What should Responsible Entities do before connecting a Transient Cyber Asset managed by a 3rd party?

Before connecting a Transient Cyber Asset managed by a third party, Responsible Entities should determine additional mitigation actions. This step is crucial because connecting devices that come from outside the organization or are managed by external parties introduces potential risks to the security and integrity of the environment.

Assessing additional mitigation actions ensures that any vulnerabilities associated with the third-party asset are adequately addressed. This might involve implementing measures such as enhanced monitoring, network segmentation, or access controls to limit the potential impact of any security incidents. Establishing these actions helps in maintaining compliance with NERC CIP requirements and ensures the organization's critical infrastructure remains protected during interactions with transient assets that are not fully controlled by them.

Other options like reviewing antivirus update levels, authorizing removable media access, or conducting software hardening are important but do not encapsulate the overarching requirement of assessing risks associated with external connections and implementing necessary safeguards beforehand. These other activities might be components of the overall risk management strategy, but the focus on determining additional mitigation actions addresses the broader need to manage the risks effectively.