Requirement
NIST SP 800-171 REV.2 / CMMC 2.0 Level 2 - Control - SI.L2-3.14.1 – Identify, report, and correct information and information system flaws in a timely manner.
Understanding the Requirement
This control requires an organization to detect software and system vulnerabilities, document and report them, and remediate problems within defined time frames. It emphasizes a repeatable patch and vulnerability management process that includes monitoring vendor notifications, defining SLAs for identification, reporting, and correction, and ensuring remediation occurs according to priority. This guidance aligns with NIST SP 800-171 REV.2 / CMMC 2.0 Level 2 expectations for timely handling of flaws to reduce exploit windows.
Technical Implementation
- Inventory and discovery: Maintain an authoritative asset inventory (workstations, servers, network devices, applications). Use an automated discovery tool or endpoint management console to identify systems missing security updates on a weekly cadence.
- Vendor feeds and vulnerability intelligence: Subscribe to vendor security advisories (Microsoft, Adobe, VMware, router/switch vendors), vulnerability databases (e.g., vendor RSS, CVE feeds), and your managed security provider alerts. Assign a staff member to triage incoming notices daily.
- Define timeframes and SLAs: Establish classification and SLAs such as: Critical (exploit known) — identify and report within 24 hours, patch within 7 days; High — identify/report within 72 hours, patch within 14 days; Medium/Low — identify/report within 7 days, patch within 30–90 days. Document these in your patch management policy.
- Patch testing and staged deployment: Maintain a small test group (3–5 representative machines or a staging environment) where updates are validated for critical business apps before enterprise-wide rollout. Use phased deployments (pilot → departmental → global) to limit downtime and detect regressions early.
- Automate where possible: Use a patch management tool (WSUS, Microsoft Endpoint Manager, third-party RMM/PSA, or your EDR platform) to schedule and enforce updates, generate compliance reports, and automatically remediate missing updates for managed endpoints.
- Tracking, reporting, and documentation: Use your ticketing system to log each identified flaw, attach risk classification, track remediation steps, and capture verification. Produce a monthly dashboard showing time-to-identify, time-to-report, and time-to-remediate against your SLAs for management review.
Example in a Small or Medium Business
Acme Engineering, a 60-person SMB, maintains an asset inventory in their RMM and subscribes to vendor advisories from their major suppliers. When Microsoft releases a security bulletin, the IT lead triages the bulletin, assigns a severity, and opens a ticket that notes the SLA: critical patches must be deployed within seven days. The IT team first applies the update to three machines in a staging group that mirrors the most-used engineering software to ensure compatibility. After 48 hours of validation, the team deploys the patch in phases—engineering, finance, then the rest of the company—using the RMM to automate installs and reboots. Each stage is logged in the ticketing system and the ticket is updated with verification screenshots and vulnerability references. If any workstation fails post-patch, a rollback plan and a remediation ticket are created and prioritized. Monthly reports show the CISO and business owner that identification, reporting, and correction SLAs are being met, and any recurring failures feed back into vendor support or change control discussions.
Summary
By combining an up-to-date asset inventory, vendor monitoring, defined SLAs for identification/reporting/correction, staged testing, and automated deployment and tracking, SMBs can meet SI.L2-3.14.1’s requirement to identify, report, and correct system flaws in a timely manner. These practical, documented steps reduce exposure windows, provide auditable evidence of compliance, and make remediation repeatable and measurable without requiring large security teams.
