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HRS-08: Onboarding, Transferring & Offboarding Personnel

HRS 9 — Critical Govern

Mechanisms exist to proactively govern the following personnel management actions: (1) Onboarding new personnel (e.g., new hires); (2) Transferring personnel into new roles within the organization; and (3) Offboarding personnel (e.g., termination of employment).

Renumbered: Formerly HRS-01.1 in SCF 2025.4.

Code reused: In SCF 2025.4 and earlier, HRS-08 was Personnel Transfer. That control is now HRS-11.

Control Question: Does the organization proactively govern the following personnel management actions: (1) Onboarding new personnel (e.g., new hires); (2) Transferring personnel into new roles within the organization; and (3) Offboarding personnel (e.g., termination of employment)?

General (6)
US (10)
Framework Mapping Values
USA Federal CMMC 2.0 Level 2 PSL2.-3.9.2
USA Federal 21 CFR Part 11 2025 11.10(j)
USA Federal 33 CFR Part 101 Subpart F 101.650(a)(7)
USA Federal NERC CIP 2024 CIP-004-7 5.3 CIP-004-7 5.4 CIP-004-7 6.3
USA Federal FIPPS 1973 2.0
USA Federal FCA CRM 2023 609.930(c)(4)
USA California CCPA 2025 7123(c)(3)(A)(i) 7123(c)(3)(A)(ii) 7123(c)(3)(C)
USA Massachusetts 201 CMR 17.00 2008 17.03(2)(b)2 17.03(2)(e)
USA Texas DIR SCSC 2.2 2025 PS-04-SID PS-05-SID
USA Vermont Act 171 2018 2447(b)(5)
EMEA (10)
APAC (1)
Framework Mapping Values
APAC Japan ISMAP 8.1.4.1 8.1.4.2 8.1.4.3 8.1.4.4 9.2.6.2 9.2.6.4 9.2.6.5 9.2.6.6

Capability Maturity Model

Level 0 — Not Performed

Practices are non-existent, based on the inability to demonstrate an implemented and operational capability. A reasonable person would conclude the control is not being performed.

Level 1 — Performed Informally

Human Resources Security (HRS) domain capabilities are ad hoc and inconsistent. Capability criteria associated with this control may include: ▪ Policies, standards & procedures associated with HRS domain capabilities provide limited coverage due to the depth and breadth of the existing documentation. ▪ Personnel management-related activities are decentralized (e.g., a localized/regionalized function) and uses non-standardized methods to implement secure, resilient and compliant practices. ▪ The Human Resources (HR) department provides guidance on secure HR practices for hiring, retaining and terminating employees, contractors and other personnel that work on behalf of the organization. ▪ Responsibility for initial training and enforcing policies being assigned to the individual's immediate supervisor/manager, including the definition and enforcement of the user's specific role(s) and responsibilities. ▪ HR requires personnel with access to sensitive/regulated data to sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA). ▪ Formal roles and responsibilities for cybersecurity and/or data protection are not consistent and/or standardized. ▪ HR maintains a current list of authorized personnel and facilitates the implementation of physical access management controls.

Level 2 — Planned & Tracked

Human Resources Security (HRS) capabilities are requirements-driven, but are not standardized across the entity (e.g., local/regional level consistency). Capability criteria associated with this control reasonably expect the following criteria to exist: ▪ Policies and standards associated with HRS domain capabilities are formally documented and centrally-managed by the entity. ▪ Standardized Operating Procedures (SOP) associated with HRS domain capabilities are documented and maintained by process owners. ▪ IT and/or cybersecurity personnel work with business stakeholders and process owners to appropriately scope and reasonably implement cybersecurity and data protection controls associated with HRS domain capabilities to address applicable statutory, regulatory and/or contractual requirements for Technology Assets, Applications, Services and/or Data (TAASD). ▪ Personnel management-related controls are primarily administrative and preventative in nature (e.g., policies, standards and procedures & guidelines). ▪ Personnel management is decentralized at a localized/regionalized function, where there are non-standardized methods to govern personnel matters across the organization. ▪ Localized HR practices are implemented for hiring, managing, training, investigating and terminating employees, contractors and other personnel that work on behalf of the organization. ▪ The HR department governs personnel management operations and notifies IT and/or cybersecurity personnel of role changes for logical access provisioning and deprovisioning actions. ▪ Personnel managers ensure personnel are responsible for educating new hires on the organization's cybersecurity and data protection policies.

Level 3 — Well Defined

Human Resources Security (HRS) capabilities are standardized across the entity for applicability to People, Processes, Technologies, Data and/or Facilities (PPTDF) to ensure consistency for Technology Assets, Applications, Services and/or Data (TAASD). Capability criteria associated with this control reasonably expect the following criteria to exist: ▪ Policies and standards associated with HRS domain capabilities are formally documented and centrally-managed by the entity's Governance, Risk & Compliance (GRC) team, or similar function. ▪ Standardized Operating Procedures (SOP) associated with HRS domain capabilities are well-documented and kept current by process owners. ▪ A Human Resources (HR) team, or similar function, is appropriately staffed and supported to implement and maintain HRS domain capabilities. ▪ Technology is leveraged to enhance the efficiency and accuracy of human resources security operations (e.g., personnel management software solution). ▪ The entity's Governance, Risk & Compliance (GRC) team, or similar function, works with business stakeholders and process owners to appropriately scope and reasonably implement cybersecurity and data protection controls associated with HRS domain capabilities to address Minimum Compliance Requirements (MCR) (e.g., applicable statutory, regulatory and/or contractual requirements) and Discretionary Security Requirements (DSR) (e.g., entity-required controls). ▪ An implemented and operational capability exists to proactively govern the following personnel management actions: (1) Onboarding new personnel (e.g., new hires); (2) Transferring personnel into new roles within the organization; and (3) Offboarding personnel (e.g., termination of employment).

Level 4 — Quantitatively Controlled

Utilize SCR-CMM Level 3 criteria definitions: ▪ There are no defined Level 4 criteria, since it is reasonable to assume a quantitatively-controlled process is not necessary to operationalize this control. ▪ While it may be possible to develop “metrics-driven” capabilities for this control, the criteria would be organization-specific to define.

Level 5 — Continuously Improving

Utilize SCR-CMM Level 3 or Level 4 (if available) criteria definitions: ▪ There are no defined Level 5 criteria, since it is reasonable to assume a continuously-improving process is not necessary to operationalize this control. ▪ Level 5 capabilities should be considered “world-class” where the control builds on Level 4 capabilities, but are continuously improving through Artificial Intelligence (AI) and/or Machine Learning (ML) technologies. ▪ While it may be possible to develop responsive capabilities for this control through the use of AI and/or ML technologies, the criteria would be organization-specific to define.

Assessment Objectives

  1. HRS-08_A01 documented practices govern the onboarding of new personnel (e.g., new hires).

Evidence Requirements

E-HRS-18 Provisioning Checklist (Onboarding)

Documented evidence of personnel management practices to formally onboard personnel into their assigned roles.

Human Resources
E-HRS-19 Deprovisioning Checklist (Offboarding)

Documented evidence of personnel management practices to formally offboard personnel from their assigned roles due to employment termination or role change.

Human Resources

Technology Recommendations

Micro/Small

  • Employee security policy acknowledgment
  • Background check for sensitive roles

Small

  • Security awareness policy
  • Background checks
  • Security onboarding checklist

Medium

  • HR security program
  • Background checks for all staff
  • Security onboarding training

Large

  • Enterprise HR security program
  • Background screening service
  • Automated offboarding workflows

Enterprise

  • Enterprise HR security framework
  • Background screening platform
  • Integrated HR/IAM offboarding
  • Continuous monitoring

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