CM.L2-3.4.3 System Change Management
Track, review, approve or disapprove, and log changes to organizational systems.
Source: NIST SP 800-171 Rev 2 3.4.3
Discussion: Tracking, reviewing, approving/disapproving, and logging changes is called configuration change control. Configuration change control for organizational systems involves 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 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. [SP 800-128] provides guidance on configuration change control.
Assessment Objectives:
Determine if:
- [a] changes to the system are tracked;
- [b] changes to the system are reviewed;
- [c] changes to the system are approved or disapproved; and
- [d] changes to the system are logged.
Examine: [SELECT FROM: Configuration management policy; procedures addressing system configuration change control; configuration management plan; system architecture and configuration documentation; 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].
Interview: [SELECT FROM: Personnel with configuration change control responsibilities; personnel with information security responsibilities; system or network administrators; members of change control board or similar].
Test: [SELECT FROM: Organizational processes for configuration change control; mechanisms that implement configuration change control].
SPRS Score: 1
POA&M Allowed: Yes