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SC-34(1) SC · System and Communications Protection

No Writable Storage

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0 Overlays 2 Related Controls
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Requirements NIST SOURCE

Employ [system components] with no writeable storage that is persistent across component restart or power on/off.

Discussion (NIST Supplemental Guidance)

Disallowing writeable storage eliminates the possibility of malicious code insertion via persistent, writeable storage within the designated system components. The restriction applies to fixed and removable storage, with the latter being addressed either directly or as specific restrictions imposed through access controls for mobile devices.

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 SC-34(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

NIST SP 800-53A REV 5.2.0

Assessment Objectives

  1. system components to be employed with no writeable storage are defined;
  2. <SC-34(01)_ODP system components> are employed with no writeable storage that is persistent across component restart or power on/off.

Examine

[SELECT FROM: System and communications protection policy; procedures addressing non-modifiable executable programs; system design documentation; system configuration settings and associated documentation; system architecture; list of system components to be employed without writeable storage capabilities; 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 installing, configuring, and/or maintaining the system; system developers/integrators].

Test

[SELECT FROM: Mechanisms supporting and/or implementing the employment of components with no writeable storage; mechanisms supporting and/or implementing persistent non-writeable storage across component restart and power on/off].

STIGs & CCIs

No STIG checks or CCI mappings are currently loaded for SC-34(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

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 communications protection policy
  • system security plan

Configuration

  • system design documentation
  • system configuration settings and associated documentation
  • system architecture

Testing

  • Mechanisms supporting and/or implementing the employment of components with no writeable storage
  • mechanisms supporting and/or implementing persistent non-writeable storage across component restart and power on/off

Other Records

  • procedures addressing non-modifiable executable programs
  • list of system components to be employed without writeable storage capabilities
  • system audit records
  • other relevant documents or records