ra-5-3-breadth-and-depth-of-coverage

name	RA-5(3)_breadth-and-depth-of-coverage
description	Define the breadth and depth of vulnerability scanning coverage.
category	information-gathering
version	5.2.0
author	cyberstrike-official
tags	["nist","sp800-53","rev5","ra-5-3","ra","enhancement"]
tech_stack	["any"]
cwe_ids	[]
chains_with	[]
prerequisites	["RA-5"]
severity_boost	{}

RA-5(3) Breadth and Depth of Coverage

Enhancement of: RA-5

High-Level Description

Family: Risk Assessment (RA) Framework: NIST SP 800-53 Rev 5

The breadth of vulnerability scanning coverage can be expressed as a percentage of components within the system, by the particular types of systems, by the criticality of systems, or by the number of vulnerabilities to be checked. Conversely, the depth of vulnerability scanning coverage can be expressed as the level of the system design that the organization intends to monitor (e.g., component, module, subsystem, element). Organizations can determine the sufficiency of vulnerability scanning coverage with regard to its risk tolerance and other factors. Scanning tools and how the tools are configured may affect the depth and coverage. Multiple scanning tools may be needed to achieve the desired depth and coverage. SP 800-53A provides additional information on the breadth and depth of coverage.

What to Check

• Verify RA-5(3) Breadth and Depth of Coverage is documented in SSP
• Confirm control is operating effectively
• Review evidence of continuous monitoring for RA-5(3)
• Verify enhancement builds upon base control RA-5

How to Test

Step 1: Review Documentation

Examine the System Security Plan (SSP) and related artifacts for RA-5(3) implementation details. Verify the organization has documented how this control is satisfied.

Step 2: Validate Implementation

# For cloud environments, use cloud-audit-mcp tools
# For on-premises, review system configurations directly

# Example: Check if account management policies exist
grep -r "account.management\|access.control" /etc/security/ 2>/dev/null

Step 3: Test Operating Effectiveness

Verify the control is actively functioning, not just documented. Check logs, configurations, and operational evidence.

Tools

Tool	Purpose	Usage
Manual Review	Documentation and interview-based	N/A

Remediation Guide

Control Statement

Define the breadth and depth of vulnerability scanning coverage.

Implementation Guidance