What this control covers
This control requires the development and Maintenance of a current baseline configuration of the system under configuration control. The baseline must be reviewed and updated at defined intervals or when system components are installed or modified. Baseline configurations document the system's components, operational procedures, network topology, and architecture, serving as the foundation for future system builds and changes. This control supports the Configuration Management System capability within the Configuration Management (3.4) family.
Why it matters
Risk is the language an executive team understands; this control connects technical reality to board-level decisions and budget allocation.
How to implement
AWS
Codify the policy intent as SCPs, AWS Config conformance packs, and Security Hub standards so the cloud enforces what the document says.
Azure
Codify in Azure Policy initiatives (built-in regulatory compliance for CIS, ISO 27001, SOC 2, HIPAA) and assign at management-group level.
GCP
Org Policy Service for guardrails and Config Validator in CI to pre-check Terraform plans against policy as code (Rego).
GitHub
Apply branch protection on default and release branches: require PR review, status checks, signed commits, linear history, and dismiss stale reviews on new commits. Use CODEOWNERS for required reviewers, Dependabot + CodeQL for SAST, and the Dependency graph / SBOM export for vendor disclosures.
On-premises
Maintain a policy library with a documented review cadence (annual minimum); store in your GRC tool with attestation tracking. Map each policy to controls so an audit pull cites the exact policy clause.
Evidence to collect
policy_document— A signed, version-controlled policy stating leadership intent and the named owner.infra_scan— See the iCompaas Evidence library for the canonical source for this evidence type.
Signed policy or standard documents the safeguard. Focus: Baseline Configuration.
Quick checklist
- Baseline — Management / Configuration
- Configuration — Management / Configuration
- System — Management / Configuration
- Maintenance — Management / Configuration
- Risk — Management / Configuration
- Security — Management / Configuration
Related articles on this site
- NIST 800-171 3.4.1 Establish and maintain baseline configurations and inventories of organizational systems (including hardware, software, firmware, and documentation) throughout the respective system development life cycles.
- CMMC 2.0 CM.2.061 Establish and maintain baseline configurations and inventories of organizational systems (including hardware, software, firmware, and documentation) throughout the respective system development life cycles.
- Ensure IAM password policy requires at least one uppercase letter
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