NIST SP 800-53 Rev. 5 Common Control Library

NIST control statement

Uniquely identify and authenticate organizational users and associate that unique identification with processes acting on behalf of those users.

Discussion

Organizations can satisfy the identification and authentication requirements by complying with the requirements in [HSPD 12](#f16e438e-7114-4144-bfe2-2dfcad8cb2d0) . Organizational users include employees or individuals who organizations consider to have an equivalent status to employees (e.g., contractors and guest researchers). Unique identification and authentication of users applies to all accesses other than those that are explicitly identified in [AC-14](#ac-14) and that occur through the authorized use of group authenticators without individual authentication. Since processes execute on behalf of groups and roles, organizations may require unique identification of individuals in group accounts or for detailed accountability of individual activity. Organizations employ passwords, physical authenticators, or biometrics to authenticate user identities or, in the case of multi-factor authentication, some combination thereof. Access to organizational systems is defined as either local access or network access. Local access is any access to organizational systems by users or processes acting on behalf of users, where access is obtained through direct connections without the use of networks. Network access is access to organizational systems by users (or processes acting on behalf of users) where access is obtained through network connections (i.e., nonlocal accesses). Remote access is a type of network access that involves communication through external networks. Internal networks include local area networks and wide area networks. The use of encrypted virtual private networks for network connections between organization-controlled endpoints and non-organization-controlled endpoints may be treated as internal networks with respect to protecting the confidentiality and integrity of information traversing the network. Identification and authentication requirements for non-organizational users are described in [IA-8](#ia-8).

NIST control statement

Maintain the attributes for each uniquely identified individual, device, or service in [Assignment: protected central storage].

Discussion

For each of the entities covered in [IA-2](#ia-2), [IA-3](#ia-3), [IA-8](#ia-8) , and [IA-9](#ia-9) , it is important to maintain the attributes for each authenticated entity on an ongoing basis in a central (protected) store.

NIST control statement

Uniquely identify and authenticate non-organizational users or processes acting on behalf of non-organizational users.

Discussion

Non-organizational users include system users other than organizational users explicitly covered by [IA-2](#ia-2) . Non-organizational users are uniquely identified and authenticated for accesses other than those explicitly identified and documented in [AC-14](#ac-14) . Identification and authentication of non-organizational users accessing federal systems may be required to protect federal, proprietary, or privacy-related information (with exceptions noted for national security systems). Organizations consider many factors—including security, privacy, scalability, and practicality—when balancing the need to ensure ease of use for access to federal information and systems with the need to protect and adequately mitigate risk.

NIST control statement

Accept and electronically verify Personal Identity Verification-compliant credentials from other federal agencies.

Discussion

Acceptance of Personal Identity Verification (PIV) credentials from other federal agencies applies to both logical and physical access control systems. PIV credentials are those credentials issued by federal agencies that conform to FIPS Publication 201 and supporting guidelines. The adequacy and reliability of PIV card issuers are addressed and authorized using [SP 800-79-2](#10963761-58fc-4b20-b3d6-b44a54daba03).

NIST control statement

(a) Accept only external authenticators that are NIST-compliant; and (b) Document and maintain a list of accepted external authenticators.

Discussion

Acceptance of only NIST-compliant external authenticators applies to organizational systems that are accessible to the public (e.g., public-facing websites). External authenticators are issued by nonfederal government entities and are compliant with [SP 800-63B](#e59c5a7c-8b1f-49ca-8de0-6ee0882180ce) . Approved external authenticators meet or exceed the minimum Federal Government-wide technical, security, privacy, and organizational maturity requirements. Meeting or exceeding Federal requirements allows Federal Government relying parties to trust external authenticators in connection with an authentication transaction at a specified authenticator assurance level.

NIST control statement

Withdrawn in this source release; review the official source for disposition.

NIST control statement

Conform to the following profiles for identity management [Assignment: identity management profiles].

Discussion

Organizations define profiles for identity management based on open identity management standards. To ensure that open identity management standards are viable, robust, reliable, sustainable, and interoperable as documented, the Federal Government assesses and scopes the standards and technology implementations against applicable laws, executive orders, directives, policies, regulations, standards, and guidelines.

NIST control statement

Accept and verify federated or PKI credentials that meet [Assignment: policy].

Discussion

Acceptance of PIV-I credentials can be implemented by PIV, PIV-I, and other commercial or external identity providers. The acceptance and verification of PIV-I-compliant credentials apply to both logical and physical access control systems. The acceptance and verification of PIV-I credentials address nonfederal issuers of identity cards that desire to interoperate with United States Government PIV systems and that can be trusted by Federal Government-relying parties. The X.509 certificate policy for the Federal Bridge Certification Authority (FBCA) addresses PIV-I requirements. The PIV-I card is commensurate with the PIV credentials as defined in cited references. PIV-I credentials are the credentials issued by a PIV-I provider whose PIV-I certificate policy maps to the Federal Bridge PIV-I Certificate Policy. A PIV-I provider is cross-certified with the FBCA (directly or through another PKI bridge) with policies that have been mapped and approved as meeting the requirements of the PIV-I policies defined in the FBCA certificate policy.

NIST control statement

Implement the following measures to disassociate user attributes or identifier assertion relationships among individuals, credential service providers, and relying parties: [Assignment: measures].

Discussion

Federated identity solutions can create increased privacy risks due to the tracking and profiling of individuals. Using identifier mapping tables or cryptographic techniques to blind credential service providers and relying parties from each other or to make identity attributes less visible to transmitting parties can reduce these privacy risks.