AC-16(4)_association-of-attributes-by-authorized-individuals

AC-16(4) Association of Attributes by Authorized Individuals

Enhancement of: AC-16

High-Level Description

Family: Access Control (AC) Framework: NIST SP 800-53 Rev 5

Systems, in general, provide the capability for privileged users to assign security and privacy attributes to system-defined subjects (e.g., users) and objects (e.g., directories, files, and ports). Some systems provide additional capability for general users to assign security and privacy attributes to additional objects (e.g., files, emails). The association of attributes by authorized individuals is described in the design documentation. The support provided by systems can include prompting users to select security and privacy attributes to be associated with information objects, employing automated mechanisms to categorize information with attributes based on defined policies, or ensuring that the combination of the security or privacy attributes selected is valid. Organizations consider the creation, deletion, or modification of attributes when defining auditable events.

What to Check

• Verify AC-16(4) Association of Attributes by Authorized Individuals is documented in SSP
• Confirm control is operating effectively
• Review evidence of continuous monitoring for AC-16(4)
• Verify enhancement builds upon base control AC-16

How to Test

Step 1: Review Documentation

Examine the System Security Plan (SSP) and related artifacts for AC-16(4) implementation details. Verify the organization has documented how this control is satisfied.

Step 2: Validate Implementation

# For cloud environments, use cloud-audit-mcp tools
# For on-premises, review system configurations directly

# Example: Check if account management policies exist
grep -r "account.management\|access.control" /etc/security/ 2>/dev/null

Step 3: Test Operating Effectiveness

Verify the control is actively functioning, not just documented. Check logs, configurations, and operational evidence.

Tools

Remediation Guide

Control Statement

Provide the capability to associate [organization-defined] with [organization-defined] by authorized individuals (or processes acting on behalf of individuals).

Implementation Guidance

Systems, in general, provide the capability for privileged users to assign security and privacy attributes to system-defined subjects (e.g., users) and objects (e.g., directories, files, and ports). Some systems provide additional capability for general users to assign security and privacy attributes to additional objects (e.g., files, emails). The association of attributes by authorized individuals is described in the design documentation. The support provided by systems can include prompting users to select security and privacy attributes to be associated with information objects, employing automated mechanisms to categorize information with attributes based on defined policies, or ensuring that the combination of the security or privacy attributes selected is valid. Organizations consider the creation, deletion, or modification of attributes when defining auditable events.

Risk Assessment

CWE Categories

References

• NIST SP 800-53 Rev 5 - AC-16(4)
• NIST SP 800-53A Rev 5 (Assessment Procedures)
• NIST SP 800-53 Rev 5 Full Catalog

Checklist

• Control documented in SSP
• Implementation evidence collected
• Operating effectiveness validated
• Continuous monitoring in place
• Related controls (none) reviewed