Economic Security
LOW MODERATE HIGHRequirements NIST SOURCE
Implement the security design principle of economic security in [systems or system components].
Discussion (NIST Supplemental Guidance)
The principle of economic security states that security mechanisms are not costlier than the potential damage that could occur from a security breach. This is the security-relevant form of the cost-benefit analyses used in risk management. The cost assumptions of cost-benefit analysis prevent the system designer from incorporating security mechanisms of greater strength than necessary, where strength of mechanism is proportional to cost. The principle of economic security also requires analysis of the benefits of assurance relative to the cost of that assurance in terms of the effort expended to obtain relevant and credible evidence as well as the necessary analyses to assess and draw trustworthiness and risk conclusions from the evidence.
Implementation Guidance
Original engineering commentary written for this explorer — not NIST source text and not authoritative guidance.
No engineering interpretation has been authored for SA-8(25) 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
- systems or system components that implement the security design principle of economic security are defined;
- <SA-08(25)_ODP systems or system components> implement the security design principle of economic security.
Examine
[SELECT FROM: System and services acquisition policy; procedures addressing the security design principle of economic security used in the specification, design, development, implementation, and modification of the system; system design documentation; security and privacy requirements and specifications for the system; system security and privacy architecture; cost-benefit analysis; system security plan; other relevant documents or records].
Interview
[SELECT FROM: Organizational personnel with the responsibility for determining system security and privacy requirements; organizational personnel with system specification, design, development, implementation, and modification responsibilities; system developers; organizational personnel with information security responsibilities].
Test
[SELECT FROM: Organizational processes for applying the security design principle of economic security in system specification, design, development, implementation, and modification; mechanisms supporting the application of the security design principle of economic security in system specification, design, development, implementation, and modification].
Overlays
STIGs & CCIs
No STIG checks or CCI mappings are currently loaded for SA-8(25). 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
- System and services acquisition policy
- system security plan
Configuration
- system design documentation
- system security and privacy architecture
Testing
- Organizational processes for applying the security design principle of economic security in system specification, design, development, implementation, and modification
- mechanisms supporting the application of the security design principle of economic security in system specification, design, development, implementation, and modification
Other Records
- procedures addressing the security design principle of economic security used in the specification, design, development, implementation, and modification of the system
- security and privacy requirements and specifications for the system
- cost-benefit analysis
- other relevant documents or records