CFG-01.1: Assignment of Responsibility

There is no evidence of a capability to implement a segregation of duties for configuration management that prevents developers from performing production configuration management duties.

C|P-CMM1 is N/A, since a structured process is required to implement a segregation of duties for configuration management that prevents developers from performing production configuration management duties.

Configuration Management (CFG) efforts are requirements-driven and governed at a local/regional level, but are not consistent across the organization. CMM Level 2 control maturity would reasonably expect all, or at least most, the following criteria to exist:

• Configuration management is decentralized (e.g., a localized/regionalized function) and uses non-standardized methods to implement secure, resilient and compliant practices.
• IT/cybersecurity personnel identify cybersecurity and data protection controls that are appropriate to address applicable statutory, regulatory and contractual requirements for configuration management.
• Technologies are configured to protect data with the strength and integrity commensurate with the classification or sensitivity of the information and mostly conform to industry-recognized standards for hardening (e.g., DISA STIGs, CIS Benchmarks or OEM security guides), including cryptographic protections for sensitive/regulated data.
• Special baseline configurations are created for higher-risk environments or for systems, applications and services that store, process or transmit sensitive/regulated data.
• Apart from workstation and server operating system baselines, configuration management is decentralized.
• Cybersecurity personnel use a structured process to design, build and maintain secure configurations for test, development, staging and production environments.
• Deviations to baseline configurations are required to have a risk assessment and the business process owner acceptance of the risk(s) associated with the deviation.
• Unauthorized configuration changes are investigated to determine if the unauthorized configuration is malicious in nature.
• Logical Access Control (LAC) is enforced to prohibit non-administrative users from being able to install unauthorized software.
• The Human Resources (HR) department ensures industry-recognized HR practices are implemented for hiring, managing, training, investigating and terminating employees, contractors and other personnel that work on behalf of the organization.
• HR defines terms of employment, including acceptable and unacceptable rules of behavior for the use of technologies, including consequences for unacceptable behavior.

Configuration Management (CFG) efforts are standardized across the organization and centrally managed, where technically feasible, to ensure consistency. CMM Level 3 control maturity would reasonably expect all, or at least most, the following criteria to exist:

• The configuration management function is formally assigned with defined roles and responsibilities.
• An IT infrastructure team, or similar function, ensures that statutory, regulatory and contractual cybersecurity and data privacy obligations are addressed to ensure secure configurations are designed, built and maintained.
• Configuration management is centralized for all operating systems, applications, servers and other configurable technologies.
• Technologies are configured to protect data with the strength and integrity commensurate with the classification or sensitivity of the information and conform to industry-recognized standards for hardening (e.g., DISA STIGs, CIS Benchmarks or OEM security guides), including test, development, staging and production environments.
• Configurations conform to industry-recognized standards for hardening (e.g., DISA STIGs, CIS Benchmarks or OEM security guides) for test, development, staging and production environments.
• Deviations to baseline configurations are required to have a risk assessment and business process owner approval of the risk(s) associated with the deviation.
• Special baseline configurations are created for higher-risk environments or for systems, applications and services that store, process or transmit sensitive/regulated data.
• An IT Asset Management (ITAM) function, or similar function, ensures compliance with requirements for asset management.
• Logical Access Control (LAC) is used to limit the ability of non-administrators from making configuration changes to systems, applications and services, including the of installation of unauthorized software.
• A Security Incident Event Manager (SIEM), or similar automated tool, monitors for unauthorized activities, accounts, connections, devices and software.
• Unauthorized configuration changes are responded to in accordance with an Incident Response Plan (IRP) to determine if the unauthorized configuration is malicious in nature.
• The Human Resources (HR) department ensures industry-recognized HR practices are implemented for hiring, managing, training, investigating and terminating employees, contractors and other personnel that work on behalf of the organization.
• HR defines terms of employment, including acceptable and unacceptable rules of behavior for the use of technologies, including consequences for unacceptable behavior.

See C|P-CMM3. There are no defined C|P-CMM4 criteria, since it is reasonable to assume a quantitatively-controlled process is not necessary to implement a segregation of duties for configuration management that prevents developers from performing production configuration management duties.

See C|P-CMM4. There are no defined C|P-CMM5 criteria, since it is reasonable to assume a continuously-improving process is not necessary to implement a segregation of duties for configuration management that prevents developers from performing production configuration management duties.