SA-8(28)_acceptable-security

SA-8(28) Acceptable Security

Enhancement of: SA-8

High-Level Description

Family: System and Services Acquisition (SA) Framework: NIST SP 800-53 Rev 5

The principle of acceptable security requires that the level of privacy and performance that the system provides is consistent with the users’ expectations. The perception of personal privacy may affect user behavior, morale, and effectiveness. Based on the organizational privacy policy and the system design, users should be able to restrict their actions to protect their privacy. When systems fail to provide intuitive interfaces or meet privacy and performance expectations, users may either choose to completely avoid the system or use it in ways that may be inefficient or even insecure.

What to Check

• Verify SA-8(28) Acceptable Security is documented in SSP
• Confirm control is operating effectively
• Review evidence of continuous monitoring for SA-8(28)
• Verify enhancement builds upon base control SA-8

How to Test

Step 1: Review Documentation

Examine the System Security Plan (SSP) and related artifacts for SA-8(28) 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 the security design principle of acceptable security in [organization-defined].

Implementation Guidance

The principle of acceptable security requires that the level of privacy and performance that the system provides is consistent with the users’ expectations. The perception of personal privacy may affect user behavior, morale, and effectiveness. Based on the organizational privacy policy and the system design, users should be able to restrict their actions to protect their privacy. When systems fail to provide intuitive interfaces or meet privacy and performance expectations, users may either choose to completely avoid the system or use it in ways that may be inefficient or even insecure.

Risk Assessment

CWE Categories

References

• NIST SP 800-53 Rev 5 - SA-8(28)
• 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