Security requirement
Employ identity providers and authorization servers to manage user, device, and non-person entity identities, attributes, and access rights that support authentication and authorization decisions in accordance with [Organization-defined: policy] using [Organization-defined: mechanisms].
Discussion
Identity providers (both internal and external to the organization) manage user, device, and non-person entity authenticators and issue statements (often called identity assertions) that attest to the identities of other systems or system components. Authorization servers create and issue access tokens to identified and authenticated users and devices that can be used to gain access to organizational systems or information resources. For example, single sign-on (SSO) provides identity provider and authorization server functions. This requirement does not enhance a specific requirement in SP 800-171 but can be used to strengthen the protection of CUI associated with critical programs or high value assets.
Tailoring decisions required
Resolve these values through the governing organization’s approved tailoring and risk-management process before declaring the requirement implemented.
Protection strategies supported
These classifications are carried from the official SP 800-172 OSCAL record and help explain the enhanced requirement’s defensive purpose.
Implementation perspective
Treat Identity Providers and Authorization Servers as an enhanced CUI protection outcome for elevated threat conditions that must be reflected in the system boundary, documented implementation, operational behavior, and assessment evidence. Pay particular attention to identity proofing, authentication strength, authenticator lifecycle, and resistance to credential compromise.
- Confirm the federal agency selected this enhanced requirement for the critical program or high-value asset and identify the CUI system components, services, users, and external connections in scope.
- Resolve every organization-defined parameter through an approved governance and tailoring process.
- Map each clause of the requirement to an accountable owner, implementation mechanism, and evidence source.
- Verify that inherited and shared implementations are supported by current provider evidence and responsibility boundaries.
- Collect evidence during normal operation and review changes, exceptions, and deficiencies on a risk-based cadence.
Questions to ask
- Which critical-program or high-value-asset CUI, data flows, users, and services are protected by this enhanced requirement?
- Which portions are implemented locally, inherited, shared, or not applicable, and what evidence supports that determination?
- Do the system security plan, deployed configuration, operating process, and assessment evidence tell the same story?
- What change, incident, or threshold should trigger reassessment?
Evidence and validation
- identity proofing records
- authenticator issuance and revocation logs
- MFA and federation configuration
- credential inventories and rotation evidence
Common failure patterns
- MFA applied only to interactive users
- service credentials without ownership or rotation
- weak recovery paths that bypass strong authentication
- federated trust not reviewed after partner changes
Assessment objectives and methods
Assessment objectives (3)
identity providers are employed to manage user, device, and non-person entity identities, attributes, and access rights supporting authentication decisions in accordance with [Organization-defined: policy] using [Organization-defined: mechanisms].
identity providers are employed to manage user, device, and non-person entity identities, attributes, and access rights supporting authorization decisions in accordance with [Organization-defined: policy] using [Organization-defined: mechanisms].
authorization servers are employed to manage user, device, and non-person entity identities, attributes, and access rights supporting authentication decisions in accordance with [Organization-defined: policy] using [Organization-defined: mechanisms].
Examine
- Identification and authentication policy
- procedures addressing user and device identification and authentication
- system security plan
- system design documentation
- system configuration settings and associated documentation
- other relevant documents or records
Interview
- Organizational personnel with system operations responsibilities
- organizational personnel with information security responsibilities
- system/network administrators
- organizational personnel with account management responsibilities
- system developers
Test
- Mechanisms supporting and/or implementing identification and authentication capabilities and access rights
Source NIST SP 800-53 controls
These controls are referenced by the official SP 800-172 Rev. 3 OSCAL record. Open the corresponding control pages for complete control text, enhancements, D3FEND mappings, and related learning.
Authoritative sources
- NIST SP 800-172 Revision 3 official publication ↗
- NIST SP 800-172A Revision 3 official publication ↗
- NIST OSCAL Content release used for this import ↗
Bare Metal Cyber is an independent educational publisher and is not affiliated with or endorsed by NIST. The official publications, the responsible federal agency, and the governing contract or agreement determine applicability, tailoring, assessment depth, and required implementation.