CM-3(6)_cryptography-management

CM-3(6) Cryptography Management

Enhancement of: CM-3

High-Level Description

Family: Configuration Management (CM) Framework: NIST SP 800-53 Rev 5

The controls referenced in the control enhancement refer to security and privacy controls from the control catalog. Regardless of the cryptographic mechanisms employed, processes and procedures are in place to manage those mechanisms. For example, if system components use certificates for identification and authentication, a process is implemented to address the expiration of those certificates.

What to Check

• Verify CM-3(6) Cryptography Management is documented in SSP
• Confirm control is operating effectively
• Review evidence of continuous monitoring for CM-3(6)
• Verify enhancement builds upon base control CM-3

How to Test

Step 1: Review Documentation

Examine the System Security Plan (SSP) and related artifacts for CM-3(6) 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

Ensure that cryptographic mechanisms used to provide the following controls are under configuration management: [organization-defined].

Implementation Guidance

The controls referenced in the control enhancement refer to security and privacy controls from the control catalog. Regardless of the cryptographic mechanisms employed, processes and procedures are in place to manage those mechanisms. For example, if system components use certificates for identification and authentication, a process is implemented to address the expiration of those certificates.

Risk Assessment

CWE Categories

References

• NIST SP 800-53 Rev 5 - CM-3(6)
• 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 (SC-12) reviewed