SR-1 asks you to develop, document and disseminate a supply chain risk management policy and matching procedures to defined roles, designate an official to manage them, and review and update both on a schedule and after defined events. NIST 800-53 binds US federal systems and, by contract, some others. It is a clean template for any company that must show a customer a supplier risk policy.
What it means in practice
The policy must address purpose, scope, roles, responsibilities, management commitment, coordination among organizational entities and compliance, and be consistent with applicable laws and standards. The guidance says it covers the SR family and supply chain related controls in other families. It also says security and privacy programs should collaborate on it.
In other words, one document and one set of procedures, owned by a named person, that people can actually find.
Evidence to collect
- The signed or approved policy and procedures, with version history.
- The name or role of the designated official.
- Distribution records showing who received it.
- Review dates and change logs, including a review after a significant event.
- Procedures that point to real artifacts, like the vendor register and intake form.
Common gaps
- A policy that mentions suppliers but not software dependencies or build tools.
- No named owner, or an owner who left.
- Review cycle defined on paper but not performed.
- Procedures missing, leaving only a policy statement.
How to implement it
Start from one page. State scope, who owns it, how suppliers are assessed, and how often you review. Add a procedures page that links to your vendor register, intake questions and incident contact process. Put a recurring review on the calendar and record each pass.
Quick check
Is a policy alone enough for SR-1?
No. The control asks for procedures too, plus a designated owner and a review cycle.
