________ are check lists of what should be done in a specific procedure.

• A. Baselines
• B. Guidelines
• C. Standards
• D. Procedures

Answer: (A)

Baselines are reference states that define what should be in place for a system or procedure. They enumerate the standard configurations, controls, and actions that constitute the approved setup. Because you can compare the actual implementation to this standard and use it to confirm that every required item is present and correctly applied, a baseline works well as a checklist of what should be done to reach the approved state. Guidelines are merely recommended practices, standards specify mandatory requirements at a broader level, and procedures describe the exact step-by-step actions themselves rather than the reference state used for verification.