IR-4(5)_automatic-disabling-of-system

IR-4(5) Automatic Disabling of System

Enhancement of: IR-4

High-Level Description

Family: Incident Response (IR) Framework: NIST SP 800-53 Rev 5

Organizations consider whether the capability to automatically disable the system conflicts with continuity of operations requirements specified as part of CP-2 or IR-4(3) . Security violations include cyber-attacks that have compromised the integrity of the system or exfiltrated organizational information and serious errors in software programs that could adversely impact organizational missions or functions or jeopardize the safety of individuals.

What to Check

• Verify IR-4(5) Automatic Disabling of System is documented in SSP
• Confirm control is operating effectively
• Review evidence of continuous monitoring for IR-4(5)
• Verify enhancement builds upon base control IR-4

How to Test

Step 1: Review Documentation

Examine the System Security Plan (SSP) and related artifacts for IR-4(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

Implement a configurable capability to automatically disable the system if [organization-defined] are detected.

Implementation Guidance

Organizations consider whether the capability to automatically disable the system conflicts with continuity of operations requirements specified as part of CP-2 or IR-4(3) . Security violations include cyber-attacks that have compromised the integrity of the system or exfiltrated organizational information and serious errors in software programs that could adversely impact organizational missions or functions or jeopardize the safety of individuals.

Risk Assessment

CWE Categories

References

• NIST SP 800-53 Rev 5 - IR-4(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