id: "SC-07(21)" title: "Isolation of System Components" family: "SC" family_name: "System and Communications Protection" sort_id: "sc-07.21" priority: "P1" implementation_level: "system" parent: "SC-07" enhancement: True


Statement

Employ boundary protection mechanisms to isolate {{ insert: param, sc-07.21_odp.01 }} supporting {{ insert: param, sc-07.21_odp.02 }}.

Guidance

Organizations can isolate system components that perform different mission or business functions. Such isolation limits unauthorized information flows among system components and provides the opportunity to deploy greater levels of protection for selected system components. Isolating system components with boundary protection mechanisms provides the capability for increased protection of individual system components and to more effectively control information flows between those components. Isolating system components provides enhanced protection that limits the potential harm from hostile cyber-attacks and errors. The degree of isolation varies depending upon the mechanisms chosen. Boundary protection mechanisms include routers, gateways, and firewalls that separate system components into physically separate networks or subnetworks; cross-domain devices that separate subnetworks; virtualization techniques; and the encryption of information flows among system components using distinct encryption keys.

Assessment Objective

boundary protection mechanisms are employed to isolate {{ insert: param, sc-07.21_odp.01 }} supporting {{ insert: param, sc-07.21_odp.02 }}.

System and communications protection policy

procedures addressing boundary protection

system design documentation

system hardware and software

enterprise architecture documentation

system architecture

system configuration settings and associated documentation

system audit records

system security plan

other relevant documents or records

System/network administrators

organizational personnel with information security responsibilities

organizational personnel with boundary protection responsibilities

Mechanisms supporting and/or implementing the capability to separate system components supporting organizational missions and/or business functions