Overview:
Track, review, approve/disapprove, and audit changes to information systems.
Action Items:
3.4.3[a]
Determine if: changes to the system are tracked.
3.4.3[b]
Determine if: changes to the system are reviewed.
3.4.3[c]
Determine if: changes to the system are approved or disapproved.
3.4.3[d]
Determine if: changes to the system are logged.
POTENTIAL ASSESSMENT METHODS AND OBJECTS
1
Examine: Configuration management policy; procedures addressing system configuration change control; configuration management plan; system architecture and configuration documentation; system security plan; change control records; system audit logs and records; change control audit and review reports; agenda/minutes from configuration change control oversight meetings; other relevant documents or records].
2
Interview: Personnel with configuration change control responsibilities; personnel with information security responsibilities; system or network administrators; members of change control board or similar].
3
Test: Organizational processes for configuration change control; mechanisms that implement configuration change control].
Related Documents (document name and content will vary by organization):
1) Configuration management policy
2) procedures addressing system configuration change control
3) configuration management plan
4) system architecture and configuration documentation
5) system security plan
6) change control records
7) system audit logs and records
8) change control audit and review reports
9) agenda/minutes from configuration change control oversight meetings
10) other relevant documents or records
Additional Guidance:
Configuration change controls for organizational systems involve the systematic proposal, justification, implementation, testing, review, and disposition of changes to the systems, including system upgrades and modifications. Configuration change control includes changes to baseline configurations for components and configuration items of systems, changes to configuration settings for information technology products (e.g., operating systems, applications, firewalls, routers, and mobile devices), unscheduled and unauthorized changes, and changes to remediate vulnerabilities.
Processes for managing configuration changes to systems include, for example, Configuration Control Boards or Change Advisory Boards that review and approve proposed changes to systems. For new development systems or systems undergoing major upgrades, organizations consider including representatives from development organizations on the Configuration Control Boards or Change Advisory Boards. Audit logs of changes include activities before and after changes are made to organizational systems and the activities required to implement such changes. NIST Special Publication 800-128 provides guidance on configuration change control.
Article ID: 142
Created: September 26, 2022
Last Updated: September 27, 2022
Author: Matthew Burdick
Online URL: http://www.compliancewiki.org/article/nist-800-171-configuration-change-control-3-4-3-142.html