MA-3(3)_prevent-unauthorized-removal

MA-3(3) Prevent Unauthorized Removal

Enhancement of: MA-3

High-Level Description

Family: Maintenance (MA) Framework: NIST SP 800-53 Rev 5

Organizational information includes all information owned by organizations and any information provided to organizations for which the organizations serve as information stewards.

What to Check

• Verify MA-3(3) Prevent Unauthorized Removal is documented in SSP
• Validate all 4 control requirements are implemented
• Confirm control is operating effectively
• Review evidence of continuous monitoring for MA-3(3)
• Verify enhancement builds upon base control MA-3

How to Test

Step 1: Review Documentation

Examine the System Security Plan (SSP) and related artifacts for MA-3(3) 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

Prevent the removal of maintenance equipment containing organizational information by: Verifying that there is no organizational information contained on the equipment; Sanitizing or destroying the equipment; Retaining the equipment within the facility; or Obtaining an exemption from [organization-defined] explicitly authorizing removal of the equipment from the facility.

Implementation Guidance

Organizational information includes all information owned by organizations and any information provided to organizations for which the organizations serve as information stewards.

Risk Assessment

CWE Categories

References

• NIST SP 800-53 Rev 5 - MA-3(3)
• 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 (MP-6) reviewed