3.4.4 Analyze the security impact of changes prior to implementation.

Organizational personnel with information security responsibilities (e.g., system administrators, system security officers, system security managers, and systems security engineers) conduct security impact analyses. Individuals conducting security impact analyses possess the necessary skills and technical expertise to analyze the changes to systems and the associated security ramifications. Security impact analysis may include reviewing security plans to understand security requirements and reviewing system design documentation to understand the implementation of controls and how specific changes might affect the controls. Security impact analyses may also include risk assessments to better understand the impact of the changes and to determine if additional controls are required.

[SP 800-128] provides guidance on configuration change control and security impact analysis.

Actionable Items: Assign people to security and administrative roles. Have a well-defined plan for each role along with training and documentation for that role.