RMF Control AC-13: SUPERVISION AND REVIEW — ACCESS CONTROL is a cybersecurity control that helps to ensure that access control activities are regularly supervised and reviewed to ensure their effectiveness and compliance with organizational security policies and procedures. This control is important because it can help to identify and address weaknesses in the organization’s access control posture.
Supervision and Review Requirements
The RMF Control AC-13: SUPERVISION AND REVIEW — ACCESS CONTROL requirements are specified in NIST Special Publication 800-53, Revision 5. The requirements state that the organization must:
- Review access control activities on a regular basis to ensure their effectiveness and compliance with organizational security policies and procedures.
- Review audit records to identify suspicious activity or unauthorized access attempts.
- Investigate any unusual access control activity.
- Periodically review and update access control policies and procedures.
Supervision and Review Best Practices
In addition to the RMF Control AC-13: SUPERVISION AND REVIEW — ACCESS CONTROL requirements, there are a number of best practices that organizations can follow to improve their supervision and review posture. These best practices include:
- Establishing a regular schedule for reviewing access control activities.
- Using a variety of methods to review access control activities, such as manual reviews, automated tools, and third-party assessments.
- Reviewing audit records on a regular basis to identify suspicious activity or unauthorized access attempts.
- Investigating all unusual access control activity.
- Periodically reviewing and updating access control policies and procedures to ensure that they are aligned with the organization’s security needs.
- Educating users on their responsibilities for access control and the importance of reporting suspicious activity.
Benefits of Supervision and Review
Supervision and review of access control activities can provide a number of benefits to organizations, including:
- Improved security posture: Supervision and review can help to identify and address weaknesses in the organization’s access control posture.
- Reduced risk of data breaches: Supervision and review can help to reduce the risk of data breaches by detecting unauthorized access attempts early.
- Increased user awareness: Supervision and review can help to increase user awareness of security threats and how to protect their accounts.
- Improved compliance: Supervision and review can help organizations to comply with a variety of security regulations.
How to Implement Supervision and Review
There are a number of ways to implement supervision and review of access control activities. One common approach is to use a security information and event management (SIEM) system. SIEM systems can be used to collect and analyze log data from a variety of sources, including information systems, network devices, and security appliances. This data can then be used to identify suspicious activity or unauthorized access attempts.
Another approach to implementing supervision and review is to use a third-party assessment. Third-party assessors can provide an independent review of the organization’s access control posture and identify areas for improvement.
Example of Supervision and Review
One example of supervision and review is when an organization reviews its audit logs on a daily basis to identify suspicious activity or unauthorized access attempts. If any suspicious activity is detected, the organization will investigate the activity and take appropriate action.
Another example of supervision and review is when an organization conducts a periodic review of its access control policies and procedures. This review is used to ensure that the policies and procedures are aligned with the organization’s security needs and that they are being implemented effectively.
Conclusion
RMF Control AC-13: SUPERVISION AND REVIEW — ACCESS CONTROL is an important cybersecurity control that helps to ensure that access control activities are regularly supervised and reviewed to ensure their effectiveness and compliance with organizational security policies and procedures. By following the RMF Control AC-13: SUPERVISION AND REVIEW — ACCESS CONTROL requirements and best practices, organizations can help to improve their security posture, reduce the risk of data breaches, increase user awareness, and improve compliance.
Additional Tips for Implementing and Enforcing Supervision and Review
- Use a centralized system to manage access control activities and audit records.
- Implement a risk-based approach to supervision and review. For example, you may want to focus your supervision and review efforts on systems and data that are most critical to the organization.
- Educate users on their responsibilities for access control and the importance of reporting suspicious activity.
- Regularly review and update your supervision and review procedures to ensure that they are effective.
By following these tips, organizations can help to ensure that their access control activities are supervised and reviewed effectively.