PE-14: Environmental Controls

RMF Control PE-14: Environmental Controls requires organizations to implement controls to protect information systems from environmental hazards. Environmental hazards can include temperature, humidity, dust, power outages, and natural disasters.

Supplemental Guidance

The Risk Management Framework (RMF) is a cybersecurity framework that provides a process for managing cybersecurity risk to systems and organizations. RMF Control PE-14: Environmental Controls is one of the controls in the PE family, which addresses physical and environmental protection.

Environmental controls are important for protecting information systems from a variety of hazards. For example, extreme temperatures can damage hardware and cause data loss. Power outages can disrupt operations and lead to data corruption. Natural disasters can destroy information systems altogether.

Benefits of Implementing RMF Control PE-14

There are a number of benefits to implementing RMF Control PE-14, including:

• Improved security posture: By implementing environmental controls, organizations can reduce the risk of damage to information systems and data from environmental hazards.
• Reduced risk of security incidents: Environmental hazards can lead to security incidents, such as data breaches and system outages. By implementing RMF Control PE-14, organizations can reduce the risk of these security incidents.
• Improved compliance: Many regulations require organizations to implement environmental controls. By implementing RMF Control PE-14, organizations can improve their compliance with these regulations.

How to Implement RMF Control PE-14

To implement RMF Control PE-14, organizations should:

1. Identify all environmental hazards that could impact information systems. This may include temperature, humidity, dust, power outages, and natural disasters.
2. Assess the risk posed by each environmental hazard. This assessment should consider the likelihood of the hazard occurring and the impact that it would have on information systems.
3. Implement appropriate controls to mitigate the risk posed by each environmental hazard. This may involve installing environmental monitoring systems, implementing backup and recovery procedures, or relocating information systems to a more secure environment.
4. Regularly review and update the environmental controls to ensure that they are effective and up-to-date.

Examples of Environmental Controls

Some examples of environmental controls include:

• Temperature and humidity control systems: These systems can be used to maintain a consistent temperature and humidity environment for information systems.
• Dust control systems: These systems can be used to filter dust out of the air to protect information systems from damage.
• Power conditioning systems: These systems can be used to protect information systems from power surges and outages.
• Backup and recovery systems: These systems can be used to restore information systems and data in the event of a disaster or other disruption.
• Physical security controls: These controls can be used to protect information systems from unauthorized access and tampering.

Conclusion

RMF Control PE-14: Environmental Controls is an important control that can help organizations to improve their security posture, reduce the risk of security incidents, and improve compliance. By implementing environmental controls, organizations can protect information systems from a variety of environmental hazards.

Additional Tips for Implementing RMF Control PE-14

• Involve stakeholders in the environmental controls process: Organizations should involve stakeholders, such as IT staff, security staff, and business owners, in the environmental controls process. This will help to ensure that the environmental controls process is aligned with the organization’s business needs and security requirements.
• Use a risk-based approach to environmental controls: Organizations should use a risk-based approach to environmental controls to ensure that the most critical information systems are protected from the most significant environmental hazards.
• Regularly review and update the environmental controls process: Organizations should regularly review and update the environmental controls process to ensure that it is effective and up-to-date.