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AC-4(1) AC · Access Control

Object Security and Privacy Attributes

LOW MODERATE HIGH
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Requirements NIST SOURCE

Use [organization-defined security and privacy attributes] associated with [organization-defined information, source, and destination objects] to enforce [information flow control policies] as a basis for flow control decisions.

Discussion (NIST Supplemental Guidance)

Information flow enforcement mechanisms compare security and privacy attributes associated with information (i.e., data content and structure) and source and destination objects and respond appropriately when the enforcement mechanisms encounter information flows not explicitly allowed by information flow policies. For example, an information object labeled Secret would be allowed to flow to a destination object labeled Secret, but an information object labeled Top Secret would not be allowed to flow to a destination object labeled Secret. A dataset of personally identifiable information may be tagged with restrictions against combining with other types of datasets and, thus, would not be allowed to flow to the restricted dataset. Security and privacy attributes can also include source and destination addresses employed in traffic filter firewalls. Flow enforcement using explicit security or privacy attributes can be used, for example, to control the release of certain types of information.

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-4(1) 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. security attributes to be associated with information, source, and destination objects are defined;
  2. privacy attributes to be associated with information, source, and destination objects are defined;
  3. information objects to be associated with information security attributes are defined;
  4. information objects to be associated with privacy attributes are defined;
  5. source objects to be associated with information security attributes are defined;
  6. source objects to be associated with privacy attributes are defined;
  7. destination objects to be associated with information security attributes are defined;
  8. destination objects to be associated with privacy attributes are defined;
  9. information flow control policies as a basis for enforcement of flow control decisions are defined;
  10. <AC-04(01)_ODP[01] security attributes> associated with <AC-04(01)_ODP[03] information objects>, <AC-04(01)_ODP[05] source objects> , and <AC-04(01)_ODP[07] destination objects> are used to enforce <AC-04(01)_ODP[09] information flow control policies> as a basis for flow control decisions;
  11. <AC-04(01)_ODP[02] privacy attributes> associated with <AC-04(01)_ODP[04] information objects>, <AC-04(01)_ODP[06] source objects> , and <AC-04(01)_ODP[08] destination objects> are used to enforce <AC-04(01)_ODP[09] information flow control policies> as a basis for flow control decisions.

Examine

[SELECT FROM: Access control policy; information flow control policies; procedures addressing information flow enforcement; system design documentation; system configuration settings and associated documentation; list of security and privacy attributes and associated source and destination objects; system audit records; system security plan; privacy plan; other relevant documents or records].

Interview

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

Test

[SELECT FROM: Mechanisms implementing information flow enforcement policy].

Overlays

Showing the OT/ICS overlay for the parent control AC-4 — see the AC-4(1) 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

Not applicable at this tier.

MODERATE

  • Base control: Included (matches standard baseline)

HIGH

  • Base control: Included (matches standard baseline)
  • Included: (4)

STIGs & CCIs

No STIG checks or CCI mappings are currently loaded for AC-4(1). 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
  • information flow control policies
  • system security plan
  • privacy plan

Configuration

  • system design documentation
  • system configuration settings and associated documentation

Testing

  • Mechanisms implementing information flow enforcement policy

Other Records

  • procedures addressing information flow enforcement
  • list of security and privacy attributes and associated source and destination objects
  • system audit records
  • other relevant documents or records