SI-19(5)_statistical-disclosure-control

SI-19(5) Statistical Disclosure Control

Enhancement of: SI-19

High-Level Description

Family: System and Information Integrity (SI) Framework: NIST SP 800-53 Rev 5

Many types of statistical analyses can result in the disclosure of information about individuals even if only summary information is provided. For example, if a school that publishes a monthly table with the number of minority students enrolled, reports that it has 10-19 such students in January, and subsequently reports that it has 20-29 such students in March, then it can be inferred that the student who enrolled in February was a minority.

What to Check

• Verify SI-19(5) Statistical Disclosure Control is documented in SSP
• Confirm control is operating effectively
• Review evidence of continuous monitoring for SI-19(5)
• Verify enhancement builds upon base control SI-19

How to Test

Step 1: Review Documentation

Examine the System Security Plan (SSP) and related artifacts for SI-19(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

Manipulate numerical data, contingency tables, and statistical findings so that no individual or organization is identifiable in the results of the analysis.

Implementation Guidance

Many types of statistical analyses can result in the disclosure of information about individuals even if only summary information is provided. For example, if a school that publishes a monthly table with the number of minority students enrolled, reports that it has 10-19 such students in January, and subsequently reports that it has 20-29 such students in March, then it can be inferred that the student who enrolled in February was a minority.

Risk Assessment

CWE Categories

References

• NIST SP 800-53 Rev 5 - SI-19(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