SA-4—Acquisition Process

PBMM (P3)

Secret (P3)

Management

>Control Description

(A) The organization includes the following requirements, descriptions, and criteria, explicitly or by reference, in the acquisition contract for the information system, system component, or information system service in accordance with applicable GC legislation and TBS policies, directives and standards, and organizational mission/business needs: (a) Security functional requirements; (b) Security strength requirements; (c) Security assurance requirements; (d) Security-related documentation requirements; (e) Requirements for protecting security-related documentation; (f) Description of the information system development environment and environment in which the system is intended to operate; and (g) Acceptance criteria. (AA) The organization includes security-related documentation, requirements and/or specifications, explicitly or by reference, in information system acquisition contracts based on an assessment of risk and in accordance with the TBS Security and Contracting Management Standard [Reference 25]. (BB) The organization includes the development and evaluation-related requirements and/or specifications, explicitly or by reference, in information system acquisition contracts based on an assessment of risk and in accordance with applicable GC legislation and TBS policies, directives and standards.

>Supplemental Guidance

Information system components are discrete, identifiable information technology assets (e.g., hardware, software, or firmware) that represent the building blocks of an information system. Information system components include commercial information technology products. Security functional requirements include security capabilities, security functions, and security mechanisms.

Security strength requirements associated with such capabilities, functions, and mechanisms include degree of correctness, completeness, resistance to direct attack, and resistance to tampering or bypass. Security assurance requirements include: (i) development processes, procedures, practices, and methodologies; and (ii) evidence from development and assessment activities providing grounds for confidence that the required security functionality has been implemented and the required security strength has been achieved. Security documentation requirements address all phases of the system development life cycleSecurity functionality, assurance, and documentation requirements are expressed in terms of security controls and control enhancements that have been selected through the tailoring process.

The security control tailoring process includes, for example, the specification of parameter values through the use of assignment and selection statements and the specification of platform dependencies and implementation information. Security documentation provides user and administrator guidance regarding the implementation and operation of security controls. The level of detail required in security documentation is based on the security category or classification level of the information system and the degree to which organizations depend on the stated security capability, functions, or mechanisms to meet overall risk response expectations (as defined in the organizational risk management strategy).

Security requirements can also include organizationally mandated configuration settings specifying allowed functions, ports, protocols, and services. Acceptance criteria for information systems, information system components, and information system services are defined in the same manner as such criteria for any organizational acquisition or procurement. Related controls: CM-6, PL-2, PS-7, SA-3, SA-5, SA-8, SA-11, SA-12.

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