# System and Communications Protection Policy

**Template version:** 1.0.0 · **Baseline:** Privacy · **Edition:** Annotated (with guidance) · **NIST basis:** SP 800-53 Rev. 5, release 5.2.0

*Tailor this template before adoption; it is not legal advice.* Latest version: <https://kston83.github.io/nist-guide/templates/policies/sc/>. Dedicated to the public domain under CC0 1.0 (<https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/>): adopt and change it without attribution.

> **Guidance:** The sections before and after Policy statements meet SC-1, which asks for a policy that addresses purpose, scope, roles, responsibilities, management commitment, coordination and compliance, plus procedures, dissemination, a designated official and a review cycle. Assessors check each element, so keep every section even when it is short. Each statement cites the SC-1 item it meets. If you adopt several family policies, the same sections repeat in each; that is expected, and it lets each policy stand alone.

## Purpose

This policy states what [Organization name] requires for System and Communications Protection, and who is accountable for meeting those requirements. (SC-1a.1(a))

## Scope

This policy applies at the [Select one or more: organization-level; mission/business-process-level; system-level. Typical: organization-level] to every system that [Organization name] owns or operates, or that is operated on its behalf, and to every person with access to those systems, including employees, contractors and partners. (SC-1a.1(a))

## Roles and responsibilities

- The [Chief Information Security Officer] is accountable for this policy and shall approve exceptions to it. (SC-1a.1(a))
- The [Fill in: an official to manage the system and communications protection policy and procedures. Typical: Chief Information Security Officer] shall manage the development, documentation and dissemination of this policy and its procedures. (SC-1b)
- Each [System owner] shall implement this policy for their system and document how in the system security plan. (SC-1a.1(a))
- Each person within scope shall follow this policy and report suspected violations to the [Chief Information Security Officer]. (SC-1a.1(a))

## Management commitment

The [Senior leader] approves this policy and shall provide the resources needed to implement it. (SC-1a.1(a))

## Coordination

The [Chief Information Security Officer] shall coordinate this policy with the legal, privacy, human resources and procurement functions, and with the owners of related policies, before each approval. (SC-1a.1(a))

## Compliance

- This policy shall be consistent with the laws, executive orders, directives, regulations, policies, standards and guidelines that apply to [Organization name], including [Fill in: laws, regulations and standards that apply to the organization]. (SC-1a.1(b))
- The [Chief Information Security Officer] shall review compliance with this policy through the organization's assessment and continuous monitoring activities. (SC-1a.1(a))
- An exception to this policy shall be requested in writing, approved by the [Chief Information Security Officer], time-limited and recorded with its compensating measures. (SC-1a.1(a))
- Violations of this policy shall be handled through the organization's sanctions process. (SC-1a.1(a))

## Procedures

The [Fill in: an official to manage the system and communications protection policy and procedures. Typical: Chief Information Security Officer] shall ensure that documented procedures exist to implement this policy and its associated controls. (SC-1a.2)

## Dissemination

- The [Fill in: an official to manage the system and communications protection policy and procedures. Typical: Chief Information Security Officer] shall disseminate this policy to [Fill in: personnel or roles to whom the system and communications protection policy is to be disseminated. Typical: everyone within its scope, through the policy library]. (SC-1a)
- The [Fill in: an official to manage the system and communications protection policy and procedures. Typical: Chief Information Security Officer] shall disseminate the procedures that implement this policy to [Fill in: personnel or roles to whom the system and communications protection procedures are to be disseminated. Typical: the people who carry them out, and the system owners]. (SC-1a)

## Policy statements

> **Guidance:** Each statement below comes from the clause for one control or enhancement in the chosen baseline. The reference at the end of each statement names the control item it meets.

### Personally identifiable information (SC-7(24))

> **Guidance:** Processing rules say which data elements of personally identifiable information may cross each boundary, to whom and for what purpose. Data loss prevention tools and interface allow lists are the usual monitoring mechanisms. SC-7(24) is in the Privacy baseline only.

- For a system that processes personally identifiable information, the [System owner] shall apply [Fill in: processing rules for systems that process personally identifiable information. Typical: the permitted purposes, recipients and data elements for each flow of personally identifiable information, as set out in the system's privacy impact assessment] to its data elements of personally identifiable information. (SC-7(24)(a))
- For such a system, the [System owner] shall monitor for permitted processing at the external interfaces to the system and at key internal boundaries within the system. (SC-7(24)(b))
- For such a system, the [System owner] shall document each processing exception. (SC-7(24)(c))
- For such a system, the [System owner] shall review processing exceptions and remove those that are no longer supported. (SC-7(24)(d))

## Review and update

- The [Fill in: an official to manage the system and communications protection policy and procedures. Typical: Chief Information Security Officer] shall review and update this policy [Fill in: the frequency at which the current system and communications protection policy is reviewed and updated. Typical: annually] and following [Fill in: events that would require the current system and communications protection policy to be reviewed and updated. Typical: assessment or audit findings, security incidents or breaches, and changes in applicable laws, executive orders, directives, regulations, policies, standards or guidelines]. (SC-1c.1)
- The [Fill in: an official to manage the system and communications protection policy and procedures. Typical: Chief Information Security Officer] shall review and update the procedures that implement this policy [Fill in: the frequency at which the current system and communications protection procedures are reviewed and updated. Typical: annually] and following [Fill in: events that would require the system and communications protection procedures to be reviewed and updated. Typical: the same events as the policy, and changes to the systems, tools or services the procedures describe]. (SC-1c.2)

### Federal systems

For federal information systems, this policy also carries out the agency's information security responsibilities under the Federal Information Security Modernization Act of 2014 ([44 U.S.C. § 3554](https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title44-section3554&num=0&edition=prelim), Federal agency responsibilities) and [OMB Circular A-130](https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/legacy_drupal_files/omb/circulars/A130/a130revised.pdf), Appendix I, Responsibilities for Protecting and Managing Federal Information Resources.

- Where the agency's organization-wide policy sets a value for a parameter in this policy, each system shall use that value or a stricter one. (SC-1a.1(b))