AU-16(2)_sharing-of-audit-information

AU-16(2) Sharing of Audit Information

Enhancement of: AU-16

High-Level Description

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

Due to the distributed nature of the audit information, cross-organization sharing of audit information may be essential for effective analysis of the auditing being performed. For example, the audit records of one organization may not provide sufficient information to determine the appropriate or inappropriate use of organizational information resources by individuals in other organizations. In some instances, only individuals’ home organizations have the appropriate knowledge to make such determinations, thus requiring the sharing of audit information among organizations.

What to Check

• Verify AU-16(2) Sharing of Audit Information is documented in SSP
• Confirm control is operating effectively
• Review evidence of continuous monitoring for AU-16(2)
• Verify enhancement builds upon base control AU-16

How to Test

Step 1: Review Documentation

Examine the System Security Plan (SSP) and related artifacts for AU-16(2) 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 cross-organizational audit information to [organization-defined] based on [organization-defined].

Implementation Guidance

Due to the distributed nature of the audit information, cross-organization sharing of audit information may be essential for effective analysis of the auditing being performed. For example, the audit records of one organization may not provide sufficient information to determine the appropriate or inappropriate use of organizational information resources by individuals in other organizations. In some instances, only individuals’ home organizations have the appropriate knowledge to make such determinations, thus requiring the sharing of audit information among organizations.

Risk Assessment

CWE Categories

References

• NIST SP 800-53 Rev 5 - AU-16(2)
• 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 (IR-4, SI-4) reviewed