We now explore the 2nd Practice within the Domain, System and Information Integrity (SI), S.I.211 – Provide protection from malicious code at appropriate locations within organizational information systems. This Practice falls under the second Capability within the (SI) Domain, C041, Identify Malicious Content and can be found in the CMMC Appendix B, page B-238 (Page 278 of the PDF). Here is the discussion from Appendix B:

Discussion from Source: NIST SP 800-171, R2:

Designated locations includes system entry and exit points which may include firewalls, remote access servers, workstations, electronic mail servers, web servers, proxy servers, notebook computers, and mobile devices. Malicious code includes viruses, worms, Trojan horses, and spyware. Malicious code can be encoded in various formats (e.g., UUENCODE, Unicode), contained within compressed or hidden files, or hidden in files using techniques such as steganography. Malicious code can be inserted into systems in a variety of ways including web accesses, electronic mail, electronic mail attachments, and portable storage devices. Malicious code insertions occur through the exploitation of system vulnerabilities.

Malicious code protection mechanisms include antivirus signature definitions and reputation-based technologies. A variety of technologies and methods exist to limit or eliminate the effects of malicious code. Pervasive configuration management and comprehensive software integrity controls may be effective in preventing execution of unauthorized code. In addition to commercial off-the-shelf software, malicious code may also be present in custom-built software. This could include logic bombs, back doors, and other types of cyber attacks that could affect organizational missions/business functions. Traditional malicious code protection mechanisms cannot always detect such code. In these situations, organizations rely instead on other safeguards including secure coding practices, configuration management and control, trusted procurement processes, and monitoring practices to help ensure that software does not perform functions other than the functions intended. NIST SP 800-83 provides guidance on malware incident prevention.

CMMC Clarification:

You can protect your company’s valuable IT system by stopping malicious code at designated locations in your system. Malicious code is program code that purposefully creates an unauthorized function or process that will have a negative impact on the confidentiality, integrity, or availability of an information system. A designated location may be your network device or your computer.

Malicious code includes the following, which can be hidden in email, email attachments, and/or web access:

    – Viruses – Programs designed to damage, steel information, change data, send email, show messages, or any combination of these things.

    – Spyware – A program designed to gather information about a person’s activity in secret, and is usually installed without the person knowing when they click on a link.

    – Trojan horse – A type of malware made to look like legitimate/real software, and used by cyber criminals to get access to a company’s systems.

By using anti-malware tools you can stop or lessen the impact of malicious code.

Example

You are buying a new computer for your small business and want to protect your company’s information from viruses, spyware, etc. You buy and install anti-malware software.

We continue our discussion of the Practices within the (SI) Domain, C041 Capability, Identify Malicious Code, with the next Practice, SI.1.212 – Update malicious code protection mechanisms when new releases are available.

Until then…

Mark Lupo, MBCP, SMP