PM-15_security-and-privacy-groups-and-associations

PM-15 Security and Privacy Groups and Associations

High-Level Description

Family: Program Management (PM) Framework: NIST SP 800-53 Rev 5

Ongoing contact with security and privacy groups and associations is important in an environment of rapidly changing technologies and threats. Groups and associations include special interest groups, professional associations, forums, news groups, users’ groups, and peer groups of security and privacy professionals in similar organizations. Organizations select security and privacy groups and associations based on mission and business functions. Organizations share threat, vulnerability, and incident information as well as contextual insights, compliance techniques, and privacy problems consistent with applicable laws, executive orders, directives, policies, regulations, standards, and guidelines.

What to Check

• Verify PM-15 Security and Privacy Groups and Associations is documented in SSP
• Validate all 3 control requirements are implemented
• Confirm control is operating effectively
• Review evidence of continuous monitoring for PM-15

How to Test

Step 1: Review Documentation

Examine the System Security Plan (SSP) and related artifacts for PM-15 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

Remediation Guide

Control Statement

Establish and institutionalize contact with selected groups and associations within the security and privacy communities: To facilitate ongoing security and privacy education and training for organizational personnel; To maintain currency with recommended security and privacy practices, techniques, and technologies; and To share current security and privacy information, including threats, vulnerabilities, and incidents.

Implementation Guidance

Ongoing contact with security and privacy groups and associations is important in an environment of rapidly changing technologies and threats. Groups and associations include special interest groups, professional associations, forums, news groups, users’ groups, and peer groups of security and privacy professionals in similar organizations. Organizations select security and privacy groups and associations based on mission and business functions. Organizations share threat, vulnerability, and incident information as well as contextual insights, compliance techniques, and privacy problems consistent with applicable laws, executive orders, directives, policies, regulations, standards, and guidelines.

Risk Assessment

CWE Categories

References

• NIST SP 800-53 Rev 5 - PM-15
• 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 (SA-11, SI-5) reviewed