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IA-4(8) IA · Identification and Authentication

Pairwise Pseudonymous Identifiers

LOW MODERATE HIGH
1 Overlay 1 Related Control
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Requirements NIST SOURCE

Generate pairwise pseudonymous identifiers.

Discussion (NIST Supplemental Guidance)

A pairwise pseudonymous identifier is an opaque unguessable subscriber identifier generated by an identity provider for use at a specific individual relying party. Generating distinct pairwise pseudonymous identifiers with no identifying information about a subscriber discourages subscriber activity tracking and profiling beyond the operational requirements established by an organization. The pairwise pseudonymous identifiers are unique to each relying party except in situations where relying parties can show a demonstrable relationship justifying an operational need for correlation, or all parties consent to being correlated in such a manner.

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 IA-4(8) 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. pairwise pseudonymous identifiers are generated.

Examine

[SELECT FROM: Identification and authentication policy; system security plan; procedures addressing identifier management; procedures addressing account management; system design documentation; system configuration settings and associated documentation; system audit records; other relevant documents or records].

Interview

[SELECT FROM: Organizational personnel with identifier management responsibilities; organizational personnel with information security responsibilities].

Test

[SELECT FROM: Mechanisms supporting and/or implementing identifier management].

Overlays

Showing the OT/ICS overlay for the parent control IA-4 — see the IA-4(8) 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)

MODERATE

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

HIGH

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

STIGs & CCIs

No STIG checks or CCI mappings are currently loaded for IA-4(8). 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

  • Identification and authentication policy
  • system security plan

Configuration

  • system design documentation
  • system configuration settings and associated documentation

Testing

  • Mechanisms supporting and/or implementing identifier management

Other Records

  • procedures addressing identifier management
  • procedures addressing account management
  • system audit records
  • other relevant documents or records