Continuous Monitoring Strategy Flashcards
6 cards from real CAP practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 6 Continuous Monitoring Strategy flashcards as text
What is an 'ongoing authorization' in the context of continuous monitoring?
Answer: A risk management approach where the AO makes ongoing authorization decisions based on real-time monitoring data rather than periodic reassessments
Ongoing authorization shifts from periodic reauthorization to a continuous risk-informed process where the AO monitors security posture in real time.
What is the role of automated scanning tools in a continuous monitoring program?
Answer: To efficiently collect security state data such as patch levels, configuration compliance, and vulnerabilities at scale
Automated tools enable continuous data collection across large environments, making it feasible to assess many controls frequently without manual effort.
What federal initiative provides automated continuous monitoring capabilities and dashboards to federal civilian agencies?
Answer: Continuous Diagnostics and Mitigation (CDM)
The CDM program, managed by CISA, provides tools and dashboards to automate continuous monitoring across federal civilian agencies.
What should happen when continuous monitoring detects a significant security change to a system?
Answer: The ISSO must notify the AO and update the SSP and risk assessment to reflect the new security posture
Significant changes detected during monitoring must be reported to the AO, and associated documentation must be updated to reflect the current risk posture.
Which metric is commonly used to measure the effectiveness of a vulnerability management continuous monitoring process?
Answer: Mean Time to Remediate (MTTR) critical vulnerabilities
MTTR measures how quickly identified vulnerabilities are patched, directly reflecting the effectiveness of the vulnerability management process.
What is the purpose of a Plan of Action and Milestones (POA&M) update in the continuous monitoring process?
Answer: To document newly identified weaknesses and track remediation progress over time
Regular POA&M updates during continuous monitoring ensure that newly found weaknesses are documented and remediation activities are tracked and reported.