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IA-5(18) IA · Identification and Authentication

Password Managers

LOW MODERATE HIGH
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Requirements NIST SOURCE

Discussion (NIST Supplemental Guidance)

For systems where static passwords are employed, it is often a challenge to ensure that the passwords are suitably complex and that the same passwords are not employed on multiple systems. A password manager is a solution to this problem as it automatically generates and stores strong and different passwords for various accounts. A potential risk of using password managers is that adversaries can target the collection of passwords generated by the password manager. Therefore, the collection of passwords requires protection including encrypting the passwords (see IA-5(1)(d) ) and storing the collection offline in a token.

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-5(18) 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. password managers employed for generating and managing passwords are defined;
  2. controls for protecting passwords are defined;
  3. <IA-05(18)_ODP[01] password managers> are employed to generate and manage passwords;
  4. the passwords are protected using <IA-05(18)_ODP[02] controls>.

Examine

[SELECT FROM: Identification and authentication policy; procedures addressing identifier management; system security plan; system design documentation; mechanisms providing dynamic binding of identifiers and authenticators; system configuration settings and associated documentation; system audit records; other relevant documents or records].

Interview

[SELECT FROM: Organizational personnel with identification and authentication management responsibilities; organizational personnel with information security responsibilities; system/network administrators].

Test

[SELECT FROM: Mechanisms supporting and/or implementing account management capability; mechanisms supporting and/or implementing identification and authentication management capabilities for the system].

Overlays

Showing the OT/ICS overlay for the parent control IA-5 — see the IA-5(18) 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)
  • Included: (1)

MODERATE

  • Base control: Included (matches standard baseline)
  • Included: (1) (2) (6)

HIGH

  • Base control: Included (matches standard baseline)
  • Included: (1) (2) (6)

STIGs & CCIs

No STIG checks or CCI mappings are currently loaded for IA-5(18). 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 account management capability
  • mechanisms supporting and/or implementing identification and authentication management capabilities for the system

Other Records

  • procedures addressing identifier management
  • mechanisms providing dynamic binding of identifiers and authenticators
  • system audit records
  • other relevant documents or records