NIST 800-53 IA-5

Authenticator Management

Return to master list of NIST 800-53 controls.


Automated Inspection items for NIST SP 800-53 IA-5 assessment.

Automated Inspection items are efficient enough that they can usually be part of a CA-7 Continuous Monitoring program on a daily (or in some cases hourly) basis, simultaneously meeting the requirements of RA-5 Vulnerability Scanning. While NIST 800-53 allows Continuous Monitoring results to be used for CA-2 Security Assessments and CA-4 Security Certification, a separate run using the same automated Inspection items in combination with more laborious items for CA-2 and CA-4 adds no significant burden.

Depending on FIPS 199 impact level and whether the Industrial Control Systems (ICS/SCADA) subset of 800-53 is chosen,  LJK/Security™ starter templates provide automated Inspection items as follows:

NIST SP 800-53 R2 IA-5
Description  Automated Tests
Administrators shall make all password changes pre-expired.
(USAGE,EVADEPWD,PREEXPIRED)
Each Username shall allow for user password changes.
(UAF,LOCKPWD,PROHIBITED)
(UAF,LOCKPWD,REQUIRED)
Each Username shall have a password lifetime no longer than 90 days.
(UAF,PWDLIFE,ABSOLUTHI)
Each Username shall have a password minimum length no shorter than 8.
(UAF,PWDMINLEN,ABSOLUTLO)
Each Username shall use the best practice password encryption PURDY_S.
(UAF,PWDENCRYPT,NEW)
(UAF,PWDENCRYPT,OLD)
No Privileged user shall bypass Password Dictionary testing.
(USAGE,EVADEPWD,DICTIONARY)
No Privileged user shall bypass Password History processing.
(USAGE,EVADEPWD,HISTORY)
No Username shall have Password Dictionary testing disabled.
(UAF,DISPWDDIC,PROHIBITED)
(UAF,DISPWDDIC,REQUIRED)
No Username shall have Password History processing disabled.
(UAF,DISPWDHIS,PROHIBITED)
(UAF,DISPWDHIS,REQUIRED)
No Username shall have an expired password for more than 2 weeks.
(UAF,PWDEXPIRED,NOTICED)
(UAF,PWDEXPIRED,NOTNOTICED)
No Username shall have forced password changes disabled.
(UAF,DISPWDFCHG,PROHIBITED)
(UAF,DISPWDFCHG,REQUIRED)
No unauthorized authentication software is installed.
(VMS,ACMEORLGI,NOMORETHAN)
Required authentication software is installed.
(VMS,ACMEORLGI,MUSTHAVE)
System logical name SYS$PASSWORD_HISTORY_LIFETIME establishes a lifetime of at least 547 days.
(VMS,PWDHISTORY,MAXLIFE)
(VMS,PWDHISTORY,MINLIFE)
System logical name SYS$PASSWORD_HISTORY_LIMIT does not lower the default VMS history limit.
(VMS,PWDHISTORY,MAXLIMIT)
(VMS,PWDHISTORY,MINLIMIT)
System parameter SECURITY_POLICY has the DOI_AUTHORIZATION_ONLY bit cleared.
(VMS,SECPOLICY,PROHIBITED)
(VMS,SECPOLICY,REQUIRED)
Usernames are subjected to password guessing.
(UAF,PWDGUESS,TRIES)

Manual Inspection items for NIST SP 800-53 IA-5 assessment.

Manual Inspection items are useful mainly for CA-2 Security Assessments and CA-4 Security Certification. For most environments they are too laborious to include in CA-7 Continuous Monitoring.

Depending on FIPS 199 impact level and whether the Industrial Control Systems (ICS/SCADA) subset of 800-53 is chosen,  LJK/Security™ starter templates provide Manual Inspection items in the following groups:

Determination Statement Number Group Names
NIST SP 800-53 R2 IA-5
ASSESSMENT
POLICY

Manual Invasive Testing items for NIST SP 800-53 IA-5 assessment.

Manual Invasive Testing items are useful mainly for CA-2 Security Assessments and CA-4 Security Certification. For most environments they are too laborious to include in CA-7 Continuous Monitoring. The level of effort required and the degree of invasiveness are so high (in most cases making up for lack of Common Criteria evaluation) that arrangement as a Common Control is almost always a requirement for execution.

Depending on FIPS 199 impact level and whether the Industrial Control Systems (ICS/SCADA) subset of 800-53 is chosen,  LJK/Security™ starter templates provide Manual Invasive Testing items in the following groups:

Determination Statement Number Group Names
NIST SP 800-53 R2 IA-5
TEST_VMS_ACME

Descriptions above apply to  LJK/Security™ Version 3.0.

The notation NIST SP 800-53 above refers in particular to NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 2.

Those NIST Special Publications specify security standards in support of FISMA for US Federal Government civil activities.

Return to master list of NIST 800-53 controls.


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