Benefits:

Enhanced Visibility and Control: By having a comprehensive inventory and understanding of your systems' configurations, you gain better oversight, allowing for improved decision-making and resource allocation.

Improved Security: Knowing your baseline configuration enables easier detection of unauthorized changes, potentially indicating security breaches or vulnerabilities. This allows for quicker response and remediation.

Streamlined Patch Management: Maintaining an inventory simplifies vulnerability management by identifying which systems require specific patches, making the patching process more efficient.
Reduced Risks: With a clear understanding of your systems, you can proactively address potential weaknesses, reducing the risk of unauthorized access and data breaches.

Regulatory Compliance: Fulfilling this control contributes to meeting various regulatory requirements that mandate strong information security practices.

Accountability:

Senior Management: Approves and enforces policies and procedures: They set the overall direction and ensure resources are allocated to implement and maintain secure configurations. Provides oversight: They monitor the effectiveness of the implemented controls and hold individuals accountable for adherence.

IT Security Team: Develops and implements security baselines: They define the secure configurations for systems, including allowed software, firmware, and settings. Conducts security assessments: They regularly evaluate systems to identify deviations from the baseline and vulnerabilities. Monitors system configurations: They track changes and ensure configurations remain aligned with the baseline.

System Owners: Define and document system security requirements: They identify the specific security needs of their systems based on organizational priorities and regulations. Approve baseline configurations: They review and accept the security baselines defined by the IT security team for their systems. Manage system changes: They follow change management procedures to ensure modifications are authorized, documented, and securely implemented.

Individual Users: Comply with security policies and procedures: They follow established guidelines for using systems, including password management and avoiding unauthorized software installations. Report suspicious activity: They report any unusual system behavior or potential security incidents to the IT security team. Use systems according to assigned privileges: They only access and use systems based on their authorized permissions.

Implementation:

Identify and Inventory: Start by creating a comprehensive list of all your systems, including hardware, software, firmware, and associated documentation.

Establish Baselines: Define the authorized configurations for each system, encompassing approved software versions, security settings, and patch levels.
Maintain and Update: Regularly update your inventory and baseline configurations to reflect changes made to the systems throughout their lifecycles.

Track and Manage Changes: Implement procedures to track and manage changes made to systems. This allows for auditing and helps ensure that only authorized modifications occur.