NIST 800-53: Security and Privacy Controls for Federal Information Systems

Learn how to implement, tailor, and manage NIST 800-53 control frameworks to protect information systems and support federal compliance mandates.

Course Objectives

• Understand the structure, scope, and purpose of NIST SP 800-53.
• Identify and apply appropriate controls across 20+ control families.
• Customize and tailor baselines to meet system-specific risk needs.
• Integrate NIST 800-53 into the Risk Management Framework (RMF).
• Document and justify control implementation for audits and ATO.

Course Overview

This course provides a comprehensive guide to the NIST 800-53 catalog of security and privacy controls. Participants will learn how to select, implement, and document controls based on system categorization, risk tolerance, and mission requirements. Through hands-on activities and real-world examples, learners will gain the skills needed to support compliance efforts and strengthen organizational security posture.

Sample Module: Control Families and Baseline Tailoring

This module breaks down the core control families within NIST 800-53 and walks learners through the process of selecting and tailoring baselines to suit system needs—whether LOW, MODERATE, or HIGH impact.

Lesson: Understanding the Access Control (AC) Family

In this lesson, learners will explore key controls within the Access Control family (e.g., AC-2, AC-3, AC-17), learn how to document control implementation, and understand testing artifacts that support compliance.