Cybersecurity Risk Assessment and Management for the U.S. Government

Protect your organization from unacceptable losses by establishing and maintaining an effective security posture. In this training course, you learn how to employ the NIST Cybersecurity Framework defined by The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), and ensure your organization meets the cybersecurity laws and regulations imposed on all U.S. Government agencies.

You Will Learn How To

  • Implement the NIST Risk Management Framework for assessing and managing the risks to your organization’s information infrastructure
  • Select and implement security controls that satisfy FISMA, OMB, and Department/Agency requirements
  • Maintain an acceptable security posture over the system life cycle
  • Apply FedRAMP-compliant cloud-based solutions

Important Course Information

Course Materials:

  • Attendees receive a complete set of course notes and a workbook containing all of the course workshops
  • Every source document used in developing the course may be downloaded from the NIST Web site free of charge

Course Outline

Introduction to Risk Assessment and Management

  • Ensuring compliance with applicable laws, regulations, policies and directives
  • Protecting the organization from unacceptable losses
  • Describing the NIST Risk Management Framework (RMF)
  • Applying NIST risk management processes

Characterizing System Security Requirements

Defining the system

  • Prescribing the system security boundary
  • Pinpointing system interconnections
  • Incorporating characteristics of Industrial Control Systems (ICS) and FedRAMP-compliant cloud-based systems

Identifying security risk components

  • Estimating the impact of compromises to confidentiality, integrity and availability
  • Adopting the appropriate model for categorizing system risk
  • Specialized considerations for U.S. Government classified information

Setting the stage for successful risk management

  • Documenting critical risk assessment and management decisions in the System Security Plan (SSP)
  • Appointing qualified individuals to risk governance roles

Selecting Appropriate Security Controls

Assigning a security control baseline

  • Investigating security control families
  • Determining the baseline from system security impact
  • Specialized considerations for National Security Systems (NSS)

Tailoring the baseline to fit the system

  • Examining the structure of security controls, enhancements and parameters
  • Binding control overlays to the selected baseline
  • Gauging the need for enhanced assurance
  • Distinguishing system-specific, compensating and non-applicable controls

Reducing Risk through Effective Control Implementation

Specifying the implementation approach

  • Maximizing security effectiveness by “building in” security
  • Reducing residual risk in legacy systems via “bolt-on” security elements

Applying NIST controls

  • Enhancing system robustness through selection of evaluated and validated components
  • Coordinating implementation approaches to administrative, operational and technical controls
  • Providing evidence of compliance through supporting artifacts
  • Implementing CNSSI-1253 for national security systems

Assessing Compliance Scope and Depth

Developing an assessment plan

  • Prioritizing depth of control assessment
  • Optimizing validation through sequencing and consolidation
  • Verifying compliance through tests, interviews and examinations

Formulating an authorization recommendation

  • Evaluating overall system security risk
  • Mitigating residual risks
  • Publishing the Plan of Action and Milestones (POA&M), the risk assessment and recommendation

Authorizing System Operation

Aligning authority and responsibility

  • Quantifying organizational risk tolerance
  • Elevating authorization decisions in high-risk scenarios

Forming a risk-based decision

  • Appraising system operational impact
  • Weighing residual risk against operational utility
  • Issuing Authority to Operate (ATO)

Maintaining Continued Compliance

  • Justifying continuous reauthorization
  • Preserving an acceptable security posture

Please contact us for more information.

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