Control statement
Assess and review the supply chain-related risks associated with suppliers or contractors and the system, system component, or system service they provide [Organization-defined: frequency].
Discussion
An assessment and review of supplier risk includes security and supply chain risk management processes, foreign ownership, control or influence (FOCI), and the ability of the supplier to effectively assess subordinate second-tier and third-tier suppliers and contractors. The reviews may be conducted by the organization or by an independent third party. The reviews consider documented processes, documented controls, all-source intelligence, and publicly available information related to the supplier or contractor. Organizations can use open-source information to monitor for indications of stolen information, poor development and quality control practices, information spillage, or counterfeits. In some cases, it may be appropriate or required to share assessment and review results with other organizations in accordance with any applicable rules, policies, or inter-organizational agreements or contracts.
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 Supplier Assessments and Reviews 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 cybersecurity supply-chain governance, provenance, supplier risk, component authenticity, and dependency resilience.
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
- supplier inventories and criticality ratings
- contract security clauses
- provenance and authenticity records
- supplier monitoring and incident records
Common failure patterns
- tier-one vendors assessed while sub-tier dependencies are ignored
- contracts lack evidence and notification obligations
- open-source and service dependencies omitted
- supplier risk reviews occur only at onboarding
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
the supply chain-related risks associated with suppliers or contractors and the systems, system components, or system services they provide are assessed and reviewed [Organization-defined: frequency].
Examine
- Supply chain risk management policy and procedures
- supply chain risk management strategy
- supply chain risk management plan
- system and services acquisition policy
- procedures addressing supply chain protection
- procedures addressing the integration of information security requirements into the acquisition process
- records of supplier due diligence reviews
- system security plan
- other relevant documents or records
Interview
- Organizational personnel with system and services acquisition responsibilities
- organizational personnel with information security responsibilities
- organizational personnel with supply chain protection responsibilities
Test
- Organizational processes for conducting supplier reviews
- mechanisms supporting and/or implementing supplier reviews
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.
SR-6(1) — Testing and Analysis
Employ [Organization-defined: sr-06.01_odp.01] of the following supply chain elements, processes, and actors associated with the system, system component, or system service: [Organization-defined: supply chain elements, processes, and actors].
Official discussion
Relationships between entities and procedures within the supply chain, including development and delivery, are considered. Supply chain elements include organizations, entities, or tools that are used for the research and development, design, manufacturing, acquisition, delivery, integration, operations, maintenance, and disposal of systems, system components, or system services. Supply chain processes include supply chain risk management programs; SCRM strategies and implementation plans; personnel and physical security programs; hardware, software, and firmware development processes; configuration management tools, techniques, and measures to maintain provenance; shipping and handling procedures; and programs, processes, or procedures associated with the production and distribution of supply chain elements. Supply chain actors are individuals with specific roles and responsibilities in the supply chain. The evidence generated and collected during analyses and testing of supply chain elements, processes, and actors is documented and used to inform organizational risk management activities and decisions.
Organization-defined parameters (2)
Assessment objectives and methods
[Organization-defined: sr-06.01_odp.01] is/are employed on [Organization-defined: supply chain elements, processes, and actors] associated with the system, system component, or system service.
Examine
- Supply chain risk management policy and procedures
- supply chain risk management plan
- system and services acquisition policy
- procedures addressing supply chain protection
- evidence of organizational analysis, independent third-party analysis, organizational penetration testing, and/or independent third-party penetration testing
- list of supply chain elements, processes, and actors (associated with the system, system component, or system service) subject to analysis and/or testing
- system security plan
- other relevant documents or records
Interview
- Organizational personnel with system and services acquisition responsibilities
- organizational personnel with information security responsibilities
- organizational personnel with supply chain risk management responsibilities
- organizational personnel with responsibilities for analyzing and/or testing supply chain elements, processes, and actors
Test
- Organizational processes for defining and employing methods of analysis/testing of supply chain elements, processes, and actors
- mechanisms supporting and/or implementing the analysis/testing of supply chain elements, processes, and actors
Related controls
Authoritative sources
- FASC18 ↗
- 41 CFR 201 ↗
- EO 13873 ↗
- ISO 27036 ↗
- ISO 20243 ↗
- FIPS 140-3 ↗
- FIPS 180-4 ↗
- FIPS 186-4 ↗
- FIPS 202 ↗
- SP 800-30 ↗
- SP 800-161 ↗
- IR 7622 ↗
- IR 8272 ↗
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.