IA-2(10)_single-sign-on

IA-2(10) Single Sign-on

Enhancement of: IA-2

High-Level Description

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

Single sign-on enables users to log in once and gain access to multiple system resources. Organizations consider the operational efficiencies provided by single sign-on capabilities with the risk introduced by allowing access to multiple systems via a single authentication event. Single sign-on can present opportunities to improve system security, for example by providing the ability to add multi-factor authentication for applications and systems (existing and new) that may not be able to natively support multi-factor authentication.

What to Check

• Verify IA-2(10) Single Sign-on is documented in SSP
• Confirm control is operating effectively
• Review evidence of continuous monitoring for IA-2(10)
• Verify enhancement builds upon base control IA-2

How to Test

Step 1: Review Documentation

Examine the System Security Plan (SSP) and related artifacts for IA-2(10) 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 a single sign-on capability for [organization-defined].

Implementation Guidance

Single sign-on enables users to log in once and gain access to multiple system resources. Organizations consider the operational efficiencies provided by single sign-on capabilities with the risk introduced by allowing access to multiple systems via a single authentication event. Single sign-on can present opportunities to improve system security, for example by providing the ability to add multi-factor authentication for applications and systems (existing and new) that may not be able to natively support multi-factor authentication.

Risk Assessment

CWE Categories

References

• NIST SP 800-53 Rev 5 - IA-2(10)
• 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