RA-03 Risk Assessment
Risk Assessment
Description
a. Conduct a risk assessment, including: 1. Identifying threats to and vulnerabilities in the system; 2. Determining the likelihood and magnitude of harm from unauthorized access, use, disclosure, disruption, modification, or destruction of the system, the information it processes, stores, or transmits, and any related information; and 3. Determining the likelihood and impact of adverse effects on individuals arising from the processing of personally identifiable information; b. Integrate risk assessment results and risk management decisions from the organization and mission or business process perspectives with system-level risk assessments; c. Document risk assessment results in [Selection (one): security and privacy plans; risk assessment report; [Assignment: organization-defined document]]; d. Review risk assessment results [Assignment: organization-defined frequency]; e. Disseminate risk assessment results to [Assignment: organization-defined personnel or roles]; and f. Update the risk assessment [Assignment: organization-defined frequency] or when there are significant changes to the system, its environment of operation, or other conditions that may impact the security or privacy state of the system.
Supplemental Guidance
Risk assessments consider threats, vulnerabilities, likelihood, and impact to organizational operations and assets, individuals, other organizations, and the Nation. Risk assessments also consider risk from external parties, including contractors who operate systems on behalf of the organization, individuals who access organizational systems, service providers, and outsourcing entities. Organizations can conduct risk assessments at all three levels in the risk management hierarchy (i.e., organization level, mission/business process level, or information system level) and at any stage in the system development life cycle. Risk assessments can also be conducted at various steps in the Risk Management Framework, including preparation, categorization, control selection, control implementation, control assessment, authorization, and control monitoring. Risk assessment is an ongoing activity carried out throughout the system development life cycle. Risk assessments can also address information related to the system, including system design, the intended use of the system, testing results, and supply chain-related information or artifacts. Risk assessments can play an important role in control selection processes, particularly during the application of tailoring guidance and in the earliest phases of capability determination.
Changes from Rev 4
Control text adds privacy and a statement about integrating risk assessment results and risk management decisions with system-level risk assessments Discussion adds information about the need for risk assessments to consider threats, vulnerabilities, likelihood, and impact based on the operation and use of systems, as well as risk from external parties, individuals accessing organizational systems, contractors operating systems on behalf of the organization, service providers, and outsourcing entities Incorporates privacy risk assessment elements of withdrawn App J control AR-02
Enhancements (4)
What NIST adds to this control. Select one to read its statement.
RA-03(01) Supply Chain Risk Assessment LowModerateHigh
a. Assess supply chain risks associated with [Assignment: organization-defined systems, system components, and system services]; and b. Update the supply chain risk assessment [Assignment: organization-defined frequency], when there are significant changes to the relevant supply chain, or when changes to the system, environments of operation, or other conditions may necessitate a change in the supply chain.
RA-03(02) Use of All-source Intelligence
Use all-source intelligence to assist in the analysis of risk.
RA-03(03) Dynamic Threat Awareness
Determine the current cyber threat environment on an ongoing basis using [Assignment: organization-defined means].
RA-03(04) Predictive Cyber Analytics
Employ the following advanced automation and analytics capabilities to predict and identify risks to [Assignment: organization-defined systems or system components]: [Assignment: organization-defined advanced automation and analytics capabilities].
Patterns that use this control (32)
Grouped by the emphasis each pattern gives it.
Critical (7)
- SP-018 Information Security Management System
- SP-035 Offensive Security Testing
- SP-038 Vulnerability Management and Patching
- SP-045 AI Governance and Responsible AI
- SP-046 External Attack Surface Management
- SP-051 Tokenised Asset Security Architecture (draft)
- SP-054 CBDC and Digital Currency Infrastructure (draft)
Important (25)
- SP-001 Client Module
- SP-002 Server Module
- SP-008 Public Web Server Pattern
- SP-011 Cloud Computing Pattern
- SP-012 Secure Software Development Lifecycle
- SP-013 Data Security Pattern
- SP-014 Awareness and Training Pattern
- SP-017 Secure Network Zone Module
- SP-019 Secure Ad-Hoc File Exchange Pattern
- SP-021 Realtime Collaboration Pattern
- SP-023 Industrial Control Systems
- SP-025 Advanced Monitoring and Detection
- SP-026 PCI Full Environment
- SP-028 Secure DevOps Pipeline Pattern
- SP-029 Zero Trust Architecture
- SP-030 API Security
- SP-031 Security Monitoring and Response
- SP-034 Cyber Resilience
- SP-042 Third Party Risk Management
- SP-043 Security Metrics and Measurement
- SP-047 Secure Agentic AI Frameworks
- SP-048 Offensive AI and Deepfake Defence (draft)
- SP-049 AI in Security Operations (draft)
- SP-052 Decentralised Identity & Verifiable Credentials (draft)
- SP-053 Zero-Knowledge Proof Architecture (draft)