Test Covert Channels for Exploitability
LOW MODERATE HIGHRequirements NIST SOURCE
Test a subset of the identified covert channels to determine the channels that are exploitable.
Discussion (NIST Supplemental Guidance)
None.
Implementation Guidance
Original engineering commentary written for this explorer — not NIST source text and not authoritative guidance.
No engineering interpretation has been authored for SC-31(1) 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
- a subset of the identified covert channels is tested to determine the channels that are exploitable.
Examine
[SELECT FROM: System and communications protection policy; procedures addressing covert channel analysis; system design documentation; system configuration settings and associated documentation; list of covert channels; covert channel analysis documentation; system audit records; system security plan; other relevant documents or records].
Interview
[SELECT FROM: System/network administrators; organizational personnel with information security responsibilities; organizational personnel with covert channel analysis responsibilities].
Test
[SELECT FROM: Organizational process for testing covert channels; mechanisms supporting and/or implementing the testing of covert channel analysis].
STIGs & CCIs
No STIG checks or CCI mappings are currently loaded for SC-31(1). 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 communications protection policy
- system security plan
Configuration
- system design documentation
- system configuration settings and associated documentation
Testing
- Organizational process for testing covert channels
- mechanisms supporting and/or implementing the testing of covert channel analysis
Other Records
- procedures addressing covert channel analysis
- list of covert channels
- covert channel analysis documentation
- system audit records
- other relevant documents or records