Benefits:
Reduced risk of data breaches: By limiting access to CUI from external systems, organizations can reduce the potential for unauthorized access and exfiltration of sensitive information.
Enhanced data integrity: Controlling the use of external systems helps prevent unauthorized modifications or manipulation of CUI.
Improved compliance: Implementing this control demonstrates an organization's commitment to protecting CUI and complying with relevant regulations, such as the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) for defense contractors.
Minimized malware risk: By limiting connections to unmanaged external systems, organizations can decrease the chance of malware infiltrating their networks through these connections.
Accountability:
Senior Management: Establish and enforce policies: They set the overall direction by defining clear policies on acceptable external connections and usage. Allocate resources: They provide the necessary resources, including budget and personnel, to implement and maintain effective controls. Conduct reviews: They oversee the implementation of control 3.1.20 and conduct periodic reviews to assess its effectiveness.
IT Security Team: Develop and implement controls: They design and implement technical controls like firewalls, access controls, and intrusion detection systems to limit and monitor external connections. Monitor and detect suspicious activity: They continuously monitor for suspicious activity related to external connections and promptly investigate and respond to incidents. Incident response: They develop and maintain an incident response plan to address security breaches involving external system connections.
System Owners: Define and document system requirements: They define the specific requirements for connecting to and using external systems for their respective systems. Approve connections: They assess and approve requests for connecting to external systems, ensuring alignment with security policies and system requirements. Manage access: They grant or deny access to external systems based on the principle of least privilege and user roles.
Individual Users: Comply with policies and procedures: They are responsible for adhering to established policies and procedures regarding external system connections and usage. Report suspicious activity: They are required to report any suspicious activity observed during their use of external systems to the IT security team.
Implementation:
Define acceptable use: Develop policies outlining authorized external systems, permitted applications, and secure data transfer methods.
Implement access controls: Utilize firewalls, intrusion detection systems, and access control lists to restrict unauthorized connections and monitor authorized ones.
Educate and train personnel: Train employees on acceptable use policies, potential security risks, and reporting procedures for suspicious activity.
Monitor and audit: Regularly monitor system logs, identify and address suspicious access attempts, and conduct periodic audits to ensure the effectiveness of implemented controls.
Continuous improvement: Regularly review and update policies and procedures based on emerging threats, evolving technologies, and lessons learned from incidents.
