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SA-11(5) SA · System and Services Acquisition

Penetration Testing

LOW MODERATE HIGH
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Requirements NIST SOURCE

Require the developer of the system, system component, or system service to perform penetration testing:

Discussion (NIST Supplemental Guidance)

Penetration testing is an assessment methodology in which assessors, using all available information technology product or system documentation and working under specific constraints, attempt to circumvent the implemented security and privacy features of information technology products and systems. Useful information for assessors who conduct penetration testing includes product and system design specifications, source code, and administrator and operator manuals. Penetration testing can include white-box, gray-box, or black-box testing with analyses performed by skilled professionals who simulate adversary actions. The objective of penetration testing is to discover vulnerabilities in systems, system components, and services that result from implementation errors, configuration faults, or other operational weaknesses or deficiencies. Penetration tests can be performed in conjunction with automated and manual code reviews to provide a greater level of analysis than would ordinarily be possible. When user session information and other personally identifiable information is captured or recorded during penetration testing, such information is handled appropriately to protect privacy.

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 SA-11(5) 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. the breadth of penetration testing is defined;
  2. the depth of penetration testing is defined;
  3. constraints of penetration testing are defined;
  4. the developer of the system, system component, or system service is required to perform penetration testing at the following level of rigor: <SA-11(05)_ODP[01] breadth>;
  5. the developer of the system, system component, or system service is required to perform penetration testing at the following level of rigor: <SA-11(05)_ODP[02] depth>;
  6. the developer of the system, system component, or system service is required to perform penetration testing under <SA-11(05)_ODP[03] constraints>.

Examine

[SELECT FROM: System and services acquisition policy; system and services acquisition procedures; procedures addressing system developer security testing; solicitation documentation; acquisition documentation; service level agreements; acquisition contracts for the system, system component, or system service; system developer penetration testing and evaluation plans; system developer penetration testing and evaluation results; system security plan; privacy plan; personally identifiable information processing policy; other relevant documents or records].

Interview

[SELECT FROM: Organizational personnel with system and service acquisition responsibilities; organizational personnel with information security and privacy responsibilities; organizational personnel with developer security testing responsibilities; system developers; independent verification agent].

Test

[SELECT FROM: Organizational processes for monitoring developer security and privacy assessments; mechanisms supporting and/or implementing the monitoring of developer security and privacy assessments].

Overlays

Showing the OT/ICS overlay for the parent control SA-11 — see the SA-11(5) 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)

HIGH

  • Base control: Included (matches standard baseline)

STIGs & CCIs

No STIG checks or CCI mappings are currently loaded for SA-11(5). 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

  • System and services acquisition policy
  • system security plan
  • privacy plan
  • personally identifiable information processing policy

Testing

  • Organizational processes for monitoring developer security and privacy assessments
  • mechanisms supporting and/or implementing the monitoring of developer security and privacy assessments

Other Records

  • system and services acquisition procedures
  • procedures addressing system developer security testing
  • solicitation documentation
  • acquisition documentation
  • service level agreements
  • acquisition contracts for the system, system component, or system service
  • system developer penetration testing and evaluation plans
  • system developer penetration testing and evaluation results
  • other relevant documents or records