CP-8(2)_single-points-of-failure

CP-8(2) Single Points of Failure

Enhancement of: CP-8

High-Level Description

Family: Contingency Planning (CP) Framework: NIST SP 800-53 Rev 5

In certain circumstances, telecommunications service providers or services may share the same physical lines, which increases the vulnerability of a single failure point. It is important to have provider transparency for the actual physical transmission capability for telecommunication services.

What to Check

• Verify CP-8(2) Single Points of Failure is documented in SSP
• Confirm control is operating effectively
• Review evidence of continuous monitoring for CP-8(2)
• Verify enhancement builds upon base control CP-8

How to Test

Step 1: Review Documentation

Examine the System Security Plan (SSP) and related artifacts for CP-8(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

Obtain alternate telecommunications services to reduce the likelihood of sharing a single point of failure with primary telecommunications services.

Implementation Guidance

In certain circumstances, telecommunications service providers or services may share the same physical lines, which increases the vulnerability of a single failure point. It is important to have provider transparency for the actual physical transmission capability for telecommunication services.

Risk Assessment

CWE Categories

References

• NIST SP 800-53 Rev 5 - CP-8(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 (none) reviewed