POA&M Status Tracking

POA&M Status Tracking refers to the process of monitoring the current state of Plan of Action and Milestones (POA&M) items and recording changes over time to ensure vulnerabilities and compliance findings are managed effectively. This tracking is essential for demonstrating progress in addressing risks and meeting compliance requirements like FedRAMP.

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Key Concepts in POA&M Status Tracking

1. Status Categories:
   • Active: The POA&M item is open and being addressed.
   • Resolved: The POA&M item has been remediated and verified.
   • Other Statuses (Optional): Additional statuses can be added, such as "Deferred," "In Progress," or "Pending Approval," depending on organizational needs.
2. Key Status Fields:
   • Status: Indicates whether the POA&M item is active, resolved, or in another state.
   • Status Date: The last date when the status was updated.
   • Milestones: Steps planned to achieve resolution and their status.
   • Completion Date: The expected or actual date of resolution.
3. Historical Tracking:
   • POA&M items track changes in milestones, completion dates, and other fields to provide a historical record of progress and changes.

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How Status Tracking Works in the POA&M App

1. Database Model:

   • The POAM database model includes fields to track status and related updates.

   • Example:

    class POAM(db.Model):
        id = db.Column(db.Integer, primary_key=True)
        weakness_name = db.Column(db.String(255), nullable=False)
        status = db.Column(db.String(20), default="Active")  # Active, Resolved, etc.
        status_date = db.Column(db.DateTime, nullable=True)  # Last status update
        detection_date = db.Column(db.DateTime, nullable=True)  # Original detection date
        completion_date = db.Column(db.DateTime, nullable=True)  # Scheduled/actual completion date
        planned_milestones = db.Column(db.Text, nullable=True)  # Planned milestones
        milestone_changes = db.Column(db.Text, nullable=True)  # Changes to milestones
    ```

2. **Status Updates**:

  - The app provides functionality to update the status of a POA&M item based on remediation progress.

  - Example code to update status:

```python
    def update_poam_status(poam_id, new_status, status_date=None):
        poam_item = POAM.query.get(poam_id)
        if poam_item:
            poam_item.status = new_status
            poam_item.status_date = status_date or datetime.now()
            db.session.commit()
            return poam_item
        return None
    ```

3. **Milestone Tracking**:

  - Milestones are used to break down a remediation plan into smaller, manageable steps.

  - Example milestone fields:

    - **Planned Milestones**: Original steps to resolve the issue.
    - **Milestone Changes**: Updates or adjustments to milestones, including reasons for changes.

  - Example update logic:

```python
    def update_poam_milestone(poam_id, milestone_update):
        poam_item = POAM.query.get(poam_id)
        if poam_item:
            if poam_item.milestone_changes:
                poam_item.milestone_changes += f"\n{milestone_update}"
            else:
                poam_item.milestone_changes = milestone_update
            db.session.commit()
            return poam_item
        return None
    ```

4. **Status Reporting**:

  - The app provides interfaces to view POA&M items by status:

    - Active POA&M items.
    - Resolved POA&M items.
    - Items filtered by detection or completion date.

  - Example query:

    ```
    def get_poam_items_by_status(status):
        return POAM.query.filter_by(status=status).all()
    ```

5. **Excel Export Integration**:

  - Status and status-related fields (e.g., detection date, completion date, milestones) are exported to the appropriate sections of the FedRAMP POA&M template (Open POA&M Items or Closed POA&M Items sheets).

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### Example Workflow for Status Tracking

1. **Detection**:
  - A new POA&M item is created with a default status of "Active."
  - The detection date is recorded.
2. **Ongoing Updates**:
  - As remediation progresses:
    - Milestones are updated.
    - Status changes are recorded, such as from "Active" to "In Progress."
    - Status dates are updated to reflect the most recent changes.
3. **Resolution**:
  - Once the issue is resolved:
    - The status is updated to "Resolved."
    - The completion date is recorded.
4. **Historical Record**:
  - Changes to milestones and completion dates are preserved in the `milestone_changes` field for audit and reporting purposes.

------

### Example Code for POA&M Status Tracking

#### Querying Items by Status

```python
@app.route('/poam-items/<status>', methods=['GET'])
def get_poam_items_by_status(status):
   """
   Fetch POA&M items filtered by status (e.g., Active, Resolved).
   """
   poam_items = get_poam_items_by_status(status)
   return render_template('fragments/poam_table.html', items=poam_items)

Updating Status and Milestones

@app.route('/poam/<int:poam_id>/update-status', methods=['POST'])
def update_status(poam_id):
   """
   Update the status of a POA&M item.
   """
   data = request.json
   new_status = data.get('status')
   status_date = datetime.strptime(data.get('status_date'), "%Y-%m-%d") if data.get('status_date') else None
   updated_poam = update_poam_status(poam_id, new_status, status_date)
   if updated_poam:
       return jsonify({"message": "Status updated successfully", "poam_id": updated_poam.id}), 200
   return jsonify({"message": "POA&M item not found"}), 404

Example: Update Milestones

@app.route('/poam/<int:poam_id>/update-milestones', methods=['POST'])
def update_milestones(poam_id):
   """
   Update milestones for a POA&M item.
   """
   data = request.json
   milestone_update = data.get('milestone_update')
   updated_poam = update_poam_milestone(poam_id, milestone_update)
   if updated_poam:
       return jsonify({"message": "Milestones updated successfully", "poam_id": updated_poam.id}), 200
   return jsonify({"message": "POA&M item not found"}), 404