Which step in the RMF process evaluates the trade-offs among alternative safeguards?

The step in the Risk Management Framework (RMF) process that evaluates the trade-offs among alternative safeguards is the risk mitigation phase. In risk mitigation, organizations analyze different security controls and safeguards to determine which ones will best mitigate identified risks while balancing cost, effectiveness, and operational impact. This step is crucial because it allows organizations to enhance their security posture by selecting controls that provide the most significant risk reduction for the resources available.

During risk mitigation, various options are considered, and decisions are made based on how well each safeguard can address specific vulnerabilities. The analysis performed here ensures that organizations do not overinvest in controls that may not yield proportional benefits or overlook simpler, cost-effective solutions that could adequately manage risks.

While the other steps in the RMF process play important roles, they focus on different aspects. Control recommendations involve suggesting controls based on assessed risks, risk assessment identifies and evaluates risks but doesn’t involve detailed trade-off analysis among controls, and status assessment focuses on the current state of security controls rather than evaluating new alternatives. Thus, risk mitigation is the pivotal step where such evaluations occur to ensure optimal security solutions are selected.