CP-10 System Recovery and Reconstitution
High-Level Description
Family: Contingency Planning (CP) Framework: NIST SP 800-53 Rev 5
Recovery is executing contingency plan activities to restore organizational mission and business functions. Reconstitution takes place following recovery and includes activities for returning systems to fully operational states. Recovery and reconstitution operations reflect mission and business priorities; recovery point, recovery time, and reconstitution objectives; and organizational metrics consistent with contingency plan requirements. Reconstitution includes the deactivation of interim system capabilities that may have been needed during recovery operations. Reconstitution also includes assessments of fully restored system capabilities, reestablishment of continuous monitoring activities, system reauthorization (if required), and activities to prepare the system and organization for future disruptions, breaches, compromises, or failures. Recovery and reconstitution capabilities can include automated mechanisms and manual procedures. Organizations establish recovery time and recovery point objectives as part of contingency planning.
What to Check
- Verify CP-10 System Recovery and Reconstitution is documented in SSP
- Confirm control is operating effectively
- Review evidence of continuous monitoring for CP-10
How to Test
Step 1: Review Documentation
Examine the System Security Plan (SSP) and related artifacts for CP-10 implementation details. Verify the organization has documented how this control is satisfied.
Step 2: Validate Implementation
# For cloud environments, use cloud-audit-mcp tools
# For on-premises, review system configurations directly
# Example: Check if account management policies exist
grep -r "account.management\|access.control" /etc/security/ 2>/dev/null
Step 3: Test Operating Effectiveness
Verify the control is actively functioning, not just documented. Check logs, configurations, and operational evidence.
Tools
| Tool | Purpose | Usage |
|---|---|---|
| Manual Review | Documentation and interview-based | N/A |
Remediation Guide
Control Statement
Provide for the recovery and reconstitution of the system to a known state within [organization-defined] after a disruption, compromise, or failure.
Implementation Guidance
Recovery is executing contingency plan activities to restore organizational mission and business functions. Reconstitution takes place following recovery and includes activities for returning systems to fully operational states. Recovery and reconstitution operations reflect mission and business priorities; recovery point, recovery time, and reconstitution objectives; and organizational metrics consistent with contingency plan requirements. Reconstitution includes the deactivation of interim system capabilities that may have been needed during recovery operations. Reconstitution also includes assessments of fully restored system capabilities, reestablishment of continuous monitoring activities, system reauthorization (if required), and activities to prepare the system and organization for future disruptions, breaches, compromises, or failures. Recovery and reconstitution capabilities can include automated mechanisms and manual procedures. Organizations establish recovery time and recovery point objectives as part of contingency planning.
Risk Assessment
| Finding | Severity | Impact |
|---|---|---|
| CP-10 System Recovery and Reconstitution not implemented | Medium | Contingency Planning |
| CP-10 partially implemented | Low | Incomplete Contingency Planning |
CWE Categories
| CWE ID | Title |
|---|---|
| N/A | No direct CWE mapping |
References
- NIST SP 800-53 Rev 5 - CP-10
- NIST SP 800-53A Rev 5 (Assessment Procedures)
- NIST SP 800-53 Rev 5 Full Catalog
Checklist
- Control documented in SSP
- Implementation evidence collected
- Operating effectiveness validated
- Continuous monitoring in place
- Related controls (CP-2, CP-4, CP-6, CP-7, CP-9) reviewed