NIST SP 800-53 AC-6(2) Non-privileged Access for Nonsecurity Functions

Requirements NIST SOURCE

Require that users of system accounts (or roles) with access to [security functions or security-relevant information] use non-privileged accounts or roles, when accessing nonsecurity functions.

Discussion (NIST Supplemental Guidance)

Requiring the use of non-privileged accounts when accessing nonsecurity functions limits exposure when operating from within privileged accounts or roles. The inclusion of roles addresses situations where organizations implement access control policies, such as role-based access control, and where a change of role provides the same degree of assurance in the change of access authorizations for the user and the processes acting on behalf of the user as would be provided by a change between a privileged and non-privileged account.

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-6(2) 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

security functions or security-relevant information, the access to which requires users to use non-privileged accounts to access non-security functions, are defined;
users of system accounts (or roles) with access to <AC-06(02)_ODP security functions or security-relevant information> are required to use non-privileged accounts or roles when accessing non-security functions.

Examine

[SELECT FROM: Access control policy; procedures addressing least privilege; list of system-generated security functions or security-relevant information assigned to system accounts or roles; system configuration settings and associated documentation; system audit records; system security plan; other relevant documents or records].

Interview

[SELECT FROM: Organizational personnel with responsibilities for defining least privileges necessary to accomplish specified tasks; organizational personnel with information security responsibilities; system/network administrators].

Test

[SELECT FROM: Mechanisms implementing least privilege functions].

Overlays

Showing the OT/ICS overlay for the parent control AC-6 — see the AC-6(2) 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)
Included: (1) (2) (5) (7) (9) (10)

HIGH

Base control: Included (matches standard baseline)
Included: (1) (2) (3) (5) (7) (9) (10)

STIGs & CCIs

No STIG checks or CCI mappings are currently loaded for AC-6(2). 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
system security plan

Configuration

system configuration settings and associated documentation

Testing

Mechanisms implementing least privilege functions

Other Records

procedures addressing least privilege
list of system-generated security functions or security-relevant information assigned to system accounts or roles
system audit records
other relevant documents or records