Predicate Permission
LOW MODERATE HIGHRequirements NIST SOURCE
Implement the security design principle of predicate permission in [systems or system components].
Discussion (NIST Supplemental Guidance)
The principle of predicate permission states that system designers consider requiring multiple authorized entities to provide consent before a highly critical operation or access to highly sensitive data, information, or resources is allowed to proceed. SALTZER75 originally named predicate permission the separation of privilege. It is also equivalent to separation of duty. The division of privilege among multiple parties decreases the likelihood of abuse and provides the safeguard that no single accident, deception, or breach of trust is sufficient to enable an unrecoverable action that can lead to significantly damaging effects. The design options for such a mechanism may require simultaneous action (e.g., the firing of a nuclear weapon requires two different authorized individuals to give the correct command within a small time window) or a sequence of operations where each successive action is enabled by some prior action, but no single individual is able to enable more than one action.
Implementation Guidance
Original engineering commentary written for this explorer — not NIST source text and not authoritative guidance.
No engineering interpretation has been authored for SA-8(15) 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
Assessment Objectives
- systems or system components that implement the security design principle of predicate permission are defined;
- <SA-08(15)_ODP systems or system components> implement the security design principle of predicate permission.
Examine
[SELECT FROM: System and services acquisition policy; procedures addressing the security design principle of predicate permission used in the specification, design, development, implementation, and modification of the system; system design documentation; security and privacy requirements and specifications for the system; system security and privacy architecture; system security plan; other relevant documents or records].
Interview
[SELECT FROM: Organizational personnel with the responsibility for determining system security and privacy requirements; organizational personnel with system specification, design, development, implementation, and modification responsibilities; system developers; organizational personnel with information security responsibilities].
Test
[SELECT FROM: Organizational processes for applying the security design principle of predicate permission in system specification, design, development, implementation, and modification; mechanisms supporting the application of the security design principle of predicate permission in system specification, design, development, implementation, and modification].
Overlays
STIGs & CCIs
No STIG checks or CCI mappings are currently loaded for SA-8(15). 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
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
Configuration
- system design documentation
- system security and privacy architecture
Testing
- Organizational processes for applying the security design principle of predicate permission in system specification, design, development, implementation, and modification
- mechanisms supporting the application of the security design principle of predicate permission in system specification, design, development, implementation, and modification
Other Records
- procedures addressing the security design principle of predicate permission used in the specification, design, development, implementation, and modification of the system
- security and privacy requirements and specifications for the system
- other relevant documents or records