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IA-5(6) IA · Identification and Authentication

Protection of Authenticators

LOW ✓ MODERATE ✓ HIGH
1 Overlay 1 Related Control
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Requirements NIST SOURCE

Protect authenticators commensurate with the security category of the information to which use of the authenticator permits access.

Discussion (NIST Supplemental Guidance)

For systems that contain multiple security categories of information without reliable physical or logical separation between categories, authenticators used to grant access to the systems are protected commensurate with the highest security category of information on the systems. Security categories of information are determined as part of the security categorization process.

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(6) 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. authenticators are protected commensurate with the security category of the information to which use of the authenticator permits access.

Examine

[SELECT FROM: Identification and authentication policy; procedures addressing authenticator management; security categorization documentation for the system; security assessments of authenticator protections; risk assessment results; system security plan; other relevant documents or records].

Interview

[SELECT FROM: Organizational personnel with authenticator management responsibilities; organizational personnel implementing and/or maintaining authenticator protections; organizational personnel with information security responsibilities; system/network administrators].

Test

[SELECT FROM: Mechanisms supporting and/or implementing authenticator management capability; mechanisms protecting authenticators].

Overlays

Showing the OT/ICS overlay for the parent control IA-5 — see the IA-5(6) 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(6). 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

Testing

  • Mechanisms supporting and/or implementing authenticator management capability
  • mechanisms protecting authenticators

Other Records

  • procedures addressing authenticator management
  • security categorization documentation for the system
  • security assessments of authenticator protections
  • risk assessment results
  • other relevant documents or records