IA-2(12)_acceptance-of-piv-credentials

IA-2(12) Acceptance of PIV Credentials

Enhancement of: IA-2

High-Level Description

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

Acceptance of Personal Identity Verification (PIV)-compliant credentials applies to organizations implementing logical access control and physical access control systems. PIV-compliant credentials are those credentials issued by federal agencies that conform to FIPS Publication 201 and supporting guidance documents. The adequacy and reliability of PIV card issuers are authorized using SP 800-79-2 . Acceptance of PIV-compliant credentials includes derived PIV credentials, the use of which is addressed in SP 800-166 . The DOD Common Access Card (CAC) is an example of a PIV credential.

What to Check

• Verify IA-2(12) Acceptance of PIV Credentials is documented in SSP
• Confirm control is operating effectively
• Review evidence of continuous monitoring for IA-2(12)
• 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(12) 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

Accept and electronically verify Personal Identity Verification-compliant credentials.

Implementation Guidance

Acceptance of Personal Identity Verification (PIV)-compliant credentials applies to organizations implementing logical access control and physical access control systems. PIV-compliant credentials are those credentials issued by federal agencies that conform to FIPS Publication 201 and supporting guidance documents. The adequacy and reliability of PIV card issuers are authorized using SP 800-79-2 . Acceptance of PIV-compliant credentials includes derived PIV credentials, the use of which is addressed in SP 800-166 . The DOD Common Access Card (CAC) is an example of a PIV credential.

Risk Assessment

CWE Categories

References

• NIST SP 800-53 Rev 5 - IA-2(12)
• 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