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MA-4(6) MA · Maintenance

Cryptographic Protection

LOW MODERATE HIGH
1 Overlay 3 Related Controls
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Requirements NIST SOURCE

Implement the following cryptographic mechanisms to protect the integrity and confidentiality of nonlocal maintenance and diagnostic communications: [cryptographic mechanisms].

Discussion (NIST Supplemental Guidance)

Failure to protect nonlocal maintenance and diagnostic communications can result in unauthorized individuals gaining access to organizational information. Unauthorized access during remote maintenance sessions can result in a variety of hostile actions, including malicious code insertion, unauthorized changes to system parameters, and exfiltration of organizational information. Such actions can result in the loss or degradation of mission or business capabilities.

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 MA-4(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. cryptographic mechanisms to be implemented to protect the integrity and confidentiality of nonlocal maintenance and diagnostic communications are defined;
  2. <MA-04(06)_ODP cryptographic mechanisms> are implemented to protect the integrity of nonlocal maintenance and diagnostic communications;
  3. <MA-04(06)_ODP cryptographic mechanisms> are implemented to protect the confidentiality of nonlocal maintenance and diagnostic communications.

Examine

[SELECT FROM: Maintenance policy; procedures addressing nonlocal system maintenance; system design documentation; system configuration settings and associated documentation; cryptographic mechanisms protecting nonlocal maintenance activities; maintenance records; diagnostic records; audit records; system security plan; other relevant documents or records].

Interview

[SELECT FROM: Organizational personnel with system maintenance responsibilities; network engineers; organizational personnel with information security responsibilities; system/network administrators].

Test

[SELECT FROM: Cryptographic mechanisms protecting nonlocal maintenance and diagnostic communications].

Overlays

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

MODERATE

  • Base control: Included (matches standard baseline)
  • Added: (1)

HIGH

  • Base control: Included (matches standard baseline)
  • Included: (3)
  • Added: (1)

STIGs & CCIs

No STIG checks or CCI mappings are currently loaded for MA-4(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

  • Maintenance policy
  • system security plan

Configuration

  • system design documentation
  • system configuration settings and associated documentation

Testing

  • Cryptographic mechanisms protecting nonlocal maintenance and diagnostic communications

Other Records

  • procedures addressing nonlocal system maintenance
  • cryptographic mechanisms protecting nonlocal maintenance activities
  • maintenance records
  • diagnostic records
  • audit records
  • other relevant documents or records