AC-3(5)_security-relevant-information

AC-3(5) Security-relevant Information

Enhancement of: AC-3

High-Level Description

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

Security-relevant information is information within systems that can potentially impact the operation of security functions or the provision of security services in a manner that could result in failure to enforce system security and privacy policies or maintain the separation of code and data. Security-relevant information includes access control lists, filtering rules for routers or firewalls, configuration parameters for security services, and cryptographic key management information. Secure, non-operable system states include the times in which systems are not performing mission or business-related processing, such as when the system is offline for maintenance, boot-up, troubleshooting, or shut down.

What to Check

• Verify AC-3(5) Security-relevant Information is documented in SSP
• Confirm control is operating effectively
• Review evidence of continuous monitoring for AC-3(5)
• Verify enhancement builds upon base control AC-3

How to Test

Step 1: Review Documentation

Examine the System Security Plan (SSP) and related artifacts for AC-3(5) 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

Prevent access to [organization-defined] except during secure, non-operable system states.

Implementation Guidance

Security-relevant information is information within systems that can potentially impact the operation of security functions or the provision of security services in a manner that could result in failure to enforce system security and privacy policies or maintain the separation of code and data. Security-relevant information includes access control lists, filtering rules for routers or firewalls, configuration parameters for security services, and cryptographic key management information. Secure, non-operable system states include the times in which systems are not performing mission or business-related processing, such as when the system is offline for maintenance, boot-up, troubleshooting, or shut down.

Risk Assessment

CWE Categories

References

• NIST SP 800-53 Rev 5 - AC-3(5)
• 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 (CM-6, SC-39) reviewed