CM 9(1) Assignment Of Responsibility

---
name: "CM-9(1)_assignment-of-responsibility"
description: "Assign responsibility for developing the configuration management process to organizational personnel that are not directly involved in system develop"
category: "configuration"
version: "5.2.0"
author: "cyberstrike-official"
tags:
  - nist
  - sp800-53
  - rev5
  - cm-9-1
  - cm
  - enhancement
tech_stack:
  - aws
  - azure
  - gcp
  - linux
  - windows
cwe_ids:
  - CWE-16
chains_with: []
prerequisites:
  - CM-9
severity_boost: {}
---

# CM-9(1) Assignment of Responsibility

> **Enhancement of:** CM-9

## High-Level Description

**Family:** Configuration Management (CM)
**Framework:** NIST SP 800-53 Rev 5

In the absence of dedicated configuration management teams assigned within organizations, system developers may be tasked with developing configuration management processes using personnel who are not directly involved in system development or system integration. This separation of duties ensures that organizations establish and maintain a sufficient degree of independence between the system development and integration processes and configuration management processes to facilitate quality control and more effective oversight.

## What to Check

- [ ] Verify CM-9(1) Assignment of Responsibility is documented in SSP
- [ ] Confirm control is operating effectively
- [ ] Review evidence of continuous monitoring for CM-9(1)
- [ ] Verify enhancement builds upon base control CM-9

## How to Test

### Step 1: Review Documentation

Examine the System Security Plan (SSP) and related artifacts for CM-9(1) implementation details. Verify the organization has documented how this control is satisfied.

### Step 2: Validate Implementation

```
# For cloud environments, use cloud-audit-mcp tools
# For on-premises, review system configurations directly

# Example: Check if account management policies exist
grep -r "account.management\|access.control" /etc/security/ 2>/dev/null
```

### Step 3: Test Operating Effectiveness

Verify the control is actively functioning, not just documented. Check logs, configurations, and operational evidence.

## Tools

| Tool            | Purpose                       | Usage                                     |
| --------------- | ----------------------------- | ----------------------------------------- |
| cloud-audit-mcp | Check configuration baselines | `cloud_audit_config`                      |
| AWS CLI         | Review Config rules           | `aws configservice describe-config-rules` |

## Remediation Guide

### Control Statement

Assign responsibility for developing the configuration management process to organizational personnel that are not directly involved in system development.

### Implementation Guidance

In the absence of dedicated configuration management teams assigned within organizations, system developers may be tasked with developing configuration management processes using personnel who are not directly involved in system development or system integration. This separation of duties ensures that organizations establish and maintain a sufficient degree of independence between the system development and integration processes and configuration management processes to facilitate quality control and more effective oversight.

## Risk Assessment

| Finding                                              | Severity | Impact                              |
| ---------------------------------------------------- | -------- | ----------------------------------- |
| CM-9(1) Assignment of Responsibility not implemented | Medium   | Configuration Management            |
| CM-9(1) partially implemented                        | Low      | Incomplete Configuration Management |

## CWE Categories

| CWE ID | Title         |
| ------ | ------------- |
| CWE-16 | Configuration |

## References

- [NIST SP 800-53 Rev 5 - CM-9(1)](https://csrc.nist.gov/projects/cprt/catalog#/cprt/framework/version/SP_800_53_5_1_1/home?element=cm-9.1)
- [NIST SP 800-53A Rev 5 (Assessment Procedures)](https://csrc.nist.gov/pubs/sp/800/53/a/r5/final)
- [NIST SP 800-53 Rev 5 Full Catalog](https://csrc.nist.gov/pubs/sp/800/53/r5/upd1/final)

## Checklist

- [ ] Control documented in SSP
- [ ] Implementation evidence collected
- [ ] Operating effectiveness validated
- [ ] Continuous monitoring in place
- [ ] Related controls (none) reviewed