CM-8 System Component Inventory
a. Develop and document an inventory of system components that: 1. Accurately reflects the system; 2. Includes all components within the system; 3. Does not include duplicate accounting of components or components assigned to any other system; 4. Is at the level of granularity deemed necessary for tracking and reporting; and 5. Includes the following information to achieve system component accountability: organization-defined information deemed necessary to achieve effective system component accountability; and b. Review and update the system component inventory organization-defined frequency.
Source: NIST SP 800-53 Rev 5, CM-8. The statement above is our statement of the clause, read from the published text and cited so you can check it against the official text, not the instrument verbatim. Open NIST SP 800-53 Rev 5 in the compliance library.
Base controls and their enhancements. Which apply follows the baseline you are assessed against (for example FedRAMP Moderate or High, or the low, moderate and high baselines of SP 800-53B). Text in square brackets is a parameter your organisation sets.
These are the artefacts auditors commonly ask for on this requirement, our guidance rather than text from the standard. Your assessor decides what is sufficient in your context, and asks for samples across the period when a report covers one.
system holds itEvidence a system already holds
none for this control
periodic reviewEvidence produced at each review
- Inventory reviews and update records · Cloud console / configuration management
- Test of Organizational processes for managing the system component inventory; mechanisms supporting and/or implementing system component inventory · Cloud console / configuration management
governing documentDocuments that govern the control
- Configuration management policy · Policy repository / GRC workspace
- Procedures addressing system component inventory · Policy repository / GRC workspace
- Configuration management plan · Policy repository / GRC workspace
- System security plan · Policy repository / GRC workspace
- System design documentation · Policy repository / GRC workspace
- System component inventory · Policy repository / GRC workspace
First move
Common gaps auditors find
- The component inventory omits components found on the network, or double-counts components assigned to other systems
- The inventory lacks the defined accountability information and is not reviewed and updated at the defined frequency
Do this for your whole sheet
Paste the rows you run your controls from and get this mapping for every control at once, with the periodic-review ones flagged and a first move per row. No account for the first run.
Build my evidence sheetCM-7(9) Least Functionality | Prohibiting The Use of Unauthorized Hardware · CM-8(1) System Component Inventory | Updates During Installation and Removal