Audit and Accountability Benchmark for FedRAMP Low Revision 4

The Audit and Accountability (AU) benchmark is a crucial part of the Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP) Low baseline, particularly highlighted in its Revision 4. It emphasizes the importance of aligning an organization's audit and accountability processes with the principles outlined in the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Special Publication 800-53.

The primary objective of the AU benchmark is to establish a robust audit trail within an organization's information system. This ensures effective detection and response to security incidents by monitoring, recording, and reviewing all activities to uphold the integrity, confidentiality, and availability of the system and its data.

Organizations must adhere to a set of comprehensive controls and processes to meet the AU benchmark requirements. This involves defining the audit trail scope, determining necessary technical, physical, and administrative capabilities, and establishing audit trail review procedures. Protection mechanisms for audit information are also essential to prevent unauthorized access or modifications.

The initial step in implementing the AU benchmark is defining the audit trail's scope, encompassing all system components subject to auditing and the types of activities to be audited. Subsequently, organizations need to deploy controls and processes to monitor, record, and analyze identified activities through suitable audit trail tools and sound administrative procedures.

To maintain the integrity and security of audit information, the AU benchmark necessitates implementing measures to prevent unauthorized access, ensure confidentiality, and detect any tampering attempts. Establishing backup and recovery procedures is also crucial to maintain the availability and reliability of the audit trail data.

Adhering to the AU benchmark guidelines allows organizations to enhance their security posture and demonstrate compliance with FedRAMP Low Revision 4. It aids in identifying and responding to security incidents effectively and supports continuous improvement by analyzing audit trail data for potential enhancements and optimizations.