IA-5(6)_protection-of-authenticators

IA-5(6) Protection of Authenticators

Enhancement of: IA-5

High-Level Description

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

For systems that contain multiple security categories of information without reliable physical or logical separation between categories, authenticators used to grant access to the systems are protected commensurate with the highest security category of information on the systems. Security categories of information are determined as part of the security categorization process.

What to Check

• Verify IA-5(6) Protection of Authenticators is documented in SSP
• Confirm control is operating effectively
• Review evidence of continuous monitoring for IA-5(6)
• Verify enhancement builds upon base control IA-5

How to Test

Step 1: Review Documentation

Examine the System Security Plan (SSP) and related artifacts for IA-5(6) 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

Protect authenticators commensurate with the security category of the information to which use of the authenticator permits access.

Implementation Guidance

For systems that contain multiple security categories of information without reliable physical or logical separation between categories, authenticators used to grant access to the systems are protected commensurate with the highest security category of information on the systems. Security categories of information are determined as part of the security categorization process.

Risk Assessment

CWE Categories

References

• NIST SP 800-53 Rev 5 - IA-5(6)
• 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 (RA-2) reviewed