Framework: NIST 800-53 Audio Course

Configuration Change Control (CM-3) governs how proposed modifications to systems and baselines are evaluated, approved, implemented, and recorded. For exam readiness, understand that CM-3 is the gatekeeper preventing unvetted changes from introducing vulnerabilities or breaking compliance. The control requires a documented process that captures the change description, risk and impact assessment, security review, testing evidence, approval authority, and rollback plan. CM-3 applies to code deployments, infrastructure changes, access adjustments, and provider configuration updates, ensuring each alteration is traceable to a request and justified by mission or risk reduction. The objective is to create visibility and accountability so that configurations evolve deliberately rather than accidentally.

Operationally, CM-3 integrates change advisory boards or delegated approvers with ticketing systems and CI/CD pipelines. Pre-deployment checks run security tests, configuration validations, and policy-as-code rules; only changes that pass proceed to controlled rollout stages. Emergency changes are permitted but tightly constrained—documented approvals, post-change reviews, and rapid normalization back into the standard process. Evidence includes linked tickets, test artifacts, approvals, and deployment logs, enabling auditors to reconstruct who changed what, when, and why. Metrics such as change success rate, change-induced incident rate, lead time for changes, and average time to rollback provide insight into control health. Pitfalls include bypass paths for “quick fixes,” inadequate testing environments, and missing synchronization with CM-2, which results in the baseline falling out of step with production. Mature CM-3 transforms change from a risk into a governed capability that improves reliability and security simultaneously.
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