NIST · Shared reference library

NIST SP 800-53 Rev. 5 Common Control Library

Browse 1,193 controls and enhancements across 20 security and privacy families. Use the GovRAMP crosswalk to locate controls referenced by Security Snapshot, Core, and Moderate.

A shared catalog supports common-control planning; designation as a common, hybrid, or system-specific control depends on your organization’s implementation and inheritance decisions.

Sources and crosswalk scope

NIST OSCAL content 5.1.1+u4, retrieved 2026-09-18. GovRAMP Snapshot v1.4 and Core selection from Moderate v1.06 reference the December 2020 Rev. 5 text. Mappings establish exact identifier correspondence, not identical requirements, inherited implementation, or GovRAMP authorization. GovRAMP parameters and additional requirements remain authoritative for each program. Full Moderate, High, and other programs are not mapped here. Withdrawn controls are retained for reference.

Official pinned NIST source

SHA-256: 81cf2de45ede9aef3de7ce09d65ea9d32f662c483bbf916f6e346292b22f7763

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6 matching controls · Page 1 of 1

Access Control · Enhancement

AC-17(6) · Protection of Mechanism Information

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Control statement and discussion

NIST control statement

Protect information about remote access mechanisms from unauthorized use and disclosure.

Discussion

Remote access to organizational information by non-organizational entities can increase the risk of unauthorized use and disclosure about remote access mechanisms. The organization considers including remote access requirements in the information exchange agreements with other organizations, as applicable. Remote access requirements can also be included in rules of behavior (see [PL-4](#pl-4) ) and access agreements (see [PS-6](#ps-6)).

GovRAMP crosswalk

Not selected in the imported Snapshot or Core sets. This does not establish exclusion from other GovRAMP baselines.

Identification and Authentication · Base control

IA-5 · Authenticator Management

Control statement and discussion

NIST control statement

Manage system authenticators by: a. Verifying, as part of the initial authenticator distribution, the identity of the individual, group, role, service, or device receiving the authenticator; b. Establishing initial authenticator content for any authenticators issued by the organization; c. Ensuring that authenticators have sufficient strength of mechanism for their intended use; d. Establishing and implementing administrative procedures for initial authenticator distribution, for lost or compromised or damaged authenticators, and for revoking authenticators; e. Changing default authenticators prior to first use; f. Changing or refreshing authenticators [Assignment: time period by authenticator type] or when [Assignment: events] occur; g. Protecting authenticator content from unauthorized disclosure and modification; h. Requiring individuals to take, and having devices implement, specific controls to protect authenticators; and i. Changing authenticators for group or role accounts when membership to those accounts changes.

Discussion

Authenticators include passwords, cryptographic devices, biometrics, certificates, one-time password devices, and ID badges. Device authenticators include certificates and passwords. Initial authenticator content is the actual content of the authenticator (e.g., the initial password). In contrast, the requirements for authenticator content contain specific criteria or characteristics (e.g., minimum password length). Developers may deliver system components with factory default authentication credentials (i.e., passwords) to allow for initial installation and configuration. Default authentication credentials are often well known, easily discoverable, and present a significant risk. The requirement to protect individual authenticators may be implemented via control [PL-4](#pl-4) or [PS-6](#ps-6) for authenticators in the possession of individuals and by controls [AC-3](#ac-3), [AC-6](#ac-6) , and [SC-28](#sc-28) for authenticators stored in organizational systems, including passwords stored in hashed or encrypted formats or files containing encrypted or hashed passwords accessible with administrator privileges. Systems support authenticator management by organization-defined settings and restrictions for various authenticator characteristics (e.g., minimum password length, validation time window for time synchronous one-time tokens, and number of allowed rejections during the verification stage of biometric authentication). Actions can be taken to safeguard individual authenticators, including maintaining possession of authenticators, not sharing authenticators with others, and immediately reporting lost, stolen, or compromised authenticators. Authenticator management includes issuing and revoking authenticators for temporary access when no longer needed.

GovRAMP crosswalk

Identification and Authentication · Enhancement

IA-5(8) · Multiple System Accounts

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Control statement and discussion

NIST control statement

Implement [Assignment: security controls] to manage the risk of compromise due to individuals having accounts on multiple systems.

Discussion

When individuals have accounts on multiple systems and use the same authenticators such as passwords, there is the risk that a compromise of one account may lead to the compromise of other accounts. Alternative approaches include having different authenticators (passwords) on all systems, employing a single sign-on or federation mechanism, or using some form of one-time passwords on all systems. Organizations can also use rules of behavior (see [PL-4](#pl-4) ) and access agreements (see [PS-6](#ps-6) ) to mitigate the risk of multiple system accounts.

GovRAMP crosswalk

Not selected in the imported Snapshot or Core sets. This does not establish exclusion from other GovRAMP baselines.

Planning · Base control

PL-4 · Rules of Behavior

Control statement and discussion

NIST control statement

a. Establish and provide to individuals requiring access to the system, the rules that describe their responsibilities and expected behavior for information and system usage, security, and privacy; b. Receive a documented acknowledgment from such individuals, indicating that they have read, understand, and agree to abide by the rules of behavior, before authorizing access to information and the system; c. Review and update the rules of behavior [Assignment: frequency] ; and d. Require individuals who have acknowledged a previous version of the rules of behavior to read and re-acknowledge [Selection (one-or-more): [Assignment: frequency] ; when the rules are revised or updated].

Discussion

Rules of behavior represent a type of access agreement for organizational users. Other types of access agreements include nondisclosure agreements, conflict-of-interest agreements, and acceptable use agreements (see [PS-6](#ps-6) ). Organizations consider rules of behavior based on individual user roles and responsibilities and differentiate between rules that apply to privileged users and rules that apply to general users. Establishing rules of behavior for some types of non-organizational users, including individuals who receive information from federal systems, is often not feasible given the large number of such users and the limited nature of their interactions with the systems. Rules of behavior for organizational and non-organizational users can also be established in [AC-8](#ac-8) . The related controls section provides a list of controls that are relevant to organizational rules of behavior. [PL-4b](#pl-4_smt.b) , the documented acknowledgment portion of the control, may be satisfied by the literacy training and awareness and role-based training programs conducted by organizations if such training includes rules of behavior. Documented acknowledgements for rules of behavior include electronic or physical signatures and electronic agreement check boxes or radio buttons.

GovRAMP crosswalk

Planning · Enhancement

PL-4(1) · Social Media and External Site/Application Usage Restrictions

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Control statement and discussion

NIST control statement

Include in the rules of behavior, restrictions on: (a) Use of social media, social networking sites, and external sites/applications; (b) Posting organizational information on public websites; and (c) Use of organization-provided identifiers (e.g., email addresses) and authentication secrets (e.g., passwords) for creating accounts on external sites/applications.

Discussion

Social media, social networking, and external site/application usage restrictions address rules of behavior related to the use of social media, social networking, and external sites when organizational personnel are using such sites for official duties or in the conduct of official business, when organizational information is involved in social media and social networking transactions, and when personnel access social media and networking sites from organizational systems. Organizations also address specific rules that prevent unauthorized entities from obtaining non-public organizational information from social media and networking sites either directly or through inference. Non-public information includes personally identifiable information and system account information.

GovRAMP crosswalk

System and Information Integrity · Base control

SI-12 · Information Management and Retention

Control statement and discussion

NIST control statement

Manage and retain information within the system and information output from the system in accordance with applicable laws, executive orders, directives, regulations, policies, standards, guidelines and operational requirements.

Discussion

Information management and retention requirements cover the full life cycle of information, in some cases extending beyond system disposal. Information to be retained may also include policies, procedures, plans, reports, data output from control implementation, and other types of administrative information. The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) provides federal policy and guidance on records retention and schedules. If organizations have a records management office, consider coordinating with records management personnel. Records produced from the output of implemented controls that may require management and retention include, but are not limited to: All XX-1, [AC-6(9)](#ac-6.9), [AT-4](#at-4), [AU-12](#au-12), [CA-2](#ca-2), [CA-3](#ca-3), [CA-5](#ca-5), [CA-6](#ca-6), [CA-7](#ca-7), [CA-8](#ca-8), [CA-9](#ca-9), [CM-2](#cm-2), [CM-3](#cm-3), [CM-4](#cm-4), [CM-6](#cm-6), [CM-8](#cm-8), [CM-9](#cm-9), [CM-12](#cm-12), [CM-13](#cm-13), [CP-2](#cp-2), [IR-6](#ir-6), [IR-8](#ir-8), [MA-2](#ma-2), [MA-4](#ma-4), [PE-2](#pe-2), [PE-8](#pe-8), [PE-16](#pe-16), [PE-17](#pe-17), [PL-2](#pl-2), [PL-4](#pl-4), [PL-7](#pl-7), [PL-8](#pl-8), [PM-5](#pm-5), [PM-8](#pm-8), [PM-9](#pm-9), [PM-18](#pm-18), [PM-21](#pm-21), [PM-27](#pm-27), [PM-28](#pm-28), [PM-30](#pm-30), [PM-31](#pm-31), [PS-2](#ps-2), [PS-6](#ps-6), [PS-7](#ps-7), [PT-2](#pt-2), [PT-3](#pt-3), [PT-7](#pt-7), [RA-2](#ra-2), [RA-3](#ra-3), [RA-5](#ra-5), [RA-8](#ra-8), [SA-4](#sa-4), [SA-5](#sa-5), [SA-8](#sa-8), [SA-10](#sa-10), [SI-4](#si-4), [SR-2](#sr-2), [SR-4](#sr-4), [SR-8](#sr-8).

GovRAMP crosswalk