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THR-09: Behavioral Baselining

THR 5 — Medium Govern

Automated mechanisms exist to establish behavioral baselines that capture information about user and entity behavior to enable dynamic threat discovery.

Renumbered: Formerly THR-11 in SCF 2025.4.

Code reused: In SCF 2025.4 and earlier, THR-09 was Threat Catalog. That control is now THR-06.

Control Question: Does the organization use automated mechanisms to establish behavioral baselines that capture information about user and entity behavior to enable dynamic threat discovery?

General (2)
Framework Mapping Values
COSO 2013 8.0
CR CMM 2026 CR2.2.6
US (3)
Framework Mapping Values
USA Federal DHS CISA TIC 3.0 3.PEP.ID.BBASE 3.UNI.DTDIS
USA Federal DoD Zero Trust Reference Architecture 2.0 1.2
USA Federal DoD Zero Trust Execution Roadmap v1.1 3.4.5 3.4.6 7.2.5 7.3.2 7.4 7.4.2
APAC (4)
Framework Mapping Values
APAC Australia CCM 2026 DET-04
APAC Malaysia RMiT 2025 A11-1
APAC Singapore CCOP CII 2026 6.2.2(b) 10.2.5(a) 10.4.4 10.4.5
APAC Singapore MAS TRM 2021 12.2.3

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

Threat Management (THR) domain capabilities are ad hoc and inconsistent. Capability criteria associated with this control may include: ▪ Policies, standards & procedures associated with THR domain capabilities provide limited coverage due to the depth and breadth of the existing documentation. ▪ Threat management-related activities are decentralized (e.g., a localized/regionalized function) and uses non-standardized methods to implement secure, resilient and compliant practices.

Level 2 — Planned & Tracked

Threat Management (THR) 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 THR domain capabilities are formally documented and centrally-managed by the entity. ▪ Standardized Operating Procedures (SOP) associated with THR 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 THR domain capabilities to address applicable statutory, regulatory and/or contractual requirements for Technology Assets, Applications, Services and/or Data (TAASD). ▪ Threat management-related controls are primarily administrative and preventative in nature (e.g., policies, standards and procedures & guidelines). ▪ Threat management may be a defined function (e.g., team or department) or assigned as an additional duty to existing IT and/or cybersecurity personnel.

Level 3 — Well Defined

Threat Management (THR) 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 THR 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 THR domain capabilities are well-documented and kept current by process owners. ▪ A threat management team, or similar function, is appropriately staffed and supported to implement and maintain THR domain capabilities. ▪ Technology is leveraged to enhance the efficiency and accuracy of threat management operations (e.g., threat intelligence solution and bug bounty 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 THR 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 automatically establish behavioral baselines that capture information about user and entity behavior to enable dynamic threat discovery.

Level 4 — Quantitatively Controlled

Threat Management (THR) 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

Threat Management (THR) 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. ▪ Based on predictive analysis, process improvements are implemented according to “continuous improvement” practices that affect process changes. ▪ Stakeholders make time-sensitive decisions to support operational efficiency, which may include automated remediation actions via Artificial Intelligence (AI) or Machine Learning (ML) technologies.

Assessment Objectives

  1. THR-09_A01 baselines are captured to establish behavioral baselines about user and entity behavior.
  2. THR-09_A02 behavioral baselines about user and entity behavior are leveraged for dynamic threat discovery purposes.

Evidence Requirements

E-THR-08 Behavioral Baselining

Documented evidence of behavioral baselining to determine normal vs abnormal activities.

Threat Management

Technology Recommendations

Micro/Small

  • Monitor for deviations from normal user/system behavior

Small

  • Baseline user and system behavior
  • Alert on significant deviations

Medium

  • Formal behavioral baselining program
  • SIEM-based anomaly detection

Large

  • Enterprise UEBA platform (e.g., Exabeam, Securonix)
  • Behavioral analytics for threat detection

Enterprise

  • Enterprise UEBA/XDR platform (e.g., Microsoft Sentinel, Exabeam, Securonix)
  • ML-based behavioral analytics
  • Automated threat response

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