<img src="https://ws.zoominfo.com/pixel/4CagHYMZMRWAjWFEK36G" width="1" height="1" style="display: none;">
Request Demo

NIST Cybersecurity Framework

OMB Memo For Federal Cyber Incident Reporting Requirements

down-arrow

The White House Office of Management and Budget issued a memorandum laying out the procedures and requirements federal agencies should follow in reporting a cyber incident. The memo uses the NIST guidelines to direct the project, and uses past requirements under the Federal Information Security Modernization Act (FISMA).

“This memorandum describes the processes for Federal agencies to report to OMB and, where applicable, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS),” - OMB memo M-18-02. “Additionally, this memorandum consolidates requirements from prior OMB annual FISMA guidance to ensure consistent, government-wide performance and agency adoption of best practices,” according to the memo.

The memo also defines what constitutes a cyber incident that qualifies for a reported to OMB, based on NIST best practices. “A major incident is any incident that is likely to result in demonstrable harm to the national security interests, foreign relations, or economy of the United States or to the public confidence, civil liberties, or public health and safety of the American people,” the OMB memo states. “Agencies should determine the level of impact of the incident by using the existing incident management process established” by NIST Special Publication (SP) 800-61 and the U.S. Computer Emergency Readiness Team's National Cybersecurity Incident Scoring System.

NIST's Cybersecurity Framework, that the Trump administration is requiring all federal agencies to use in managing their data risks, is part of the recommendation here as federal agencies follow these NIST guidelines. The OMB memo stated that "at a minimum, the CIO and the CISO positions are designated as sensitive positions and the incumbents have Top Secret Sensitive Compartmented Information access". The OMB also said that “This designation is necessary given that information regarding malicious-actor TTPs is often classified.”

National security and intelligence community systems are exempt from the OMB memo.

You may also like

Informing Cyber Risk Management ...
on May 18, 2023

Cybersecurity is no longer just an IT issue but a business risk that can impact an organization's reputation, financial health, and legal compliance. Cybersecurity risks are ...

Is Your Organization Prepared for ...
on May 3, 2023

Data storage, as well as maintenance tools and applications, have undergone many iterations in the past decade, with the introduction of cloud computing and Security Information ...

Strategies for Automating a Cyber ...
on May 8, 2023

Cybersecurity leaders and teams are overburdened by several growing trends and issues. And when your cybersecurity team is overworked and unequipped to manage cyber risk ...

Selecting the Right Cyber Risk ...
on April 13, 2023

Cyber risk quantification is the process of determining the likelihood and potential impact of a cyber attack or security breach. The probability and impact will vary based on ...

Leveraging Cyber Security ...
on May 26, 2023

A common misunderstanding with cyber risk management is that only the CISO and security practitioners should be concerned about cyber and information security. Instead, the state ...

Tips and Tricks to Transform Your ...
on April 12, 2023

Simply being “cyber aware” is an unviable option for board members as the impact of cybersecurity expands beyond IT systems. An unnoticed security gap or dated risk assessment are ...