_nist/sp-800-53/ma/ma-04 · always-coding.co.uk

id: "MA-04" title: "Nonlocal Maintenance" family: "MA" family_name: "Maintenance" sort_id: "ma-04" priority: "P2" implementation_level: "organization" enhancements: - ma-4.1 - ma-4.2 - ma-4.3 - ma-4.4 - ma-4.5 - ma-4.6 - ma-4.7

Approve and monitor nonlocal maintenance and diagnostic activities;

Allow the use of nonlocal maintenance and diagnostic tools only as consistent with organizational policy and documented in the security plan for the system;

Employ strong authentication in the establishment of nonlocal maintenance and diagnostic sessions;

Maintain records for nonlocal maintenance and diagnostic activities; and

Terminate session and network connections when nonlocal maintenance is completed.

Guidance

Nonlocal maintenance and diagnostic activities are conducted by individuals who communicate through either an external or internal network. Local maintenance and diagnostic activities are carried out by individuals who are physically present at the system location and not communicating across a network connection. Authentication techniques used to establish nonlocal maintenance and diagnostic sessions reflect the network access requirements in IA-2 . Strong authentication requires authenticators that are resistant to replay attacks and employ multi-factor authentication. Strong authenticators include PKI where certificates are stored on a token protected by a password, passphrase, or biometric. Enforcing requirements in MA-4 is accomplished, in part, by other controls. SP 800-63B provides additional guidance on strong authentication and authenticators.

Assessment Objective: nonlocal maintenance and diagnostic activities are approved;

Assessment Objective: nonlocal maintenance and diagnostic activities are monitored;

Assessment Objective: the use of nonlocal maintenance and diagnostic tools are allowed only as consistent with organizational policy;

Assessment Objective: the use of nonlocal maintenance and diagnostic tools are documented in the security plan for the system;

Assessment Objective: strong authentication is employed in the establishment of nonlocal maintenance and diagnostic sessions;

Assessment Objective: records for nonlocal maintenance and diagnostic activities are maintained;

Assessment Objective: session connections are terminated when nonlocal maintenance is completed;

Assessment Objective: network connections are terminated when nonlocal maintenance is completed.

Maintenance policy

procedures addressing nonlocal system maintenance

remote access policy

remote access procedures

system design documentation

system configuration settings and associated documentation

maintenance records

records of remote access

diagnostic records

system security plan