Configuration Compliance calculator groups
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Summary of Configuration Compliance calculator groups
Configuration Compliance calculators in ServiceNow are used to update record values automatically when specific conditions are met. These calculators are organized into groups based on the criteria they use to update records. Starting from version 14.9, some terminology has been updated for clarity, such as renaming "Test Result Group" to "Remediation Task Group" and "Rules" to "Remediation Task Rules."
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From the Default Risk Calculator record, you can apply calculator rules on-demand to affected test results and collections, allowing vulnerability managers to adjust and experiment with risk prioritization schemes during deployment.
Key Features
- Risk Calculators: Previously called Risk Score calculators, these are enabled by default and calculate risk scores for configuration tests and remediation tasks.
- Risk Score Rollup Calculators: There are two types:
- Configuration Test Risk Roll Up Calculators: Aggregate risk scores from all test results with the same configuration test, showing an overall risk score for that test.
- Remediation Task Risk Score Rollup Calculators: Aggregate risk scores from all test results within a remediation task to provide an overall risk score.
- Risk Scores: Calculated based on business context (asset criticality from CMDB services) and test severity, displayed as values from 0-100 with color coding for severity.
- Risk Rating: Numeric scale from 1 (Critical) to 5 (None) based on the risk score range, providing an intuitive risk level.
- Historical Risk Score: Shows the inherent risk remediated by a test group after closure and zero risk score, reflecting risk reduction over time.
Key Concepts
- Test Result: Outcome of a configuration test on a configuration item (CI); failed, error, or unknown states indicate non-compliance.
- Remediation Task: Groups of test results organized for bulk analysis and remediation, similar to vulnerability groups.
- Risk Scores in Different Contexts:
- Test Result: Individual risk score for a test result.
- Remediation Task: Aggregated risk score for all active test results in the task.
- Configuration Test: Aggregated risk score for all active test results associated with that test.
Practical Considerations for ServiceNow Customers
ServiceNow customers using Configuration Compliance can leverage these calculators to automate risk scoring and compliance monitoring, enabling prioritized remediation efforts based on calculated risk levels. The on-demand application of calculator rules facilitates flexible risk management and testing of different prioritization schemes. Understanding the relationship between test results, remediation tasks, and risk scores helps customers effectively track compliance status and remediation progress.
Note that the Historical Risk Score feature requires the Service Mapping plugin, which is a separate subscription and must be activated by ServiceNow personnel.
Configuration Compliance calculators are used to update record values when pre-defined conditions are met. The calculators are grouped based on the criteria used to determine how the records are updated.
| Terminology prior to v14.9 | Terminology v14.9 onwards |
|---|---|
| Test Result Group | Remediation Task |
| Group Rules | Remediation Task Rules |
| Policy | Test group |
Configuration Compliance calculator groups
From the Default Risk Calculator record, calculator rules can be applied to all affected test results and collections on-demand. Vulnerability managers may use this feature adjust their risk calculator configuration. They might experiment with several prioritization schemes early in their deployment and apply those changes on-demand to view how they impact import findings.
The Risk Score calculator group has been renamed to Risk Calculators.
- Configuration Test Risk Roll Up
- Calculators that roll up risk scores for all Test Results with the same Configuration Test to provide an overall risk score for the Configuration Test. The rolled-up value is displayed in the Risk Score fields.
- Remediation Task Risk Score Rollup
- These calculators roll up risk scores for all Test Results in a Remediation Task to provide an overall risk score for that remediation task. The rolled-up value is displayed in the Risk Score fields.
Both the Risk Score calculator group and Risk Score Rollup Calculators group are enabled by default.
For more information, review the following key terms for Configuration Compliance calculators:
- Test result
- A test result is the outcome of the configuration test on a configuration item (CI) and the associated technology. Test results in Failed, error, and Unknown states identify hardware, software, and assets that are out of compliance with your policies.
- Remediation task
- Test results are grouped together at the time of data import based on the pre-defined remediation task rules. These remediation tasks are similar to vulnerability groups in Vulnerability Response. Remediation Tasks organize test results into groups for bulk analysis and represent a set of items to remediate.
- Risk score in a test result
A value calculated by risk score calculators that is based on the business context of an asset and the severity of the associated test. It is the average of the business criticality of the affected asset as defined in the CMDB, and the severity of the test as communicated by the scanner.
Each asset can have multiple services associated with it. The business criticality of an asset is determined by the service with the highest criticality.
The calculated value is displayed in the Risk Score fields of test results. The scores display values that range from 0-100. Fields are also color-coded to provide you with the severity at-a-glance.
- Risk score in remediation task
- This score is displayed on the Remediation Task record and is the rolled up value of the risk scores for all the active test results in a Remediation Task. This score changes as test results are remediated in the Remediation Task.
- Risk score in configuration test
- This score is displayed on configuration tests and is the rolled up value of the risk scores for all the active test results with that configuration test. This score changes as the test results associated with this configuration test are remediated.
- Risk rating
- The amount of risk a failed test result poses to your system. It is based on a range of risk scores on a 1-5 numeric scale that rates risks as Critical (1) to None (5). The score is based on a range of risk scores and is displayed in Risk Rating fields.
- Risk score rollup calculators
- There are two types of rollup calculators:
- Configuration Test Risk Roll Up: These calculators roll up risk scores for all Test Results with the same Configuration Test to provide an overall risk score for the Configuration Test. The rolled-up value is displayed in the Risk Score fields. You can edit the script values for weight and score for these calculators.
- Remediation Task Risk Score Rollup: These calculators roll up risk scores for all Test Results in a remediation task to provide an overall risk score for that remediation task. The rolled-up value is displayed in the Risk Score fields. You can edit the script values for weight and score for these calculators. For an example of a Risk score rollup calculator and how it calculates scores, see Risk rollup calculation example for Configuration Compliance (prior to v15.0).
- Historical risk score
- The inherent risk score across all the passed test results in a remediation task. This field displays the amount of risk that was remediated by a test group and is only displayed after a test group is in the ‘Closed’ state and the risk score is zero.
Scores are calculated whenever the risk score changes or when test results are added or removed from a remediation task.