Prevent Discovery of System Components
LOW MODERATE HIGHRequirements NIST SOURCE
Prevent the discovery of specific system components that represent a managed interface.
Discussion (NIST Supplemental Guidance)
Preventing the discovery of system components representing a managed interface helps protect network addresses of those components from discovery through common tools and techniques used to identify devices on networks. Network addresses are not available for discovery and require prior knowledge for access. Preventing the discovery of components and devices can be accomplished by not publishing network addresses, using network address translation, or not entering the addresses in domain name systems. Another prevention technique is to periodically change network addresses.
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-7(16) 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
- the discovery of specific system components that represent a managed interface is prevented.
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; system audit records; system security plan; other relevant documents or records].
Interview
[SELECT FROM: System/network administrators; organizational personnel with information security responsibilities; system developer; organizational personnel with boundary protection responsibilities].
Test
[SELECT FROM: Mechanisms supporting and/or implementing the prevention of discovery of system components at managed interfaces].
Overlays
STIGs & CCIs
No STIG checks or CCI mappings are currently loaded for SC-7(16). 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 architecture
- system configuration settings and associated documentation
Testing
- Mechanisms supporting and/or implementing the prevention of discovery of system components at managed interfaces
Other Records
- procedures addressing boundary protection
- system hardware and software
- system audit records
- other relevant documents or records