Authorization and Accreditation in Risk Management Frameworks
This paper examines how organizations can plan, implement, and manage risk using the six-step Risk Management Framework (RMF) as required by the E-Government Act. It walks through each step in sequence: categorizing information systems, selecting appropriate baseline security controls, implementing those controls via checklists, assessing control effectiveness, authorizing system operations, and conducting continuous monitoring. Drawing on sources including Gantz and Philpott's work on FISMA and federal cybersecurity, the paper argues that a structured RMF approach provides the flexibility and consistency needed to reduce risk to acceptable levels while protecting organizational assets, operations, and personnel.
- Introduction: Overview of RMF purpose and legal basis
- Risk Management Steps Overview: Six-step RMF structure introduced
- Categorization and Security Control Selection: Steps one and two: categorizing systems and selecting controls
- Implementing and Assessing Security Controls: Steps three and four: checklists and control assessment
- Authorization and Continuous Monitoring: Steps five and six: authorizing operations and ongoing monitoring
- Conclusion: RMF provides flexible structured risk management
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What makes this paper effective
- The paper follows a clear sequential structure that mirrors the six steps of the Risk Management Framework, making the argument easy to follow and logically coherent.
- It grounds abstract security concepts in practical organizational contexts, explaining not just what each step is but how a company would actually carry it out.
- The use of multiple authoritative sources (Gantz & Philpott, Jain & Zhang, Bowden & Martin) lends credibility to the procedural claims made throughout.
Key academic technique demonstrated
The paper demonstrates effective process-based exposition — a technique in which a multi-step framework is unpacked step by step, with each paragraph anchored to a specific stage. This keeps the argument tightly organized and ensures no step is overlooked. The writer also integrates citations at the point of claim rather than clustering them at the end of paragraphs, which strengthens the perceived authority of each individual statement.
Structure breakdown
The paper opens with a brief introduction establishing the legal basis (E-Government Act) and purpose. The body then progresses through the six RMF steps — categorization, control selection, implementation, assessment, authorization, and monitoring — each treated as a distinct analytical unit. A short conclusion synthesizes the overall value of the framework. The structure is linear and procedural, appropriate for a policy-oriented security management topic at the undergraduate level.
Introduction
An organization's risk management framework offers a structured process to help the company identify, assess, and take steps to reduce risks to a reasonable level. The E-Government Act requires organizations to protect their information technology and information systems that support their assets and operations (Jain & Zhang, 2012). This paper examines how an organization will plan, implement, and manage its risk management steps under the Risk Management Framework, which comprises six key steps.
Risk Management Steps Overview
The Risk Management Framework (RMF) structures the process of securing information systems into six sequential steps. Each step builds on the previous one, guiding organizations from initial categorization through continuous monitoring.
References
Gantz, S. D., & Philpott, D. R. (2013). FISMA and the risk management framework: The new practice of federal cyber security. Syngress.
Bowden, A. R., & Martin, J. H. (2011). Triple bottom line risk management: Enhancing profit, environmental performance, and community benefits. John Wiley & Sons.
Jain, L. C., & Zhang, G. (2012). Handbook on decision making: Vol. 2: Risk management in decision making. Springer.
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