SA-9(7)_organization-controlled-integrity-checking

SA-9(7) Organization-controlled Integrity Checking

Enhancement of: SA-9

High-Level Description

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

Storage of organizational information in an external system could limit visibility into the security status of its data. The ability of the organization to verify and validate the integrity of its stored data without transferring it out of the external system provides such visibility.

What to Check

• Verify SA-9(7) Organization-controlled Integrity Checking is documented in SSP
• Confirm control is operating effectively
• Review evidence of continuous monitoring for SA-9(7)
• Verify enhancement builds upon base control SA-9

How to Test

Step 1: Review Documentation

Examine the System Security Plan (SSP) and related artifacts for SA-9(7) 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

Provide the capability to check the integrity of information while it resides in the external system.

Implementation Guidance

Storage of organizational information in an external system could limit visibility into the security status of its data. The ability of the organization to verify and validate the integrity of its stored data without transferring it out of the external system provides such visibility.

Risk Assessment

CWE Categories

References

• NIST SP 800-53 Rev 5 - SA-9(7)
• 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 (SI-7) reviewed