RS.CO-3: Response Information Sharing in NIST CSF
Response Information Sharing (RS.CO-3) ensures that critical incident data reaches the right stakeholders at the right time through documented, secure channels. For SMBs managing cyber incidents with limited resources, this control is essential for coordinated incident response and regulatory compliance. Without clear information-sharing protocols, your team risks delayed response times, miscommunication, and compliance violations.
What this means
RS.CO-3 requires organizations to establish and follow documented response plans that dictate how incident information is shared during and after security events. This includes defining who receives what information, through which channels, and under what circumstances. The control ensures consistency, prevents information silos, reduces response delays, and maintains audit trails of all communications related to incident response activities.
How to comply
- 1.Document your incident response plan with clear sections defining information-sharing procedures and stakeholder roles
- 2.Identify all internal and external parties who need incident notifications (IT team, leadership, legal, regulators, customers)
- 3.Establish secure communication channels (encrypted email, incident response platform, secure messaging) for sharing sensitive incident data
- 4.Define what information each stakeholder group receives and at what point in the incident timeline
- 5.Create notification templates and escalation procedures to ensure consistent, timely communication
- 6.Implement access controls and logging for all incident information repositories
- 7.Conduct tabletop exercises to test information-sharing workflows and identify gaps
- 8.Review and update sharing procedures annually or after significant incidents
Evidence auditors look for
- Documented incident response plan with dedicated information-sharing section
- Stakeholder communication matrix showing roles, responsibilities, and notification triggers
- Secure incident tracking system with access logs and audit trails
- Email templates and communication protocols for different incident severity levels
- Records of incident notifications sent to internal and external parties
- Incident response tabletop exercise reports demonstrating information-sharing effectiveness
- Change logs showing plan updates and approval dates
- Training records confirming staff understand information-sharing requirements
Frequently asked questions
When will FAQs be available?
The FAQ for this control is currently being prepared.
GRCWatch automates incident notification workflows and maintains compliant audit trails of all response communications, so you can prove RS.CO-3 compliance without manual tracking across email and spreadsheets.
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