NIST 800-53 REV 5 • SUPPLY CHAIN RISK MANAGEMENT
SR-5(2) — Assessments Prior to Selection, Acceptance, Modification, or Update
Assess the system, system component, or system service prior to selection, acceptance, modification, or update.
Supplemental Guidance
Organizational personnel or independent, external entities conduct assessments of systems, components, products, tools, and services to uncover evidence of tampering, unintentional and intentional vulnerabilities, or evidence of non-compliance with supply chain controls. These include malicious code, malicious processes, defective software, backdoors, and counterfeits. Assessments can include evaluations; design proposal reviews; visual or physical inspection; static and dynamic analyses; visual, x-ray, or magnetic particle inspections; simulations; white, gray, or black box testing; fuzz testing; stress testing; and penetration testing (see [SR-6(1)](#sr-6.1) ). Evidence generated during assessments is documented for follow-on actions by organizations. The evidence generated during the organizational or independent assessments of supply chain elements may be used to improve supply chain processes and inform the supply chain risk management process. The evidence can be leveraged in follow-on assessments. Evidence and other documentation may be shared in accordance with organizational agreements.
Practitioner Notes
Conduct security assessments of supply chain elements before selecting, accepting, modifying, or updating them.
Example 1: Before deploying a new software application, conduct a security review. Run a vulnerability scan, check the SBOM for known vulnerable components, review the vendor's security practices, and perform a risk assessment. Only deploy after the assessment passes your criteria.
Example 2: Before applying major software updates, review the release notes for security-relevant changes. Check if any new components or dependencies have been added. Run the update through your test environment and verify it does not introduce new vulnerabilities or weaken existing controls.