Government SCRM Framework for Cybersecurity

Trying to break into cybersecurity—especially in government or defense? You need to understand RMF. No way around it. The Risk Management Framework (RMF) is the backbone of how government systems are secured and authorized. It’s not theory—it’s the real-world process agencies follow before any system can go live. And here’s the truth: Even if you only understand the fundamentals of RMF, you’re already ahead of most people applying for the same roles. So what is RMF—and why does it matter so much? RMF was developed by NIST (yep, the same folks behind many federal standards). It gives organizations a structured, repeatable way to identify, assess, and manage risk for government IT systems. Think of RMF like the security playbook for the federal government. 🧩 It slows things down—in a good way. 🧩 It forces documentation, testing, and sign-off. 🧩 It ensures the system is actually safe before real data ever touches it. Because in today’s threat landscape—with AI tools scanning for weaknesses, nation-state actors targeting infrastructure, and more data online than ever—we can’t afford guesswork. 📘 If you’re serious about GovTech, DoD, FedRAMP, or government contracting work—RMF is the standard. It’s not a buzzword. It’s how you get approved, get paid, and stay in compliance. NIST 800-37 outlines the 7 steps of RMF: Prepare Categorize Select Implement Assess Authorize Monitor And NIST 800-53? That’s your control catalog—where you’ll find the security rules (like AC-2, AU-6, SC-12) that every system is measured against. Learning RMF isn’t about checking boxes. It’s about knowing how government systems stay secure—and being the one who protects the mission. Even if you’re new to the field, this framework can be your lane. You don’t need years of experience. You need to show you can document, test, and review with purpose and precision. That’s a skillset you can build—and use to land real opportunities in GovTech. 👊 I’ve got a resource that break it all down in plain English. Click the link in the comments for your RMF Starter Guide. #RMF #GovTech #CybersecurityCareers

Goodbye RMF. Hello CSRMC! The Department of War just announced RMF's replacement - the "Cybersecurity Risk Management Construct." They say that the RMF "was overly reliant on static checklists and manual processes that failed to account for operational needs and cyber survivability requirements." CSRMC shifts from "snapshot in time assessments to dynamic, automated, and continuous risk management, enabling cyber defense at the speed of relevance required for modern warfare." CSRMC organizes cybersecurity into five phases aligned to system development and operations: 1. 𝐃𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐧 𝐏𝐡𝐚𝐬𝐞 - Security is embedded at the outset, ensuring resilience is built into system architecture. 2. 𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐏𝐡𝐚𝐬𝐞 - Secure designs are implemented as systems achieve Initial Operating Capability (IOC). 3. 𝐓𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐏𝐡𝐚𝐬𝐞 - Comprehensive validation and stress testing are performed prior to Full Operating Capability (FOC). 4. 𝐎𝐧𝐛𝐨𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐏𝐡𝐚𝐬𝐞 - Automated continuous monitoring is activated at deployment to sustain system visibility. 5. 𝐎𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐏𝐡𝐚𝐬𝐞 - Real-time dashboards and alerting mechanisms provide immediate threat detection and rapid response. They say that CSMRC has 10 foundational tenets: 𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 - driving efficiency and scale 𝐂𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐬 - identifying and tracking the controls that matter most to cybersecurity 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐮𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐌𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐀𝐓𝐎 - enabling real-time situational awareness to achieve constant ATO posture 𝐃𝐞𝐯𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐎𝐩𝐬 - supporting secure, agile development and deployment 𝐂𝐲𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝐒𝐮𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐯𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 - enabling operations in contested environments 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 - upskilling personnel to meet evolving challenges 𝐄𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐞 𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐬 & 𝐈𝐧𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 - reducing duplication and compliance burdens 𝐎𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐳𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 - ensuring stakeholders near real-time visibility of cybersecurity risk posture 𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐭𝐲 - reuse assessments across systems 𝐂𝐲𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐀𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 - integrating threat-informed testing to validate security You'll see that the attached lifecycle graphic does align CSRMC's 5 phases to RMF's steps. And there are still references to RMF documents like Information Security Continuous Monitoring (ISCM). I'm assuming they'll continue to use the NIST 800-53 security controls. If so, I'm sure they'll create additional overlays. CNSSI 1253 documented the security control baselines for RMF. If they still leverage NIST 800-53, I would think that the resulting baselines will be much smaller in the revised version. I'm very much in agreement with the tenets and applaud the shift in focus! I'm interested to learn how different this will be from the RMF process. I do know this, sometimes you need a rebrand to shake things up. It will be very interesting to see how this evolves! #csrmc #nist #rmf

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has released the draft publication “Developing Security, Privacy, and Cybersecurity Supply Chain Risk Management Plans for Systems” open for public comment until July 30. The document provides a structured approach for organizations to develop and maintain integrated plans that address security, #privacy, and #supplychain risks across the entire system lifecycle. It introduces a framework built around three interrelated plans: - System Security Plan (SSP): Documents the system’s security controls and requirements. - System Privacy Plan (SPP): Identifies and addresses privacy risks and applicable controls. - #Cybersecurity Supply Chain Risk Management Plan (C-SCRM): Focuses on managing risks related to third-party software, hardware, services, and suppliers. The guidance also outlines how organizations can: - Define roles and responsibilities for developing and maintaining these plans. - Document key system characteristics, including data flows, interconnections, and system boundaries. - Align each plan with organizational risk tolerance, operational needs, and regulatory requirements. - Establish update procedures to keep plans current with evolving threats and technology. - Track changes and maintain documentation using automation and configuration management tools. - Address supply chain risks in modern IT environments, including cloud, open-source, and hybrid systems. This draft is intended to help organizations bring greater consistency and integration to system-level planning and risk management efforts.

The wait is over: the government has finalized the CMMC rule, making robust cybersecurity a non-negotiable requirement for nearly every defense contractor. The new CMMC framework is now a contractual gatekeeper for United States Department of War business. All contractors and subcontractors handling Federal Contract Information (FCI) or Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI)—regardless of size or sector—must comply, with few exceptions. What’s changing? CMMC introduces a three-level system for cybersecurity controls and assessments. Depending on the sensitivity of the information you handle, you’ll face either self-assessment, third-party review, or a government-led audit. There’s no grace period: if you’re not certified at award, you’re out of the running. Key steps contractors must take now: -Assess your current cybersecurity posture against the CMMC requirements for your anticipated contract level. -Close compliance gaps and maintain comprehensive documentation. -Prepare for third-party or government assessments if you handle CUI. -Ensure your subcontractors are equally compliant. -Register and keep your CMMC status updated in SPRS. The risks of non-compliance are real: contract ineligibility, breach, regulatory penalties, and business disruption. The CMMC final rule is a fundamental shift for the military industrial base and an important step for national security. Read the latest from the cybersecurity team at Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney PC here: https://lnkd.in/esb5gzvA Read the CMMC Final Rule here: https://lnkd.in/eFd_XHfQ Summit 7 National Defense Industrial Association - (NDIA) NetDiligence®AmTrust Financial Services, Inc. ANV McCrary Institute for Cyber & Critical Infrastructure Security Institute for Critical Infrastructure Technology (ICIT) The Cyber AB Katie Arrington Paul Michaels, NACD.DC, QTE, CISSP

The Department of War just announced the Cybersecurity Risk Management Construct (CSRMC), a five-phase, ten-tenet framework promising real-time, continuously monitored cyber defense at operational speed. 𝐂𝐒𝐑𝐌𝐂 𝐚𝐭 𝐚 𝐆𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 Five lifecycle phases (covering system development & operations): 1️⃣ Design – Embed security and resilience from the start 2️⃣ Build (IOC) – Implement secure designs, feed into continuous monitoring 3️⃣ Test (FOC) – Validate controls through stress testing and automation 4️⃣ Onboard – Switch on automated continuous monitoring at deployment 5️⃣ Operations – Real-time dashboards and alerts for continuous risk response 𝐓𝐞𝐧 𝐜𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐬 (𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐭𝐬): • Automation • Critical Controls • Continuous Monitoring & ATO • DevSecOps • Cyber Survivability • Training • Enterprise Services & Inheritance • Operationalization • Reciprocity • Cybersecurity Assessments 𝐀𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐌𝐚𝐣𝐨𝐫 𝐂𝐚𝐩𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐀𝐜𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐏𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐑𝐌𝐅 The DoD CIO’s MCA Pathway Integration with RMF guidance calls for early, iterative RMF integration across the acquisition lifecycle. CSRMC’s phases echo those same steps: Prepare, Categorize, Select, Implement, Assess, Authorize, Monitor, emphasizing: • Early risk planning and digital engineering during the Design/MSA phase • Control tailoring, artifact reuse, and reciprocity throughout Build and Test • Continuous monitoring and cATO practices in Onboard and Operations This structural overlap is intentional, both aim to bake security into the mission from concept to sustainment, not bolt it on after Milestone C. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐂𝐡𝐞𝐜𝐤 Veterans of DIACAP, multiple RMF rewrites, and countless “next-gen” compliance pushes know the pattern: • Strong concepts on paper • Cultural inertia in practice • Checklists creeping back as schedules tighten CSRMC will only succeed if program managers, engineers, and Authorizing Officials own continuous risk and resist the slide back to point-in-time authorizations. Otherwise it risks becoming just the next framework awaiting replacement. - A well-written playbook is necessary. - A true culture shift is decisive. Question for the community: Will CSRMC finally make continuous cyber defense a living practice, or will we be here again in five years debating the next revamp? DoW CRMC Release: https://lnkd.in/eCtTU2kC CSRMC Strategic Tenets: https://lnkd.in/eqsvatE5 Major Capability Acquisition Pathway Integration with Risk Management Framework: https://lnkd.in/eNzpe__E

After months of work, I’m thrilled to announce the completion of my full NIST Cybersecurity Framework (CSF) 2.0 podcast series—the complete series, now available in audio format! 🎙️🔐 🎧 Listen to the full podcast series here: https://lnkd.in/gFwBGSmv 📘 Get the book: nistcsf.baremetalcyber.com This 114-episode series is the most in-depth audio resource on NIST CSF 2.0, covering: ✅ All 106 subcategories explained in detail ✅ Controls and implementation strategies ✅ Functions, tiers, and maturity levels ✅ How organizations can leverage the framework to strengthen cybersecurity Each episode is 15–20 minutes long, making it perfect for listening on your commute, during a workout, or between meetings. 🚗🎧 This podcast is designed to complement my best-selling book, A Comprehensive Guide to the NIST Cybersecurity Framework 2.0, which serves as an essential resource for cybersecurity professionals, business leaders, IT consultants, and students. 📖 About the book: The NIST Cybersecurity Framework has become the gold standard for managing cyber risks worldwide. My book provides: 🔹 Clear, jargon-free explanations for beginners and experts 🔹 A deep dive into all framework components (Govern, Identify, Protect, Detect, Respond, and Recover) 🔹 Hundreds of actionable recommendations for implementation 🔹 Critical updates from the original NIST CSF to version 2.0 If you’re looking to enhance your cybersecurity expertise, align your organization with NIST standards, or stay ahead of evolving cyber threats, these resources are for you! #Cybersecurity #NISTCSF #RiskManagement #BareMetalCyber #informationsecurity #cybersecurity #technology #cyber #cybersecuritytraining #cyberawareness #usarmy #usmarines #usmc #usairforce #airforce #usnavy #navy #uscg #coastguard #military #veterans  

Enhancing Cybersecurity: A Comprehensive Security Matrix A layered approach to security is essential. The following framework breaks down cybersecurity into six interconnected domains, each with practical components to strengthen defenses and response capabilities: Information Security: Access Rights & Permissions Matrix Data Breach Notification Log Data Classification Register Data Loss Prevention (DLP) Incident Log Document Retention & Disposal Tracker Encryption Key Management Sheet Network Security: DDoS Attack Mitigation Plan Tracker IP Whitelist-Blacklist Tracker Network Access Control Log Network Device Inventory Network Security Risk Mitigation Report Security Event Correlation Tracker Cloud Security: Cloud Access Control Matrix Cloud Asset Inventory Tracker Cloud Backup & Recovery Testing Tracker Cloud Incident Response Log Cloud Security Configuration Baseline Application Security: Application Data Encryption Checklist Application Risk Assessment Matrix Application Threat Modeling Authentication & Authorization Control Sheet Modeling Patch & Update Tracker Security Management: Acceptable Use of Assets Password Policy Backup and Recovery Compliance Management Disposal and Destruction Policy Information Classification Policy Incident Management: Incident Management Guide Incident Management Policy Incident Management Process Internal Incident Report Major Incident Report Template Structure Damage Incident Report Problem Management: KE Record Template Major Problem Report Template Problem Management Process Problem Record Template This structured approach creates clear accountability, improves visibility, and accelerates incident response across technology ecosystems. It’s about turning security into an organized, repeatable, and measurable practice that protects assets while enabling innovation.