RMF Control SC-6: Resource Availability requires organizations to allocate resources to protect the availability of information systems. This includes allocating resources to protect against denial-of-service attacks, resource exhaustion attacks, and other attacks that can disrupt the availability of information systems.
Supplemental Guidance
The Risk Management Framework (RMF) is a cybersecurity framework that provides a process for managing cybersecurity risk to systems and organizations. RMF Control SC-6: Resource Availability is one of the controls in the SC family, which addresses security controls.
Resource availability is the ability of an information system to be accessed and used by authorized users when needed. Denial-of-service attacks and resource exhaustion attacks are attacks that can disrupt the availability of information systems.
Benefits of Implementing RMF Control SC-6
There are a number of benefits to implementing RMF Control SC-6, including:
- Improved security posture: By allocating resources to protect the availability of information systems, organizations can improve their security posture and reduce the risk of denial-of-service attacks and resource exhaustion attacks.
- Reduced risk of business disruptions: Denial-of-service attacks and resource exhaustion attacks can disrupt business operations, which can lead to financial losses and damage to the organization’s reputation. By implementing RMF Control SC-6, organizations can reduce the risk of business disruptions caused by these attacks.
- Improved compliance: Many regulations require organizations to have controls in place to protect the availability of information systems. By implementing RMF Control SC-6, organizations can improve their compliance with these regulations.
How to Implement RMF Control SC-6
To implement RMF Control SC-6, organizations should:
- Identify the information systems that need to be protected.
- Assess the risks to the availability of the identified information systems.
- Allocate resources to protect the availability of the identified information systems. This may include allocating resources to implement security controls, such as firewalls, intrusion detection systems, and intrusion prevention systems.
- Monitor the effectiveness of the allocated resources.
Examples of Resource Availability Controls
Some examples of resource availability controls include:
- Firewalls
- Intrusion detection systems
- Intrusion prevention systems
- Load balancers
- Redundant systems
- Backup and recovery systems
Conclusion
RMF Control SC-6: Resource Availability is an important control that can help organizations to improve their security posture, reduce the risk of business disruptions, and improve compliance. By implementing RMF Control SC-6, organizations can allocate resources to protect the availability of their information systems.
Additional Tips for Implementing RMF Control SC-6
- Involve stakeholders in the resource availability planning process: Organizations should involve stakeholders, such as IT staff, security staff, and business owners, in the resource availability planning process. This will help to ensure that the resource availability plan is aligned with the organization’s business needs and security requirements.
- Use a risk-based approach to resource allocation: Organizations should use a risk-based approach to resource allocation to ensure that resources are allocated to the most critical information systems and the most critical security risks.
- Regularly review and update the resource availability plan: Organizations should regularly review and update the resource availability plan to ensure that it is effective and up-to-date.
By following these tips, organizations can effectively implement RMF Control SC-6 and improve their security posture.