Control statement
Develop an organization-wide continuous monitoring strategy and implement continuous monitoring programs that include:
- a.Establishing the following organization-wide metrics to be monitored: [Organization-defined: metrics];
- b.Establishing [Organization-defined: monitoring frequencies] and [Organization-defined: assessment frequencies] for control effectiveness;
- c.Ongoing monitoring of organizationally-defined metrics in accordance with the continuous monitoring strategy;
- d.Correlation and analysis of information generated by control assessments and monitoring;
- e.Response actions to address results of the analysis of control assessment and monitoring information; and
- f.Reporting the security and privacy status of organizational systems to [Organization-defined: organization-defined personnel or roles] [Organization-defined: organization-defined frequency].
Discussion
Continuous monitoring at the organization level facilitates ongoing awareness of the security and privacy posture across the organization to support organizational risk management decisions. The terms "continuous" and "ongoing" imply that organizations assess and monitor their controls and risks at a frequency sufficient to support risk-based decisions. Different types of controls may require different monitoring frequencies. The results of continuous monitoring guide and inform risk response actions by organizations. Continuous monitoring programs allow organizations to maintain the authorizations of systems and common controls in highly dynamic environments of operation with changing mission and business needs, threats, vulnerabilities, and technologies. Having access to security- and privacy-related information on a continuing basis through reports and dashboards gives organizational officials the capability to make effective, timely, and informed risk management decisions, including ongoing authorization decisions. To further facilitate security and privacy risk management, organizations consider aligning organization-defined monitoring metrics with organizational risk tolerance as defined in the risk management strategy. Monitoring requirements, including the need for monitoring, may be referenced in other controls and control enhancements such as, [AC-2g](#ac-2_smt.g), [AC-2(7)](#ac-2.7), [AC-2(12)(a)](#ac-2.12_smt.a), [AC-2(7)(b)](#ac-2.7_smt.b), [AC-2(7)(c)](#ac-2.7_smt.c), [AC-17(1)](#ac-17.1), [AT-4a](#at-4_smt.a), [AU-13](#au-13), [AU-13(1)](#au-13.1), [AU-13(2)](#au-13.2), [CA-7](#ca-7), [CM-3f](#cm-3_smt.f), [CM-6d](#cm-6_smt.d), [CM-11c](#cm-11_smt.c), [IR-5](#ir-5), [MA-2b](#ma-2_smt.b), [MA-3a](#ma-3_smt.a), [MA-4a](#ma-4_smt.a), [PE-3d](#pe-3_smt.d), [PE-6](#pe-6), [PE-14b](#pe-14_smt.b), [PE-16](#pe-16), [PE-20](#pe-20), [PM-6](#pm-6), [PM-23](#pm-23), [PS-7e](#ps-7_smt.e), [SA-9c](#sa-9_smt.c), [SC-5(3)(b)](#sc-5.3_smt.b), [SC-7a](#sc-7_smt.a), [SC-7(24)(b)](#sc-7.24_smt.b), [SC-18b](#sc-18_smt.b), [SC-43b](#sc-43_smt.b), [SI-4](#si-4).
Organization-defined parameters
These values must be resolved through the organization’s tailoring and governance process. Bracketed parameter references in the control text identify where a decision is required.
From control text to operational evidence
Use Continuous Monitoring Strategy as a testable risk decision. Translate the official statement into accountable people, repeatable processes, configured technology, and evidence that demonstrates the outcome over time. In this family, pay particular attention to enterprise program governance, accountability, resources, metrics, and organization-wide risk decisions.
Implementation workflow
- Define the control boundary, responsible owner, inherited portions, and systems or processes in scope.
- Resolve each organization-defined parameter before declaring the control implemented.
- Document how the implementation satisfies every clause of the official control statement.
- Collect evidence as a normal byproduct of operation rather than only before an assessment.
- Review exceptions, changes, and monitoring results on a risk-based cadence.
Evidence examples
- program charters and policies
- governance meeting records
- risk and performance metrics
- resource and responsibility assignments
Common failure patterns
- program metrics count activity instead of outcomes
- system-level risks never reach enterprise governance
- responsibilities assigned without authority or resources
- privacy and security managed in separate silos
Questions practitioners should ask
- What risk decision is this control intended to support in this system?
- Which parts are implemented locally, inherited, shared, or not applicable—and what evidence supports that decision?
- Do the documented narrative, deployed configuration, operating process, and collected evidence agree?
- What event or threshold requires the implementation to be reviewed or changed?
Assessment objectives and methods
Show the assessment objective
an organization-wide continuous monitoring strategy is developed;
- PM-31a.continuous monitoring programs are implemented that include establishing [Organization-defined: metrics] to be monitored;
- PM-31b.
- PM-31b.[01]continuous monitoring programs are implemented that establish [Organization-defined: monitoring frequencies] for monitoring;
- PM-31b.[02]continuous monitoring programs are implemented that establish [Organization-defined: assessment frequencies] for assessment of control effectiveness;
- PM-31c.continuous monitoring programs are implemented that include monitoring [Organization-defined: metrics] on an ongoing basis in accordance with the continuous monitoring strategy;
- PM-31d.
- PM-31d.[01]continuous monitoring programs are implemented that include correlating information generated by control assessments and monitoring;
- PM-31d.[02]continuous monitoring programs are implemented that include analyzing information generated by control assessments and monitoring;
- PM-31e.
- PM-31e.[01]continuous monitoring programs are implemented that include response actions to address the analysis of control assessment information;
- PM-31e.[02]continuous monitoring programs are implemented that include response actions to address the analysis of monitoring information;
- PM-31f.
- PM-31f.[01]continuous monitoring programs are implemented that include reporting the security status of organizational systems to [Organization-defined: personnel or roles] [Organization-defined: frequency];
- PM-31f.[02]continuous monitoring programs are implemented that include reporting the privacy status of organizational systems to [Organization-defined: personnel or roles] [Organization-defined: frequency].
Examine
- Information security program plan
- privacy program plan
- supply chain risk management plan
- continuous monitoring strategy
- risk management strategy
- information security continuous monitoring program documentation, reporting, metrics, and artifacts
- information security continuous monitoring program assessment documentation, reporting, metrics, and artifacts
- assessment and authorization policy
- procedures addressing the continuous monitoring of controls
- privacy program continuous monitoring documentation, reporting, metrics, and artifacts
- continuous monitoring program records, security, and privacy impact analyses
- status reports
- risk response documentation
- other relevant documents or records.
Interview
- Senior Accountable Official for Risk Management
- chief information officer
- senior agency information security officer
- senior agency official for privacy
- organizational personnel with information security, privacy, and supply chain risk management program responsibilities
Test
- Organizational procedures and mechanisms used for information security, privacy, and supply chain continuous monitoring
Related controls
These relationships come from the official OSCAL catalog. They indicate useful dependencies or context, not automatic inheritance or equivalence.
Authoritative sources
Bare Metal Cyber is an independent educational publisher and is not affiliated with or endorsed by NIST. Official control requirements and interpretations remain with NIST and the responsible authorizing organization.