IA-2(5)_individual-authentication-with-group-authentication

IA-2(5) Individual Authentication with Group Authentication

Enhancement of: IA-2

High-Level Description

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

Individual authentication prior to shared group authentication mitigates the risk of using group accounts or authenticators.

What to Check

• Verify IA-2(5) Individual Authentication with Group Authentication is documented in SSP
• Confirm control is operating effectively
• Review evidence of continuous monitoring for IA-2(5)
• 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(5) 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

When shared accounts or authenticators are employed, require users to be individually authenticated before granting access to the shared accounts or resources.

Implementation Guidance

Individual authentication prior to shared group authentication mitigates the risk of using group accounts or authenticators.

Risk Assessment

CWE Categories

References

• NIST SP 800-53 Rev 5 - IA-2(5)
• 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