NIST 800-53 is a compliance framework for information security and privacy, primarily used by the US Federal government and its suppliers. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is itself a government agency, charged with fortifying US government information systems and organizations against threats. There are almost 1,000 controls in NIST 800-53, divided into 20 different control’ families.’ Each family has a variety of customizable controls specific to its areas, such as access control, employee training, incident response, and the like.
It can be daunting to navigate all the controls and obtain your NIST 800-53 compliance certification correctly. But no worries, with Akitra, you can complete your NIST 800-53 compliance audit and get certified — all on your first try!
In this blog, we will outline the various control families, give you a rundown of what they involve, and provide tips on the best practices that will assist you in selecting and implementing appropriate controls to comply with NIST 800-53. Whether you’re performing a risk assessment for NIST or exploring security compliance automation tools, this guide will help you prepare.
Now, let’s learn about the control families of NIST 800-53.
What are the NIST 800-53 Control Families?
NIST 800-53 has a long list of security and privacy controls. Let’s learn a bit about all of them.
- Access Control: Controls for access to systems, networks, and devices are part of the Access Control family.
- Awareness and Training: Ensures that users of information systems are trained to recognize hazards.
- Audit and Accountability: Specifies processes for logging and auditing events.
- Assessment, Authorization, and Monitoring: Focuses on continuous control, monitoring, and risk assessment in accordance with NIST.
- Configuration Management: Focuses on software and device configuration to prevent vulnerabilities.
- Contingency Planning: Helps prepare for system failures and minimize downtime.
- Identification and Authentication: Ensures secure user and device authentication.
- Incident Response: Covers planning and action for dealing with system incidents like breaches or attacks.
- Maintenance: Involves timely system maintenance and inspection processes.
- Media Protection: Manages secure use, storage, and disposal of media.
- Physical and Environmental Protection: Addresses physical access control and facility risk reduction.
- Planning: Includes creation of system security and privacy plans.
- Program Management: Encompasses information system strategies, including risk assessment by NIST guidelines.
- Personnel Protection: Manages employee-related processes and associated security risks.
- Personally Identifiable Information (PII) Processing and Transparency: Protects personally identifiable information.
- Risk Assessment: Critical for identifying threats and vulnerabilities, forming the basis of NIST 800-53 compliance.
- System and Services Acquisition: Covers secure procurement and development practices.
- System and Communications Protection: Ensures boundary protection and device collaboration security.
- System and Information Integrity: Includes monitoring tools and malware protection.
- Supply Chain Risk Management: Ensures that external vendors are vetted and risk is minimized.
Integrating security compliance automation tools makes it easier to manage these families, especially when scaling or tracking compliance in real time.
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Security, AI Risk Management, and Compliance with Akitra!
In the competitive landscape of SaaS businesses, trust is paramount amidst data breaches and privacy concerns. Akitra addresses this need with its leading AI-powered Compliance Automation platform. Our platform empowers customers to prevent sensitive data disclosure and mitigate risks, meeting the expectations of customers and partners in the rapidly evolving landscape of data security and compliance. Through automated evidence collection and continuous monitoring, paired with customizable policies, Akitra ensures organizations are compliance-ready for various frameworks such as SOC 1, SOC 2, HIPAA, GDPR, PCI DSS, ISO 27001, ISO 27701, ISO 27017, ISO 27018, ISO 9001, ISO 13485, ISO 42001, NIST 800-53, NIST 800-171, NIST AI RMF, FedRAMP, CCPA, CMMC, SOX ITGC, and more such as CIS AWS Foundations Benchmark, Australian ISM and Essential Eight etc. In addition, companies can use Akitra’s Risk Management product for overall risk management using quantitative methodologies such as Factorial Analysis of Information Risks (FAIR) and qualitative methods, including NIST-based for your company, Vulnerability Assessment and Pen Testing services, Third Party Vendor Risk Management, Trust Center, and AI-based Automated Questionnaire Response product to streamline and expedite security questionnaire response processes, delivering huge cost savings. Our compliance and security experts provide customized guidance to navigate the end-to-end compliance process confidently. Last but not least, we have also developed a resource hub called Akitra Academy, which offers easy-to-learn short video courses on security, compliance, and related topics of immense significance for today’s fast-growing companies.
Our solution offers substantial time and cost savings, including discounted audit fees, enabling fast and cost-effective compliance certification. Customers achieve continuous compliance as they grow, becoming certified under multiple frameworks through a single automation platform.
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FAQs
How does NIST 800-53 support risk management?
NIST 800-53 includes a dedicated Risk Assessment control family that guides organizations in identifying, evaluating, and mitigating security threats—ensuring proactive risk management aligned with federal standards.
