IA-13_identity-providers-and-authorization-servers

IA-13 Identity Providers and Authorization Servers

High-Level Description

Family: Identification and Authentication (IA) Framework: NIST SP 800-53 Rev 5

Identity providers, both internal and external to the organization, manage the user, device, and NPE authenticators and issue statements, often called identity assertions, attesting to identities of other systems or systems components. Authorization servers create and issue access tokens to identified and authenticated users and devices that can be used to gain access to system or information resources. For example, single sign-on (SSO) provides identity provider and authorization server functions. Authenticator management (to include credential management) is covered by IA-05.

What to Check

• Verify IA-13 Identity Providers and Authorization Servers is documented in SSP
• Confirm control is operating effectively
• Review evidence of continuous monitoring for IA-13

How to Test

Step 1: Review Documentation

Examine the System Security Plan (SSP) and related artifacts for IA-13 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

Employ identity providers and authorization servers to manage user, device, and non-person entity (NPE) identities, attributes, and access rights supporting authentication and authorization decisions in accordance with [organization-defined] using [organization-defined].

Implementation Guidance

Identity providers, both internal and external to the organization, manage the user, device, and NPE authenticators and issue statements, often called identity assertions, attesting to identities of other systems or systems components. Authorization servers create and issue access tokens to identified and authenticated users and devices that can be used to gain access to system or information resources. For example, single sign-on (SSO) provides identity provider and authorization server functions. Authenticator management (to include credential management) is covered by IA-05.

Risk Assessment

CWE Categories

References

• NIST SP 800-53 Rev 5 - IA-13
• 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 (AC-3, IA-2, IA-3, IA-8, IA-9) reviewed