RA-5(11)_public-disclosure-program

RA-5(11) Public Disclosure Program

Enhancement of: RA-5

High-Level Description

Family: Risk Assessment (RA) Framework: NIST SP 800-53 Rev 5

The reporting channel is publicly discoverable and contains clear language authorizing good-faith research and the disclosure of vulnerabilities to the organization. The organization does not condition its authorization on an expectation of indefinite non-disclosure to the public by the reporting entity but may request a specific time period to properly remediate the vulnerability.

What to Check

• Verify RA-5(11) Public Disclosure Program is documented in SSP
• Confirm control is operating effectively
• Review evidence of continuous monitoring for RA-5(11)
• Verify enhancement builds upon base control RA-5

How to Test

Step 1: Review Documentation

Examine the System Security Plan (SSP) and related artifacts for RA-5(11) 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 a public reporting channel for receiving reports of vulnerabilities in organizational systems and system components.

Implementation Guidance

The reporting channel is publicly discoverable and contains clear language authorizing good-faith research and the disclosure of vulnerabilities to the organization. The organization does not condition its authorization on an expectation of indefinite non-disclosure to the public by the reporting entity but may request a specific time period to properly remediate the vulnerability.

Risk Assessment

CWE Categories

References

• NIST SP 800-53 Rev 5 - RA-5(11)
• 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 (none) reviewed