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NIST SP 800-53 Security Controls Assessment Checklist

A detailed checklist for assessing and implementing security controls as specified in NIST Special Publication 800-53, covering various control families including access control, awareness and training, audit and accountability, and more.

NIST SP 800-53 Security Controls Assessment Checklist

by: audit-now
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About This Checklist

The NIST SP 800-53 Security Controls Assessment Checklist is an essential tool for Information Technology professionals tasked with evaluating and implementing robust security measures. This comprehensive checklist is based on the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Special Publication 800-53, which provides a catalog of security and privacy controls for federal information systems and organizations. By utilizing this checklist, organizations can systematically assess their compliance with NIST guidelines, identify potential vulnerabilities, and strengthen their overall security posture across various control families.

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Industry

Information Technology

Standard

NIST SP 800-53 - Security Controls

Workspaces

Enterprise IT Infrastructure

Occupations

Information Security Officer
IT Auditor
Compliance Manager
System Administrator
Security Analyst
1
Is the implementation of security controls compliant with NIST SP 800-53?
2
What is the risk score assigned to the information system?
Min: 1
Target: 3
Max: 5
3
What control gaps have been identified during the assessment?
4
Is the information system compliant with regulatory requirements?
5
When was the last assessment conducted?
6
How effective are the implemented security controls?
7
Is there an incident response plan established?
8
What recommendations do you have for improving security controls?
9
When is the next review of the security controls scheduled?
10
How many security incidents have been reported since the last assessment?
Min: 0
Target: 0
Max: 100
11
What is the severity level of identified vulnerabilities?
12
Is the patching policy for vulnerabilities being followed?
13
Please describe the vulnerabilities identified during the assessment.
14
When was the last vulnerability scan conducted?
15
How many total vulnerabilities were found during the assessment?
Min: 0
Target: 0
Max: 500
16
Is the access control mechanism compliant with NIST SP 800-53 requirements?
17
Has a user access review been conducted in the last 12 months?
18
Please provide an overview of the access control policy in place.
19
When was the access control policy last updated?
20
How many access violations have been reported in the past year?
Min: 0
Target: 0
Max: 100
21
Is sensitive data encrypted both at rest and in transit?
22
Is there a privacy policy established and communicated to users?
23
What is the plan for responding to a data breach?
24
When was the last privacy impact assessment conducted?
25
How many data access requests have been processed in the last year?
Min: 0
Target: 0
Max: 200

FAQs

The main focus is to provide a structured method for assessing and implementing security controls across various control families as defined in NIST SP 800-53, ensuring comprehensive coverage of an organization's information security program.

While the NIST Cybersecurity Framework Checklist provides a high-level approach to cybersecurity management, the SP 800-53 Checklist offers a more detailed, control-specific assessment aligned with federal information system security requirements.

This checklist is particularly useful for information security officers, IT auditors, compliance managers, and system administrators in organizations that need to comply with federal information security standards or seek to adopt best practices in security control implementation.

Organizations should conduct assessments at least annually, or more frequently when significant changes occur in the IT environment, when new threats emerge, or as part of continuous monitoring programs.

Yes, the checklist can be tailored to fit specific organizational requirements, risk tolerance levels, and the particular subset of NIST SP 800-53 controls that are applicable to the organization's systems and environment.

Benefits of NIST SP 800-53 Security Controls Assessment Checklist

Ensures thorough evaluation of security controls as per NIST SP 800-53

Facilitates gap analysis in current security implementations

Supports compliance with federal regulations and industry standards

Enhances overall organizational security and risk management

Provides a structured approach to continuous security improvement