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SEA-14.2: Change Processing & Storage Locations

SEA 5 — Medium Protect

Automated mechanisms exist to change the location of processing and/or storage at random time intervals.

Control Question: Does the organization use automated mechanisms to change the location of processing and/or storage at random time intervals?

General (7)

Capability Maturity Model

Level 0 — Not Performed

There is no evidence of a capability to change the location of processing and/ or storage at random time intervals.

Level 1 — Performed Informally

C|P-CMM1 is N/A, since a structured process is required to change the location of processing and/ or storage at random time intervals.

Level 2 — Planned & Tracked

C|P-CMM2 is N/A, since a well-defined process is required to change the location of processing and/ or storage at random time intervals.

Level 3 — Well Defined

Secure Engineering & Architecture (SEA) 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:

  • IT/cybersecurity architects, or a similar function, enable the implementation a “layered defense” network architecture that enables a resilient defense-in-depth approach through the use of industry-recognized cybersecurity and data privacy practices in the specification, design, development, implementation and modification of systems and services (e.g., DISA STIGs, CIS Benchmarks or OEM security guides).
  • IT/cybersecurity engineers, or a similar function, operationalize enterprise architecture, aligned with industry-recognized leading practices, with consideration for cybersecurity and data privacy principles, including resiliency expectations, that addresses risk to organizational operations, assets, individuals, other organizations.
  • A Validated Architecture Design Review (VADR), or similar process, is used to evaluate design criteria for secure practices and conformance with requirements for applicable statutory, regulatory and contractual controls to determine if the system/application/service is designed, built and operated in a secure and resilient manner.
  • A Change Advisory Board (CAB), or similar function, governs changes to systems, applications and services to ensure their stability, reliability and predictability.
  • A formal Change Management (CM) program helps to ensure that no unauthorized changes are made, all changes are documented, services are not disrupted and resources are used efficiently.
  • An Identity & Access Management (IAM) function, or similar function, enables the implementation of identification and access management controls for “least privileges” practices, allowing for the management of user, group and system accounts, including privileged accounts.
  • An IT Asset Management (ITAM) function, or similar function, categorizes assets according to the data the asset stores, transmits and/ or processes and applies the appropriate technology controls to protect the asset and data.
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 change the location of processing and/ or storage at random time intervals.

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 change the location of processing and/ or storage at random time intervals.

Assessment Objectives

  1. SEA-14.2_A01 processing and/or storage locations to be changed are defined.
  2. SEA-14.2_A02 time frequency at which to change the location of processing and/or storage is defined.
  3. SEA-14.2_A03 the location of processing and/or storage is changed per an organization-defined criteria.

Technology Recommendations

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