Which NIST publication includes a guide to test, training, and exercise programs for IT plans, along with an after-action report template?

The correct answer is NIST 800-84, which focuses specifically on testing, training, and exercise programs related to IT plans. This publication provides detailed guidance on how organizations can prepare for and assess their incident response capabilities through structured exercises. It emphasizes the importance of conducting exercises to not only evaluate the effectiveness of response plans but also to enhance the overall cybersecurity posture of the organization.

Additionally, NIST 800-84 includes templates for after-action reports, which are essential for documenting lessons learned during exercises. These reports allow organizations to analyze their performance and improve future responses to incidents.

In contrast, the other publications mentioned serve different purposes. NIST 800-61 is concentrated on handling computer security incidents, providing guidance on incident response rather than training and exercises. NIST 800-53 focuses on security controls for information systems, detailing frameworks for ensuring regulatory compliance and implementing security measures. Finally, NIST 800-207 pertains to zero trust architecture, which is a concept focused on security architectures and does not directly address training and exercise programs. This distinction showcases why NIST 800-84 is the appropriate reference for developing and executing IT training and exercise programs.