NIST 800-53
Federal catalog of security and privacy controls
MAS TRM
Singapore guidelines for technology risk management in finance.
Quick Verdict
NIST 800-53 offers flexible security/privacy controls for U.S. federal and any organizations globally, while MAS TRM provides proportionate guidelines for Singapore FIs with supervisory enforcement. Companies adopt NIST for broad risk management; MAS for regulatory compliance.
NIST 800-53
NIST SP 800-53 Rev. 5: Security and Privacy Controls
Key Features
- Unified catalog of 20 security/privacy control families
- Tailorable low/moderate/high baselines per FIPS 199
- Outcome-based statements for flexible implementation
- Integrated privacy baseline regardless of impact level
- OSCAL machine-readable formats enabling automation
MAS TRM
MAS Technology Risk Management Guidelines (2021)
Key Features
- Board and senior management accountability for oversight
- Proportional controls based on asset criticality
- Third-party risk assessment and ongoing monitoring
- Annual penetration testing for internet-facing systems
- Defence-in-depth cyber resilience requirements
Detailed Analysis
A comprehensive look at the specific requirements, scope, and impact of each standard.
NIST 800-53 Details
What It Is
NIST SP 800-53 Revision 5 is the U.S. federal government's primary catalog of security and privacy controls for information systems and organizations. It provides a flexible, risk-based framework to protect confidentiality, integrity, availability, and privacy risks through outcome-oriented controls.
Key Components
- Organized into 20 control families (e.g., AC, AU, SR, PT) with over 1,100 base controls and enhancements.
- Baselines in SP 800-53B for low/moderate/high impact levels per FIPS 199, plus privacy baseline.
- Built on Risk Management Framework (RMF); supports tailoring, overlays, and OSCAL machine-readable formats.
- Compliance via assessment procedures in SP 800-53A; no formal certification but RMF authorization.
Why Organizations Use It
- Mandatory for federal agencies/contractors under FISMA/OMB A-130; voluntary for others.
- Manages diverse threats; enables reciprocity, automation, and cross-framework mappings (CSF, ISO 27001).
- Builds resilience, stakeholder trust, and competitive edge in regulated sectors.
Implementation Overview
- Follows **RMF lifecyclecategorize, select/tailor baselines, implement, assess, authorize, monitor.
- Suited for federal, contractors, critical infrastructure; requires governance, tooling, phased rollout.
- Audits via continuous monitoring; high effort for large-scale adoption.
MAS TRM Details
What It Is
MAS Technology Risk Management (TRM) Guidelines (January 2021) are supervisory guidance from Singapore's Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) for financial institutions. They promote sound practices for managing technology and cyber risks, emphasizing proportionality based on risk profile, complexity, and criticality to ensure CIA (confidentiality, integrity, availability).
Key Components
- 15 sections covering governance, risk frameworks, secure development, IT operations, resilience, access controls, cryptography, cyber defense, assessments, and audit.
- 12 synthesized principles like board accountability, asset inventories, third-party oversight, security-by-design.
- Risk-based approach with no fixed controls; compliance via supervisory review, no formal certification.
Why Organizations Use It
- Meets MAS supervisory expectations for licensed FIs (banks, insurers, fintechs).
- Enhances cyber resilience, reduces incidents, builds customer trust.
- Supports digital transformation while mitigating systemic risks.
Implementation Overview
- **Phased rolloutgovernance setup, asset inventory, control design, testing, monitoring.
- Targets MAS-supervised FIs in Singapore; scalable by size.
- Involves audits, DR tests; no certification but evidence for inspections. (178 words)
Key Differences
| Aspect | NIST 800-53 | MAS TRM |
|---|---|---|
| Scope | 20 control families for security/privacy | Governance to cyber resilience for finance |
| Industry | Federal, any organization worldwide | Singapore financial institutions only |
| Nature | Voluntary control catalog, baselines | Supervisory guidelines, proportionate enforcement |
| Testing | SP 800-53A procedures, continuous monitoring | Annual PT for internet systems, cyber exercises |
| Penalties | No direct penalties, compliance impacts | Fines, license revocation, executive prohibitions |
Scope
Industry
Nature
Testing
Penalties
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about NIST 800-53 and MAS TRM
NIST 800-53 FAQ
MAS TRM FAQ
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