SC-12(6)_physical-control-of-keys

SC-12(6) Physical Control of Keys

Enhancement of: SC-12

High-Level Description

Family: System and Communications Protection (SC) Framework: NIST SP 800-53 Rev 5

For organizations that use external service providers (e.g., cloud service or data center providers), physical control of cryptographic keys provides additional assurance that information stored by such external providers is not subject to unauthorized disclosure or modification.

What to Check

• Verify SC-12(6) Physical Control of Keys is documented in SSP
• Confirm control is operating effectively
• Review evidence of continuous monitoring for SC-12(6)
• Verify enhancement builds upon base control SC-12

How to Test

Step 1: Review Documentation

Examine the System Security Plan (SSP) and related artifacts for SC-12(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

Maintain physical control of cryptographic keys when stored information is encrypted by external service providers.

Implementation Guidance

For organizations that use external service providers (e.g., cloud service or data center providers), physical control of cryptographic keys provides additional assurance that information stored by such external providers is not subject to unauthorized disclosure or modification.

Risk Assessment

CWE Categories

References

• NIST SP 800-53 Rev 5 - SC-12(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 (none) reviewed