Skip to main content

TDA-18: Use of Live Data

TDA 9 — Critical Protect

Mechanisms exist to approve, document and control the use of live data in development and test environments.

Renumbered: Formerly TDA-10 in SCF 2025.4.

Code reused: In SCF 2025.4 and earlier, TDA-18 was Input Data Validation. That control is now TDA-12.

Control Question: Does the organization approve, document and control the use of live data in development and test environments?

General (11)
US (2)
Framework Mapping Values
USA Federal IRS 1075 2021 SA-3(CE-2) SA-3(CE-2).a SA-3(CE-2).b
USA California CCPA 2025 7123(c)(14)
EMEA (5)
Framework Mapping Values
EMEA CHE FINMA Circular 2023/1 IV.D-76
EMEA Germany C5 2026 DEV-07.03B DEV-12.01B
EMEA EU DORA RTS 2024 Article 8.2(b)(vii) Article 16.2(d) Article 16.4
EMEA EU NIS2 Annex 2024 6.2.2(f)
EMEA LUX CCSF 20/750 2020 3.6.2-72
APAC (3)
Framework Mapping Values
APAC Australia ISM June 2026 ISM-1420
APAC Japan ISMAP 14.3 14.3.1 14.3.1.1 14.3.1.2 14.3.1.3 14.3.1.4 14.3.1.5 14.3.1.6
APAC Malaysia RMiT 2025 10.8

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

Technology Development & Acquisition (TDA) domain capabilities are ad hoc and inconsistent. Capability criteria associated with this control may include: ▪ Policies, standards & procedures associated with TDA domain capabilities provide limited coverage due to the depth and breadth of the existing documentation. ▪ Technology development & acquisition-related activities are decentralized (e.g., a localized/regionalized function) and uses non-standardized methods to implement secure, resilient and compliant practices. ▪ Secure development practices loosely conform to industry-recognized standards for secure engineering (e.g., OWASP, NIST SP 800-218 and NIST SP 800-160).

Level 2 — Planned & Tracked

Technology Development & Acquisition (TDA) 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 TDA domain capabilities are formally documented and centrally-managed by the entity. ▪ Standardized Operating Procedures (SOP) associated with TDA 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 TDA domain capabilities to address applicable statutory, regulatory and/or contractual requirements for Technology Assets, Applications, Services and/or Data (TAASD). ▪ Technology development and acquisition-related controls are primarily administrative and preventative in nature (e.g., policies, standards and procedures & guidelines). ▪ Technology development and acquisition management may be a defined function (e.g., team or department) or assigned as an additional duty to existing IT and/or cybersecurity personnel. ▪ Secure development practices mostly conform to industry-recognized standards for secure engineering of Technology Assets, Applications and/or Services (TAAS) (e.g., OWASP, NIST SP 800-218 and NIST SP 800-160). ▪ An application development team, or similar function, uses a structured process to design, build and maintain secure configurations for test, development, staging and production environments.

Level 3 — Well Defined

Technology Development & Acquisition (TDA) 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 TDA 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 TDA domain capabilities are well-documented and kept current by process owners. ▪ A software development team, or similar function, is appropriately staffed and supported to implement and maintain TDA domain capabilities. ▪ Technology is leveraged to enhance the efficiency and accuracy of technology development and acquisition management (e.g., project management software, software escrow solution and software testing tools). ▪ 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 TDA 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 approve, document and control the use of live data in development and test environments.

Level 4 — Quantitatively Controlled

Technology Development & Acquisition (TDA) capabilities, in addition to being standardized across the entity and centrally managed to ensure consistency across Technology Assets, Applications, Services and/or Data (TAASD), efforts are metrics driven to provide sufficient insight for decision makers to predict optimal performance, ensure continued operations and/or identify areas for improvement. Capability criteria associated with this control reasonably expect the following criteria to exist: ▪ Applicable SCR-CMM Level 3 (Well Defined) capabilities are implemented and operational. ▪ Metrics reporting includes quantitative analysis of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). ▪ Metrics reporting includes quantitative analysis of Key Risk Indicators (KRIs). ▪ Scope of metrics, KPIs and KRIs covers organization-wide cybersecurity and data protection controls, including functions performed by third-parties. ▪ Organizational leadership maintains a formal process to objectively review and respond to metrics, KPIs and KRIs (e.g., monthly or quarterly review). ▪ Based on metrics analysis, process improvement recommendations are submitted for review and are handled in accordance with change control processes. ▪ Business and technical stakeholders are involved in reviewing and approving proposed changes to evolve capabilities.

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. TDA-18_A01 the use of live data in pre-production environments is approved for the system, system component or system service.
  2. TDA-18_A02 the use of live data in pre-production environments is documented for the system, system component or system service.
  3. TDA-18_A03 the use of live data in pre-production environments is controlled for the system, system component or system service.
  4. TDA-18_A04 pre-production environments for the system, system component or system service are protected at the same impact or classification level as any live data in use within the pre-production environments.

Evidence Requirements

E-TDA-21 Test Data Management

Documented evidence of restrictions on the use of live / sensitive data in testing and test data integrity controls.

Technology Design & Acquisition

Technology Recommendations

Micro/Small

  • Do not use customer/production data in test; use sample data

Small

  • Policy prohibiting live data in dev/test without approval
  • Anonymized or synthetic test data

Medium

  • Approval and documentation process for any live data use in test
  • Data masking/anonymization (e.g., database masking tools)

Large

  • Test data management with masking/synthetic data (e.g., Delphix, Informatica TDM, Tonic)
  • Approval workflow and logging for live data exceptions

Enterprise

  • Enterprise test data management program (masking, synthetic data, approval controls)
  • DLP monitoring of non-production environments
  • Compliance reporting on live data use

The Secure Controls Framework (SCF) is maintained by SCF Council. Use of SCF content is subject to the SCF Terms & Conditions.

Manage this control in SCF Connect

Track implementation status, collect evidence, and map controls to your compliance frameworks automatically.