# NIST SP 800-53 Rev. 5 PM-7(1) — Offloading - Source: https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/nist-sp-800-53-rev-5/pm-7-1-offloading - Section: [Compliance](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance) › [NIST SP 800-53 Rev. 5 Controls](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/nist-sp-800-53-rev-5) › PM — Program Management - Last updated: 2026-06-05 - Publisher: iCompaas, Inc. (https://www.icompaas.com) **NIST SP 800-53 Rev. 5**·Control `PM-7(1)`·medium·Component: **Program Management** ## What this control requires > Offload non-essential functions or services to other systems, components, or external providers to reduce the attack surface of mission-critical systems, improve efficiency, and leverage specialized expertise. This control supports the Offloading Service Management capability within the Program Management family. > > — NIST SP 800-53 Rev. 5, Control PM-7(1) ### In plain English Offload non-essential functions or services to other systems, components, or external providers to reduce the attack surface of mission-critical systems, improve efficiency, and leverage specialized expertise. In practice, this means you can prove you policy management-level controls on a defined cadence. ## Why it matters SP 800-53 is the catalogue every U.S. federal authorisation (FedRAMP, FISMA, CMMC) and most regulated industries point at. A missing control surfaces as a Plan of Action & Milestones (POA&M) item that an Authorizing Official must approve before the Authority To Operate is granted or renewed. ## What an auditor looks for A 3PAO (FedRAMP) or Independent Assessor (NIST RMF) tests against NIST SP 800-53A assessment procedures. For each control they expect a documented implementation that addresses every assessment objective (Examine, Interview, Test) and an implementation summary in the System Security Plan. Within **Program Management**, the assessor will trace your implementation back to the catalogue reference (Control PM-7(1)) and look for objective evidence on the latest two assessment cycles. ## How to implement #### Policy Management **Docs.** Keep each policy in version-controlled Markdown alongside the code that implements it; ship a signed PDF snapshot at each annual review and link the SHA into the SoA. ### Operational checklist - **Policy.** Document the trigger, the owner and the cadence. - **Control.** Document the trigger, the owner and the cadence. - **Service.** Document the trigger, the owner and the cadence. - **Essential.** Document the trigger, the owner and the cadence. - **Offload.** Document the trigger, the owner and the cadence. - **Scope:** management, mission, service, functions, components, services, capability, external providers. ## Evidence to collect - **Policy Document.** A signed and version-controlled policy / standard / procedure document. Signed policy or standard documents the safeguard. Focus: Offloading. ## Common pitfalls - Policies that no engineer has read; the version in Confluence drifts from the version that's actually being enforced. ## How it maps to other frameworks Computed from shared tags, control component and key-operation subjects — handy when you are reconciling controls across an audit. - [**NIST SP 800-171 Rev. 3 3.16.3** — External System Services](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/nist-sp-800-171-rev-3/3-16-3-external-system-services) - [**SOC 2 (2017 TSC) PI1.1** — Processing Objectives & Information](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/soc-2-trust-services-criteria/pi1-1-processing-objectives-information) - [**HIPAA (45 CFR Part 164) 164.308(a)(5)(i)** — Security Awareness and Training](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/hipaa/164-308-a-5-i-security-awareness-and-training) ## Related controls in NIST SP 800-53 Rev. 5 - [**Control SC-36(2)** — Synchronization](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/nist-sp-800-53-rev-5/sc-36-2-synchronization) - [**Control PM-32** — Purposing](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/nist-sp-800-53-rev-5/pm-32-purposing) - [**Control CP-7(4)** — Preparation For Use](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/nist-sp-800-53-rev-5/cp-7-4-preparation-for-use) - [**Control MA-7** — Field Maintenance](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/nist-sp-800-53-rev-5/ma-7-field-maintenance) - [**Control SA-4(4)** — Assignment Of Components To Systems](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/nist-sp-800-53-rev-5/sa-4-4-assignment-of-components-to-systems) - [**Control SA-8(1)** — Clear Abstractions](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/nist-sp-800-53-rev-5/sa-8-1-clear-abstractions) ## References - [NIST Computer Security Resource Center — NIST SP 800-53 Rev. 5](https://csrc.nist.gov/Projects/risk-management/sp800-53-controls) - Catalogue identifier: `Control PM-7(1)` Topics: governance riskpolicy management ## Related compliance guidance - [NIST SP 800-53 Rev. 5: a practical implementation guide for cloud teams](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/nist-sp-800-53-rev-5): Start with the full NIST SP 800-53 implementation guide — scope, roadmap, evidence and how the assessment runs. - [NIST SP 800-171 and CMMC: a practical guide to protecting CUI in the cloud](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/nist-sp-800-171-rev-3): If your obligation is protecting CUI in your own systems for a federal or defence contract, this derived subset — not the full catalogue — is the requirement. - [SOC 2 compliance: a practical implementation guide for cloud-native SaaS teams](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/soc-2-trust-services-criteria): Most commercial SaaS already hold a SOC 2 Type 2, and FedRAMP 20x Class A is designed for providers that have one.