← SC-7
SC-7(14) SC · System and Communications Protection

Protect Against Unauthorized Physical Connections

LOW MODERATE HIGH
1 Overlay 2 Related Controls
Graph
Export ▾

Requirements NIST SOURCE

Protect against unauthorized physical connections at [managed interfaces].

Discussion (NIST Supplemental Guidance)

Systems that operate at different security categories or classification levels may share common physical and environmental controls, since the systems may share space within the same facilities. In practice, it is possible that these separate systems may share common equipment rooms, wiring closets, and cable distribution paths. Protection against unauthorized physical connections can be achieved by using clearly identified and physically separated cable trays, connection frames, and patch panels for each side of managed interfaces with physical access controls that enforce limited authorized access to these items.

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-7(14) 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. managed interfaces to be protected against unauthorized physical connections are defined;
  2. <SC-07(14)_ODP managed interfaces> are protected against unauthorized physical connections.

Examine

[SELECT FROM: System and communications protection policy; procedures addressing boundary protection; system design documentation; system hardware and software; system architecture; system configuration settings and associated documentation; facility communications and wiring diagram system security plan; other relevant documents or records].

Interview

[SELECT FROM: System/network administrators; organizational personnel with information security responsibilities; organizational personnel with boundary protection responsibilities].

Test

[SELECT FROM: Mechanisms supporting and/or implementing protection against unauthorized physical connections].

Overlays

Showing the OT/ICS overlay for the parent control SC-7 — see the SC-7(14) 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

  • Base control: Included (matches standard baseline)
  • Added: (28) (29)

MODERATE

  • Base control: Included (matches standard baseline)
  • Included: (3) (4) (5) (7) (8)
  • Added: (18) (28) (29)

HIGH

  • Base control: Included (matches standard baseline)
  • Included: (3) (4) (5) (7) (8) (18) (21)
  • Added: (28) (29)

STIGs & CCIs

No STIG checks or CCI mappings are currently loaded for SC-7(14). 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
  • facility communications and wiring diagram system security plan

Configuration

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

Testing

  • Mechanisms supporting and/or implementing protection against unauthorized physical connections

Other Records

  • procedures addressing boundary protection
  • system hardware and software
  • other relevant documents or records