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SI-2(5) SI · System and Information Integrity

Automatic Software and Firmware Updates

LOW MODERATE HIGH
1 Overlay 0 Related Controls
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Requirements NIST SOURCE

Install [security-relevant software and firmware updates] automatically to [system components].

Discussion (NIST Supplemental Guidance)

Due to system integrity and availability concerns, organizations consider the methodology used to carry out automatic updates. Organizations balance the need to ensure that the updates are installed as soon as possible with the need to maintain configuration management and control with any mission or operational impacts that automatic updates might impose (i.e., implementing a staggered deployment strategy).

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 SI-2(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-relevant software and firmware updates to be automatically installed to system components are defined;
  2. system components requiring security-relevant software updates to be automatically installed are defined;
  3. <SI-02(05)_ODP[01] security-relevant software and firmware updates> are installed automatically to <SI-02(05)_ODP[02] system components>.

Examine

[SELECT FROM: System and information integrity policy; system and information integrity procedures; procedures addressing flaw remediation; mechanisms supporting flaw remediation and automatic software/firmware updates; system design documentation; system configuration settings and associated documentation; records of recent security-relevant software and firmware updates automatically installed to system components; system audit records; system security plan; other relevant documents or records].

Interview

[SELECT FROM: System/network administrators; organizational personnel with information security responsibilities; organizational personnel installing, configuring, and/or maintaining the system; organizational personnel responsible for flaw remediation].

Test

[SELECT FROM: Mechanisms implementing automatic software/firmware updates].

Overlays

Showing the OT/ICS overlay for the parent control SI-2 — see the SI-2(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

  • Base control: Included (matches standard baseline)

MODERATE

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

HIGH

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

STIGs & CCIs

No STIG checks or CCI mappings are currently loaded for SI-2(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 and information integrity policy
  • system security plan

Configuration

  • system design documentation
  • system configuration settings and associated documentation

Testing

  • Mechanisms implementing automatic software/firmware updates

Other Records

  • system and information integrity procedures
  • procedures addressing flaw remediation
  • mechanisms supporting flaw remediation and automatic software/firmware updates
  • records of recent security-relevant software and firmware updates automatically installed to system components
  • system audit records
  • other relevant documents or records