How to Automate NIST 800-53 Control Implementation in 2024

The Challenge of NIST 800-53

NIST Special Publication 800-53 contains hundreds of security controls. For FedRAMP Moderate baseline, you need to implement 325 controls. Doing this manually is time-consuming, error-prone, and expensive.

What Can Be Automated?

1. Evidence Collection (80% Time Savings)

Instead of manually gathering screenshots and documentation:

• AWS CloudTrail logs → AC (Access Control) controls
• GitHub commits → CM (Configuration Management) controls
• Okta logs → IA (Identification and Authentication) controls
• Jira tickets → IR (Incident Response) controls
• Terraform/IaC → CM (Configuration Management) controls

2. Control Mapping (90% Time Savings)

AI can automatically map your infrastructure and policies to specific NIST controls. For example:

• AWS MFA enforcement → IA-2 (Identification and Authentication)
• S3 encryption → SC-28 (Protection of Information at Rest)
• CloudWatch logging → AU-2 (Audit Events)

3. Documentation Generation (95% Time Savings)

Automatically generate:

• Control implementation statements
• SSP Appendix A
• POA&M (Plan of Action and Milestones)
• Customer Responsibility Matrix

Step-by-Step Automation Process

Step 1: Connect Your Infrastructure

# Connect AWS
aws configure
fedrampgpt connect aws --read-only

# Connect GitHub
fedrampgpt connect github --org your-org

# Connect Okta
fedrampgpt connect okta --domain your-domain.okta.com

Step 2: Run Initial Scan

FedRampGPT automatically:

• Discovers all resources
• Maps resources to controls
• Identifies gaps
• Calculates compliance score

Step 3: Review Mappings

Our AI suggests control mappings with confidence scores:

• ✅ High confidence (95%+): Auto-approved
• ⚠️ Medium confidence (70-95%): Review suggested
• ❌ Low confidence (<70%): Manual review required

Step 4: Generate Documentation

With one click, generate:

• Complete SSP Appendix A
• Control implementation descriptions
• Evidence references
• Gap analysis report

Control Family Examples

Access Control (AC)

AC-2: Account Management

• Automated: Pull Okta user list and role assignments
• Automated: Monitor AWS IAM user creation/deletion
• Automated: Track privileged account usage

AC-6: Least Privilege

• Automated: Analyze AWS IAM policies for overprivileged access
• Automated: Flag unused permissions
• Automated: Recommend policy tightening

Configuration Management (CM)

CM-2: Baseline Configuration

• Automated: Terraform state as configuration baseline
• Automated: Track all infrastructure changes via Git
• Automated: Alert on configuration drift

CM-3: Configuration Change Control

• Automated: GitHub PR as change control process
• Automated: Required approvals and automated testing
• Automated: Change log generation

Audit and Accountability (AU)

AU-2: Audit Events

• Automated: CloudTrail for all AWS API calls
• Automated: Application logs to centralized SIEM
• Automated: Database query logs

Continuous Monitoring

Automation isn't just for initial authorization - it's critical for continuous monitoring:

• Daily: Evidence collection from connected sources
• Weekly: Compliance score updates
• Monthly: POA&M progress tracking
• Quarterly: Assessment readiness reports

ROI of Automation

Traditional Manual Approach:

• FTE cost: 2-3 full-time employees for 12-18 months
• Labor cost: $300K-$450K
• 3PAO fees: $50K-$150K
• Total: $350K-$600K+

Automated with FedRampGPT:

• FTE cost: 0.5 FTE for 8-12 weeks
• Labor cost: $20K-$40K
• 3PAO fees: $50K-$100K (reduced scope)
• FedRampGPT: $X/month
• Total: 60-70% cost reduction

Getting Started

Ready to automate your NIST 800-53 implementation? Start your free trial and connect your first data source in minutes.

Best Practices

1. Start Early: Connect data sources before you need them
2. Review Regularly: AI suggestions improve with your feedback
3. Document Exceptions: Some controls require manual implementation - that's OK
4. Maintain Context: Add notes and context to auto-collected evidence

Learn more about the FedRAMP process