
  6. the developer of the system, system component, or system service is required to perform a criticality analysis at the following rigor level: <SA-15(03)_ODP[03] depth> .

Examine

[SELECT FROM: Supply chain risk management plan; system and services acquisition policy; procedures addressing development process, standards, and tools; procedures addressing criticality analysis requirements for the system, system component, or system service; solicitation documentation; acquisition documentation; service level agreements; acquisition contracts for the system, system component, or system service; criticality analysis documentation; business impact analysis documentation; software development life cycle documentation; system security plan; other relevant documents or records].

Interview

[SELECT FROM: Organizational personnel with system and service acquisition responsibilities; organizational personnel with information security responsibilities; organizational personnel responsible for performing criticality analysis; system developer; organizational personnel with supply chain risk management responsibilities].

Test

[SELECT FROM: Organizational processes for performing criticality analysis; mechanisms supporting and/or implementing criticality analysis].

Overlays

Showing the OT/ICS overlay for the parent control SA-15 — see the SA-15(3) 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: (3)

HIGH

  • Base control: Included (matches standard baseline)
  • Included: (3)

STIGs & CCIs

No STIG checks or CCI mappings are currently loaded for SA-15(3). 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

  • Supply chain risk management plan
  • system and services acquisition policy
  • system security plan

Testing

  • Organizational processes for performing criticality analysis
  • mechanisms supporting and/or implementing criticality analysis

Other Records

  • procedures addressing development process, standards, and tools
  • procedures addressing criticality analysis requirements for the system, system component, or system service
  • solicitation documentation
  • acquisition documentation
  • service level agreements
  • acquisition contracts for the system, system component, or system service
  • criticality analysis documentation
  • business impact analysis documentation
  • software development life cycle documentation
  • other relevant documents or records