The DoD is working on using the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Certification & Accreditation method of assessing & authorizing systems. The NIST system of C&A is actually known as Risk Management Framework (RMF). This would require the the Assistant Secretary of Defense Networks & Information Integration ASD(NII) office to move the DoDI 8500.2, Information Assurance (IA) controls to be mapped to the NIST SP 800-53, Recommended Security Controls. I am not certain yet whether they will eliminate the 8500.2 or just have all departments move to the NIST SP 800-53. They will also need to switch the DoD Information Assurance Certification & Accreditation Process (DIACAP) to the NIST SP 800-37 rev 1, Risk Management Framework or something similar.

If the transition is anything like their move to from DoD Information Technology Security Certification & Accreditation Process (DITSCAP) to the DIACAP then they will give about 2 years for the DoD to transition. As of Mar. 2011, there is no policy on this. It is serious because its on the DIACAP KS and the Department of Navy CIO has been releasing information on it since 2009. The DON CIO & the ASD (NII) have been working on the project to transition from DIACAP to some sort of DoD Risk Management Framework. So far, they have mapped the DoDI 8500.2 IA controls to the NIST SP 800-53 Controls: Certification and Accreditation Transformation: Security Control Mapping. Here is a May 2010 update to the NIST to DIACAP mapping. 800-53 to DoD IA contols map also includes the Director of Central Intelligence Directive (DCID) 6/3 controls. This is very telling. The plan seems to be to have one standard for all Federal Information System.

Since DoD 8510.01, DIACAP & NIST SP 800-37, Risk Management Framework (RMF) cover so much of the same ground, I think the only real benefit is that reciprocity between Federal agency will be easier if all departments have one standard of risk management and one security control set.

The DON uses the certification and accreditation (C&A) process to assess and understand the residual risk associated with operating information systems (IS) and information technology (IT). The DON is participating with the DoD, the IC, and the rest of the Federal government in C&A transformation. One goal of transformation is to achieve common security controls enabling the DON, the DoD, the IC, and the rest of the Federal government to develop systems to the same protection standards.

The recently released National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Special Publication (SP) 800-53, revision 3 provides recommended consolidated security controls in an effort to achieve common security controls across the Federal government.

The DON will continue to use the DoDI 8500.2 as the authoritative source for security controls until otherwise specified. However, understanding the changes represented in NIST SP 800-53r3 will be essential as DoD and the DON begin transitioning to this new set of security controls. To support the transition, the DON CIO developed this security control mapping document to demonstrate how existing DoD and IC security controls map to the security controls recommended by the NIST SP 800-53r3 publication.

—Security Control Mapping Document Aids Transition, DON CIO Site