PM-20_dissemination-of-privacy-program-information

PM-20 Dissemination of Privacy Program Information

High-Level Description

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

For federal agencies, the webpage is located at www.[agency].gov/privacy. Federal agencies include public privacy impact assessments, system of records notices, computer matching notices and agreements, PRIVACT exemption and implementation rules, privacy reports, privacy policies, instructions for individuals making an access or amendment request, email addresses for questions/complaints, blogs, and periodic publications.

What to Check

• Verify PM-20 Dissemination of Privacy Program Information is documented in SSP
• Validate all 3 control requirements are implemented
• Confirm control is operating effectively
• Review evidence of continuous monitoring for PM-20

How to Test

Step 1: Review Documentation

Examine the System Security Plan (SSP) and related artifacts for PM-20 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

Maintain a central resource webpage on the organization’s principal public website that serves as a central source of information about the organization’s privacy program and that: Ensures that the public has access to information about organizational privacy activities and can communicate with its senior agency official for privacy; Ensures that organizational privacy practices and reports are publicly available; and Employs publicly facing email addresses and/or phone lines to enable the public to provide feedback and/or direct questions to privacy offices regarding privacy practices.

Implementation Guidance

For federal agencies, the webpage is located at www.[agency].gov/privacy. Federal agencies include public privacy impact assessments, system of records notices, computer matching notices and agreements, PRIVACT exemption and implementation rules, privacy reports, privacy policies, instructions for individuals making an access or amendment request, email addresses for questions/complaints, blogs, and periodic publications.

Risk Assessment

CWE Categories

References

• NIST SP 800-53 Rev 5 - PM-20
• 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 (AC-3, PM-19, PT-5, PT-6, PT-7) reviewed