Which NIST Special Publication provides a guide to test, training, and exercise programs for IT plans and includes an after-action report template?

The correct answer is NIST Special Publication 800-84, which focuses specifically on the development of test, training, and exercise programs for information technology plans. This publication provides comprehensive guidance on how organizations can effectively implement test scenarios and training exercises to validate their incident response capabilities and overall IT security posture. Additionally, it includes templates for after-action reports, which are essential for documenting lessons learned and improving the effectiveness of future exercises.

NIST 800-53 provides security and privacy controls but does not specifically address exercise programs or include templates for after-action reports. NIST 800-61 focuses on incident response and handling, guiding organizations in dealing with security incidents rather than the broader scope of testing and training. ISO standard 15408, also known as the Common Criteria, relates to the evaluation of information technology security and product certification rather than outlining practices for testing and training programs. Therefore, NIST 800-84 is the most appropriate choice for this context.