Structure for Testing

LOW MODERATE HIGH

1 Overlay 2 Related Controls

Requirements NIST SOURCE

Require the developer of the system, system component, or system service to structure security-relevant hardware, software, and firmware to facilitate testing.

Discussion (NIST Supplemental Guidance)

Applying the security design principles in SP 800-160-1 promotes complete, consistent, and comprehensive testing and evaluation of systems, system components, and services. The thoroughness of such testing contributes to the evidence produced to generate an effective assurance case or argument as to the trustworthiness of the system, system component, or service.

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-17(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

the developer of the system, system component, or system service is required to structure security-relevant hardware, software, and firmware to facilitate testing.

Examine

[SELECT FROM: System and services acquisition policy; enterprise architecture policy; procedures addressing developer security architecture and design specifications for the system; solicitation documentation; acquisition documentation; service level agreements; acquisition contracts for the system, system component, or system service; system design documentation; system security architecture documentation; privacy architecture documentation; system configuration settings and associated documentation; developer documentation describing the design and structure of security-relevant hardware, software, and firmware components to facilitate testing; system security plan; privacy plan; other relevant documents or records].

Interview

[SELECT FROM: Organizational personnel with system and service acquisition responsibilities; organizational personnel with information security and privacy responsibilities; system developer; organizational personnel with information security and privacy architecture and design responsibilities].

Overlays

Showing the OT/ICS overlay for the parent control SA-17 — see the SA-17(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

Not applicable at this tier.

MODERATE

Not applicable at this tier.

HIGH

Base control: Included (matches standard baseline)

STIGs & CCIs

No STIG checks or CCI mappings are currently loaded for SA-17(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

System and services acquisition policy
system security plan
privacy plan

Configuration

enterprise architecture policy
procedures addressing developer security architecture and design specifications for the system
system design documentation
system security architecture documentation
privacy architecture documentation
system configuration settings and associated documentation

Other Records

solicitation documentation
acquisition documentation
service level agreements
acquisition contracts for the system, system component, or system service
developer documentation describing the design and structure of security-relevant hardware, software, and firmware components to facilitate testing
other relevant documents or records