OSCAL

Definition

OSCAL (Open Security Controls Assessment Language) is not a policy language in the traditional sense, but rather a machine-readable framework designed to standardize and automate security and compliance assessments2.

Operation

Structured Data Formats – Uses XML, JSON, and YAML to represent security controls and compliance information.

Automation & Risk Management – Helps organizations streamline security assessments and reduce manual compliance efforts.

Interoperability – Enables different tools and systems to exchange security control data efficiently.

Difference Between OSCAL & Policy Languages

Aspect	OSCAL	Traditional Policy Language	Rules as Code
Purpose	Automates security assessments & compliance	Defines rules & regulations in natural language	A machine-readable version of policy that allows automated compliance and enforcement.
Format	Machine-readable (XML, JSON, YAML)	Text-based legal or regulatory documents	Aspires to be Machine and Human readable
Use Case	Security frameworks like FedRAMP, NIST RMF	Government laws, corporate policies	Applied in cybersecurity, AI governance, financial regulations, and digital governance.
Automation	Supports automated compliance verification	Requires manual interpretation & enforcement	Eliminates all intermediate layers

While OSCAL does not define policies, it translates security controls into structured formats, making compliance more efficient and scalable.