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HRS-07.1: Workplace Investigations

HRS 8 — High Respond

Mechanisms exist to conduct employee misconduct investigations when there is reasonable assurance that a policy has been violated.

Control Question: Does the organization conduct employee misconduct investigations when there is reasonable assurance that a policy has been violated?

General (9)
Framework Mapping Values
AICPA TSC 2017:2022 (used for SOC 2) (source) CC1.1 CC1.5 CC2.2-POF3 CC2.3-POF4
COSO 2017 Principle 1 Principle 5
ISO 27002 2022 6.4
MPA Content Security Program 5.1 OR-3.1 PS-2.0
NIST 800-171 R3 (source) 03.01.01.f.04 03.01.01.f.05
NIST 800-172 3.9.2e
SCF CORE Mergers, Acquisitions & Divestitures (MA&D) HRS-07.1
SCF CORE ESP Level 2 Critical Infrastructure HRS-07.1
SCF CORE ESP Level 3 Advanced Threats HRS-07.1
US (4)
Framework Mapping Values
US CERT RMM 1.2 HRM:SG4.SP3
US CMMC 2.0 Level 3 (source) PS.L3-3.9.2E
US FACTA FACTA
US SSA EIESR 8.0 5.3
EMEA (1)
Framework Mapping Values
EMEA EU NIS2 Annex 10.4.1
APAC (2)
Framework Mapping Values
APAC New Zealand HISF 2022 HHSP03 HHSP73 HML03 HML73 HSUP03 HSUP64
APAC New Zealand HISF Suppliers 2023 HSUP03 HSUP64
Americas (1)
Framework Mapping Values
Americas Canada ITSP-10-171 03.01.01.F.04 03.01.01.F.05

Capability Maturity Model

Level 0 — Not Performed

There is no evidence of a capability to conduct employee misconduct investigations when there is reasonable assurance that a policy has been violated.

Level 1 — Performed Informally

Human Resources Security (HRS) efforts are ad hoc and inconsistent. CMM Level 1 control maturity would reasonably expect all, or at least most, the following criteria to exist:

  • Personnel management is decentralized, with the responsibility for training users and enforcing policies being assigned to the user’s immediate supervisor(s)/manager(s), including the definition and enforcement of the user’s specific role(s) and responsibilities.
  • The Human Resources (HR) department provides guidance on HR practices for hiring, retaining and terminating employees, contractors and other personnel that work on behalf of the organization.
  • Terms of employment, including acceptable and unacceptable rules of behavior for the use of technologies, including consequences for unacceptable behavior are at the discretion of users’ management.
  • Administrative processes require all employees and contractors to apply cybersecurity and data privacy principles in their daily work.
Level 2 — Planned & Tracked

Human Resources Security (HRS) 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: o 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. o Defines terms of employment, including acceptable and unacceptable rules of behavior for the use of technologies, including consequences for unacceptable behavior.

  • Personnel 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 personnel management.
  • The Human Resources (HR) department:
  • The responsibility for training users and enforcing policies being assigned to user’s immediate supervisor(s)/manager(s), including the definition and enforcement of the user’s specific role(s) and responsibilities.
  • Personnel managers ensure personnel are routinely made aware of the organization's cybersecurity / data privacy policies and provide acknowledgement.
  • Administrative processes require all employees and contractors to apply cybersecurity and data privacy principles in their daily work.
Level 3 — Well Defined

Human Resources Security (HRS) 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: o 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. o Ensures that every user accessing a system that processes, stores, or transmits sensitive/regulated data is cleared and regularly trained in proper data handling practices. o Identifies and implements industry-recognized HR practices related to cybersecurity and data privacy training and awareness to help ensure secure practices are implemented in personnel operations to help manage risk to both technology assets and data. o Manages personnel security risk by assigning a risk designation to all positions and establishing screening criteria for individuals filling those positions.

  • The Human Resources (HR) department:
  • Administrative processes require Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs) or similar confidentiality agreements that reflect the needs to protect data and operational details, for both employees and third-parties.
Level 4 — Quantitatively Controlled

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 conduct employee misconduct investigations when there is reasonable assurance that a policy has been violated.

Level 5 — Continuously Improving

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 conduct employee misconduct investigations when there is reasonable assurance that a policy has been violated.

Assessment Objectives

  1. HRS-07.1_A01 individuals with access to sensitive / regulated data are identified.
  2. HRS-07.1_A02 adverse information about individuals with access to sensitive / regulated data is defined.
  3. HRS-07.1_A03 organizational systems to which individuals have access are identified.
  4. HRS-07.1_A04 mechanisms are in place to protect organizational systems if adverse information develops or is obtained about individuals with access to sensitive / regulated data.

Technology Recommendations

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