AU-12(1)_system-wide-and-time-correlated-audit-trail

AU-12(1) System-wide and Time-correlated Audit Trail

Enhancement of: AU-12

High-Level Description

Family: Audit and Accountability (AU) Framework: NIST SP 800-53 Rev 5

Audit trails are time-correlated if the time stamps in the individual audit records can be reliably related to the time stamps in other audit records to achieve a time ordering of the records within organizational tolerances.

What to Check

• Verify AU-12(1) System-wide and Time-correlated Audit Trail is documented in SSP
• Confirm control is operating effectively
• Review evidence of continuous monitoring for AU-12(1)
• Verify enhancement builds upon base control AU-12

How to Test

Step 1: Review Documentation

Examine the System Security Plan (SSP) and related artifacts for AU-12(1) 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

Compile audit records from [organization-defined] into a system-wide (logical or physical) audit trail that is time-correlated to within [organization-defined].

Implementation Guidance

Audit trails are time-correlated if the time stamps in the individual audit records can be reliably related to the time stamps in other audit records to achieve a time ordering of the records within organizational tolerances.

Risk Assessment

CWE Categories

References

• NIST SP 800-53 Rev 5 - AU-12(1)
• 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 (AU-8, SC-45) reviewed