RMF Control PL-6: Security-Related Activity Planning requires organizations to plan and coordinate security-related activities affecting information systems before conducting such activities in order to reduce the impact on organizational operations (i.e., mission, functions, image, and reputation), organizational assets, and individuals.
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 PL-6: Security-Related Activity Planning is one of the controls in the PL family, which addresses planning.
Security-related activities can include a wide range of activities, such as security assessments, audits, system maintenance, security certifications, and testing and exercises. It is important to plan and coordinate these activities in advance to minimize the impact on organizational operations, assets, and individuals.
Benefits of Implementing RMF Control PL-6
There are a number of benefits to implementing RMF Control PL-6, including:
- Reduced risk of disruptions: By planning and coordinating security-related activities in advance, organizations can reduce the risk of disruptions to organizational operations, assets, and individuals.
- Improved security posture: Security-related activities can help organizations to identify and address security vulnerabilities, which can improve their overall security posture.
- Improved compliance: Many regulations require organizations to have a plan in place for security-related activities. By implementing RMF Control PL-6, organizations can improve their compliance with these regulations.
How to Implement RMF Control PL-6
To implement RMF Control PL-6, organizations should:
- Identify all security-related activities that will be conducted. This may include security assessments, audits, system maintenance, security certifications, and testing and exercises.
- Assess the impact of each security-related activity on organizational operations, assets, and individuals.
- Develop a plan to minimize the impact of each security-related activity. This plan may include scheduling activities during off-peak hours, conducting activities in a test environment, or developing backup and recovery plans.
- Coordinate the security-related activities with stakeholders, such as IT staff, security staff, and business owners.
- Monitor the security-related activities to ensure that the plan is being followed and that the impact on organizational operations, assets, and individuals is minimized.
Examples of Security-Related Activities
Some examples of security-related activities include:
- Security assessments
- Audits
- System maintenance
- Security certifications
- Testing and exercises
- Incident response
- Data loss prevention
- Risk management
- Security awareness training
Conclusion
RMF Control PL-6: Security-Related Activity Planning is an important control that can help organizations to reduce the risk of disruptions, improve their security posture, and improve their compliance. By planning and coordinating security-related activities in advance, organizations can minimize the impact of these activities on organizational operations, assets, and individuals.
Additional Tips for Implementing RMF Control PL-6
- Use a risk-based approach to security-related activity planning: Organizations should use a risk-based approach to security-related activity planning to ensure that the most critical activities are planned and coordinated first.
- Involve stakeholders in the security-related activity planning process: Organizations should involve stakeholders, such as IT staff, security staff, and business owners, in the security-related activity planning process. This will help to ensure that the plan is aligned with the organization’s business needs and security requirements.
- Regularly review and update the security-related activity plan: Organizations should regularly review and update the security-related activity plan to ensure that it is effective and up-to-date.