Automation Support for Control Assessments – Project Update and Vision

Published

December 6, 2023

Author(s)

Eduardo Takamura, Jeremy Licata, Victoria Yan Pillitteri

Abstract

In 2017, NIST published a methodology for supporting the automation of SP 800-53 control assessments in the form of IR 8011. IR 8011 is a multi-volume series that starts with an overview of the methodology (volume 1) and provides guidance and specifications for automating the assessment of controls that support specific information security continuous monitoring security capabilities, one volume per capability. Four volumes have been released so far, and more volumes are in development. In 2023, the NIST Risk Management Framework project — responsible for the development and maintenance of FISMA-supporting technical publications and the IR 8011 series — performed an internal review of the IR 8011 project. This review yielded results that offered the IR 8011 Development Team opportunities to improve the current IR 8011 methodology, facilitate its adoption, and more. This cybersecurity white paper summarizes some of the findings from this internal review.

Citation

OTHER - CSWP 30

Report Number

CSWP 30

NIST Pub Series

Other

Pub Type

NIST Pubs

Download Paper

https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.CSWP.30

Local Download

Keywords

actual state, assessment, attack, automation, capability, community of interest, CoI, control, control assessment, control item, defect, defect check, defend, desired state specification, FISMA, information security continuous monitoring, ISCM, methodology, monitoring, ongoing assessment, privacy, risk, risk management, security, security automation.

Citation

Takamura, E. , Licata, J. and Pillitteri, V. (2023), Automation Support for Control Assessments – Project Update and Vision, OTHER, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD, [online], https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.CSWP.30, https://tsapps.nist.gov/publication/get_pdf.cfm?pub_id=956740 (Accessed October 13, 2025)