Control statement
Distribute the following processing and storage components across multiple [Organization-defined: sc-36_prm_1]: [Organization-defined: organization-defined processing and storage components].
Discussion
Distributing processing and storage across multiple physical locations or logical domains provides a degree of redundancy or overlap for organizations. The redundancy and overlap increase the work factor of adversaries to adversely impact organizational operations, assets, and individuals. The use of distributed processing and storage does not assume a single primary processing or storage location. Therefore, it allows for parallel processing and storage.
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 Distributed Processing and Storage 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 secure architecture, boundary protection, communications protection, cryptography, and system isolation.
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
- network and trust-boundary diagrams
- firewall and gateway configurations
- cryptographic configuration and key records
- segmentation and isolation test results
Common failure patterns
- diagrams omit cloud and third-party paths
- encryption enabled without key governance
- flat trust zones allow unnecessary lateral movement
- boundary rules accumulate without owner review
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
- SC-36[01][Organization-defined: processing components] are distributed across [Organization-defined: sc-36_odp.02];
- SC-36[02][Organization-defined: storage components] are distributed across [Organization-defined: sc-36_odp.04].
Examine
- System and communications protection policy
- contingency planning policy and procedures
- contingency plan
- system design documentation
- system configuration settings and associated documentation
- system architecture
- list of system physical locations (or environments) with distributed processing and storage
- system facility diagrams
- processing site agreements
- storage site agreements
- system security plan
- other relevant documents or records
Interview
- System/network administrators
- organizational personnel with information security responsibilities
- organizational personnel installing, configuring, and/or maintaining the system
- organizational personnel with contingency planning and plan implementation responsibilities
- system developers/integrators
Test
- Organizational processes for distributed processing and storage across multiple physical locations
- mechanisms supporting and/or implementing the capability to distribute processing and storage across multiple physical locations
Related controls
These relationships come from the official OSCAL catalog. They indicate useful dependencies or context, not automatic inheritance or equivalence.
Control enhancements
Enhancements add specificity, strength, or scope to the base control. Baseline badges show explicit selections in the official SP 800-53B OSCAL profiles.
SC-36(1) — Polling Techniques
- (a)Employ polling techniques to identify potential faults, errors, or compromises to the following processing and storage components: [Organization-defined: distributed processing and storage components] ; and
- (b)Take the following actions in response to identified faults, errors, or compromises: [Organization-defined: actions].
Official discussion
Distributed processing and/or storage may be used to reduce opportunities for adversaries to compromise the confidentiality, integrity, or availability of organizational information and systems. However, the distribution of processing and storage components does not prevent adversaries from compromising one or more of the components. Polling compares the processing results and/or storage content from the distributed components and subsequently votes on the outcomes. Polling identifies potential faults, compromises, or errors in the distributed processing and storage components.
Organization-defined parameters (2)
Assessment objectives and methods
- SC-36(01)(a)polling techniques are employed to identify potential faults, errors, or compromises to [Organization-defined: distributed processing and storage components];
- SC-36(01)(b)[Organization-defined: actions] are taken in response to identified faults, errors, or compromise.
Examine
- System and communications protection policy
- system design documentation
- system configuration settings and associated documentation
- system architecture
- list of distributed processing and storage components subject to polling
- system polling techniques and associated documentation or records
- system audit records
- system security plan
- other relevant documents or records
Interview
- System/network administrators
- organizational personnel with information security responsibilities
- organizational personnel installing, configuring, and/or maintaining the system
- system developers/integrators
Test
- Mechanisms supporting and/or implementing polling techniques
Related controls
SC-36(2) — Synchronization
Synchronize the following duplicate systems or system components: [Organization-defined: duplicate systems or system components].
Official discussion
[SC-36](#sc-36) and [CP-9(6)](#cp-9.6) require the duplication of systems or system components in distributed locations. The synchronization of duplicated and redundant services and data helps to ensure that information contained in the distributed locations can be used in the mission or business functions of organizations, as needed.
Organization-defined parameters (1)
Assessment objectives and methods
[Organization-defined: duplicate systems or system components] are synchronized.
Examine
- System and communications protection policy
- system design documentation
- system configuration settings and associated documentation
- system architecture
- list of distributed processing and storage components subject to polling
- system polling techniques and associated documentation or records
- system audit records
- system security plan
- other relevant documents or records
Interview
- System/network administrators
- organizational personnel with information security responsibilities
- organizational personnel installing, configuring, and/or maintaining the system
- system developers/integrators
Test
- Mechanisms supporting and/or implementing duplicate system or system component synchronization
Related controls
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.