CP-7

CP-7 ALTERNATE PROCESSING SITE

Overview

Number	Title	Impact	Priority	Subject Area
CP-7	Alternate Processing Site	MODERATE	P1	Contingency Planning

Instructions
The organization: CP-7a. Establishes an alternate processing site including necessary agreements to permit the transfer and resumption of Assignment: organization-defined information system operations for essential missions/business functions within Assignment: organization-defined time period consistent with recovery time and recovery point objectives when the primary processing capabilities are unavailable; CP-7b. Ensures that equipment and supplies required to transfer and resume operations are available at the alternate processing site or contracts are in place to support delivery to the site within the organization-defined time period for transfer/resumption; and CP-7c. Ensures that the alternate processing site provides information security safeguards equivalent to that of the primary site.

Instructions

The organization:

CP-7a.

Establishes an alternate processing site including necessary agreements to permit the transfer and resumption of Assignment: organization-defined information system operations for essential missions/business functions within Assignment: organization-defined time period consistent with recovery time and recovery point objectives when the primary processing capabilities are unavailable;

CP-7b.

Ensures that equipment and supplies required to transfer and resume operations are available at the alternate processing site or contracts are in place to support delivery to the site within the organization-defined time period for transfer/resumption; and

CP-7c.

Ensures that the alternate processing site provides information security safeguards equivalent to that of the primary site.

Guidance
Alternate processing sites are sites that are geographically distinct from primary processing sites. An alternate processing site provides processing capability in the event that the primary processing site is not available. Items covered by alternate processing site agreements include, for example, environmental conditions at alternate sites, access rules, physical and environmental protection requirements, and coordination for the transfer/assignment of personnel. Requirements are specifically allocated to alternate processing sites that reflect the requirements in contingency plans to maintain essential missions/business functions despite disruption, compromise, or failure in organizational information systems.

Guidance

Alternate processing sites are sites that are geographically distinct from primary processing sites. An alternate processing site provides processing capability in the event that the primary processing site is not available. Items covered by alternate processing site agreements include, for example, environmental conditions at alternate sites, access rules, physical and environmental protection requirements, and coordination for the transfer/assignment of personnel. Requirements are specifically allocated to alternate processing sites that reflect the requirements in contingency plans to maintain essential missions/business functions despite disruption, compromise, or failure in organizational information systems.

Enhancements

CP-7 (1) Separation From Primary Site

MODERATE

Threats that affect alternate processing sites are typically defined in organizational assessments of risk and include, for example, natural disasters, structural failures, hostile cyber attacks, and errors of omission/commission. Organizations determine what is considered a sufficient degree of separation between primary and alternate processing sites based on the types of threats that are of concern. For one particular type of threat (i.e., hostile cyber attack), the degree of separation between sites is less relevant.

The organization identifies an alternate processing site that is separated from the primary processing site to reduce susceptibility to the same threats.

CP-7 (2) Accessibility

MODERATE

Area-wide disruptions refer to those types of disruptions that are broad in geographic scope (e.g., hurricane, regional power outage) with such determinations made by organizations based on organizational assessments of risk.

The organization identifies potential accessibility problems to the alternate processing site in the event of an area-wide disruption or disaster and outlines explicit mitigation actions.

CP-7 (3) Priority Of Service

MODERATE

Priority-of-service agreements refer to negotiated agreements with service providers that ensure that organizations receive priority treatment consistent with their availability requirements and the availability of information resources at the alternate processing site.

The organization develops alternate processing site agreements that contain priority-of-service provisions in accordance with organizational availability requirements (including recovery time objectives).

CP-7 (4) Preparation For Use

HIGH

Site preparation includes, for example, establishing configuration settings for information system components at the alternate processing site consistent with the requirements for such settings at the primary site and ensuring that essential supplies and other logistical considerations are in place.

The organization prepares the alternate processing site so that the site is ready to be used as the operational site supporting essential missions and business functions.

CP-7 (5) Equivalent Information Security Safeguards

Withdrawn: Incorporated into CP-7.

CP-7 (6) Inability To Return To Primary Site

The organization plans and prepares for circumstances that preclude returning to the primary processing site.