Governance Briefing — NIST releases SP 800-53B draft baselines

Executive briefing: NIST issued the initial public draft of SP 800-53B on 16 March 2020, introducing revised low, moderate, and high baselines to pair with SP 800-53 Revision 5. The draft also highlighted a privacy control baseline and overlays for specific environments.

Why it matters

• Baseline alignment: draft control selections will influence FedRAMP, FISMA, and contractor SSP updates once finalized.
• Privacy integration: inclusion of privacy controls in the baselines increases documentation and assessment expectations.
• Early feedback window: agencies and vendors could shape the final baselines through public comments.

Operator actions

1. Gap analysis: Compare existing moderate/high baselines to the draft control lists, noting additions or restructuring.
2. SSP mapping: Begin mapping system security plans and control inheritance to the proposed baseline changes.
3. Comment participation: Submit organizational feedback to NIST before the draft comment period closes.
4. Plan updates: Identify tooling or documentation changes needed once Revision 5-aligned baselines are finalized.