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CM.3.069
Content
Control Acronym
CM
Family
Configuration Management
CMMC Level
3
800-171 Control #
3.4.8
CMMC Description
Apply deny-by-exception (blacklisting) policy to prevent the use of unauthorized software or deny-all, permit-by-exception (whitelisting) policy to allow the execution of authorized software.
CMMC Clarification
Organizations should determine their blacklisting or whitelisting policy and configure the system to manage software that is allowed to run. Blacklisting or deny-by-exception allows all software to run except if on an unauthorized software list. Whitelisting or permit-by exception does not allow any software to run except if on an authorized software list. The stronger policy of the two is whitelisting. Example You are in charge of managing the IT infrastructure within your organization. To provide better protection for your company you have decided to take a whitelist approach. With additional research you identify a capability within the latest operating system that can control executables, scripts, libraries, or application installers run in your environment. To ensure success you begin by authorizing digitally signed executables. Once deployed you then plan to evaluate and deploy whitelisting for software libraries and scripts.
800-171 Description
Apply deny-by-exception (blacklisting) policy to prevent the use of unauthorized software or deny-all, permit-by- exception (whitelisting) policy to allow the execution of authorized software.
800-171 Discussion
The process used to identify software programs that are not authorized to execute on systems is commonly referred to as blacklisting. The process used to identify software programs that are authorized to execute on systems is commonly referred to as whitelisting. Whitelisting is the stronger of the two policies for restricting software program execution. In addition to whitelisting, organizations consider verifying the integrity of whitelisted software programs using, for example, cryptographic checksums, digital signatures, or hash functions. Verification of whitelisted software can occur either prior to execution or at system startup. [SP 800-167] provides guidance on application whitelisting.
Other Source Discussion
N/A
CIS Control References
CIS Controls v7.1 2.1, 2.2, 2.6, 2.7, 2.8, 2.9
NIST 800-53 Control Ref.
NIST SP 800-53 Rev 4 CM-7(4), CM-7(5)
CMMC Derived
NIST CSF Control References
NIST 800-171 References
NIST SP 800-171 Rev 1 3.4.8
Applicable FAR Clause
NIST CSF Control Reference
NIST CSF v1.1 PR.PT-3
CERT RMM Reference
CERT RMM v1.2 TM:SG2.SP2
Modification of NIST 800-171B Reference
NIST 800-171B Reference
UK NCSCCyber Reference
UK NCSC Cyber Essentials
AS ACSC Reference
Sub-Criterias
Assessment Sub-Criteria 1
CM.3.069.[a] a policy specifying whether whitelisting or blacklisting is to be implemented is specified;
Assessment Sub-Criteria 2
CM.3.069.[b] the software allowed to execute under whitelisting or denied use under blacklisting is specified; and
Assessment Sub-Criteria 3
CM.3.069.[c] whitelisting to allow the execution of authorized software or blacklisting to prevent the use of unauthorized software is implemented as specified.