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AC-17(4) AC · Access Control

Privileged Commands and Access

LOW ✓ MODERATE ✓ HIGH
1 Overlay 3 Related Controls
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Requirements NIST SOURCE

Discussion (NIST Supplemental Guidance)

Remote access to systems represents a significant potential vulnerability that can be exploited by adversaries. As such, restricting the execution of privileged commands and access to security-relevant information via remote access reduces the exposure of the organization and the susceptibility to threats by adversaries to the remote access capability.

Implementation Guidance

Engineering Interpretation

Original engineering commentary written for this explorer — not NIST source text and not authoritative guidance.

No engineering interpretation has been authored for AC-17(4) yet. This section is architected to receive it — see the Requirements and Assessment sections above for the authoritative NIST source content in the meantime.

Assessment

NIST SP 800-53A REV 5.2.0

Assessment Objectives

  1. needs requiring execution of privileged commands via remote access are defined;
  2. needs requiring access to security-relevant information via remote access are defined;
  3. the execution of privileged commands via remote access is authorized only in a format that provides assessable evidence;
  4. access to security-relevant information via remote access is authorized only in a format that provides assessable evidence;
  5. the execution of privileged commands via remote access is authorized only for the following needs: <AC-17(04)_ODP[01] needs requiring remote access>;
  6. access to security-relevant information via remote access is authorized only for the following needs: <AC-17(04)_ODP[02] needs requiring remote access>;
  7. the rationale for remote access is documented in the security plan for the system.

Examine

[SELECT FROM: Access control policy; procedures addressing remote access to the system; system configuration settings and associated documentation; security plan; system audit records; system security plan; other relevant documents or records].

Interview

[SELECT FROM: System/network administrators; organizational personnel with information security responsibilities].

Test

[SELECT FROM: Mechanisms implementing remote access management].

Overlays

Showing the OT/ICS overlay for the parent control AC-17 — see the AC-17(4) entries within each baseline below.

OT/ICS Overlay SP 800-82r3

NIST SP 800-82r3 Appendix F, Table 22. Blank baseline means the control/control enhancement is not selected in that initial OT baseline.

LOW

  • Base control: Included (matches standard baseline)
  • Added: (9)

MODERATE

  • Base control: Included (matches standard baseline)
  • Included: (1) (2) (3) (4)
  • Added: (9) (10)

HIGH

  • Base control: Included (matches standard baseline)
  • Included: (1) (2) (3) (4)
  • Added: (9) (10)

STIGs & CCIs

No STIG checks or CCI mappings are currently loaded for AC-17(4). This section is architected to display, per product: STIG ID, Finding ID, Severity, Title, Description, Check, Fix, CCI, and NIST control mapping — but nothing is populated here until a real DISA STIG/CCI dataset is ingested.

Learn more about STIG/CCI integration →

Evidence

Potential Evidence — Derived

Categorized from the SP 800-53A "Examine"/"Test" artifact list above by keyword — not an authoritative NIST evidence list.

Policy

  • Access control policy
  • security plan
  • system security plan

Configuration

  • system configuration settings and associated documentation

Testing

  • Mechanisms implementing remote access management

Other Records

  • procedures addressing remote access to the system
  • system audit records
  • other relevant documents or records