NIST SP 800-53 Rev 5 binds US federal systems, and reaches other organizations through contracts and flow down clauses. For everyone else it is a reference catalog: a detailed, public description of what a control can look like. PL-6, Security related Activity Planning, is marked withdrawn in Rev 5. The catalog records that it was incorporated into PL-2.
What it means in practice
The old idea was to plan and coordinate security activities that affect a system, such as scans, tests, and audits, so they do not surprise operations. That coordination now lives with the system plan and its update process.
Evidence to collect
- A change or maintenance calendar that shows planned security activities.
- Notices to system owners before scans or tests.
- Plan updates that reflect new activities.
Common gaps
- Scans scheduled without telling the owners.
- No link from the activity calendar to the system plan.
How to implement it
Keep a shared calendar for security activities. Link it from the system plan. When a questionnaire cites PL-6, point to PL-2 and the calendar.
Quick check
Is anything lost when a control is withdrawn?
No. The catalog moves the requirement elsewhere. Check the incorporated into note.
