Assignment Content

1. Refer to NIST SP 800-53 (Rev. 4) for the 18 candidate security control families and associated security controls.

   Security Assessment must be incorporated into the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) in order to be a secure, integrated process. Testing of selected security controls ensures that applications meet business requirements, function as planned, and protect associated data securely from attack. A security assessment of the targeted environment identifies vulnerabilities that may cause a security breach and specifies the security controls that mitigate the vulnerabilities.

   For this assignment, use the organization you chose in Week 1.

   Part I: Mapping Vulnerabilities to Security Controls
   Choose 5 distinct security control families as specified in NIST SP 800-53 (Rev. 4) that are most applicable to your organization’s known vulnerabilities.

   Create a 1-page spreadsheet in Microsoft® Excel® that identifies the following criteria for each family:

   • Control ID
   • Control Name
   • Vulnerability
   • Recommended mitigation (refer to your Week 3 assignment; refine them for this mitigation)
   • Part II: Security Controls Testing
     Provide a 2- to 3-page table in Microsoft Word including each family, and describe the testing procedure that will mitigate the vulnerability. Annotate whether the testing procedure is an interview, observation, technical test, or a combination.

     Example of Security Controls Testing Table:
     

     Part III: Penetration Testing and Vulnerability Scanning
     Provide a 1-page description of penetration testing and vulnerability scanning processes.

     Describe how they are used as part of the organization’s testing and assessment strategy.

     Format your citations according to APA guidelines.