Control statement
Restrict access to [Organization-defined: organization-defined types of digital and/or non-digital media] to [Organization-defined: organization-defined personnel or roles].
Discussion
System media includes digital and non-digital media. Digital media includes flash drives, diskettes, magnetic tapes, external or removable hard disk drives (e.g., solid state, magnetic), compact discs, and digital versatile discs. Non-digital media includes paper and microfilm. Denying access to patient medical records in a community hospital unless the individuals seeking access to such records are authorized healthcare providers is an example of restricting access to non-digital media. Limiting access to the design specifications stored on compact discs in the media library to individuals on the system development team is an example of restricting access to digital media.
Organization-defined parameters
These values must be resolved through the organization’s tailoring and governance process. Bracketed parameter references in the control text identify where a decision is required.
From control text to operational evidence
Use Media Access as a testable risk decision. Translate the official statement into accountable people, repeatable processes, configured technology, and evidence that demonstrates the outcome over time. In this family, pay particular attention to media accountability, handling, sanitization, transport, and disposal across physical and digital forms.
Implementation workflow
- Define the control boundary, responsible owner, inherited portions, and systems or processes in scope.
- Resolve each organization-defined parameter before declaring the control implemented.
- Document how the implementation satisfies every clause of the official control statement.
- Collect evidence as a normal byproduct of operation rather than only before an assessment.
- Review exceptions, changes, and monitoring results on a risk-based cadence.
Evidence examples
- media inventories and chain-of-custody records
- sanitization certificates
- transport and storage procedures
- removable-media control logs
Common failure patterns
- cloud snapshots and virtual media excluded from policy
- sanitization method not matched to media type
- untracked removable media
- disposal vendors accepted without verification
Questions practitioners should ask
- What risk decision is this control intended to support in this system?
- Which parts are implemented locally, inherited, shared, or not applicable—and what evidence supports that decision?
- Do the documented narrative, deployed configuration, operating process, and collected evidence agree?
- What event or threshold requires the implementation to be reviewed or changed?
Assessment objectives and methods
Show the assessment objective
- MP-02[01]access to [Organization-defined: types of digital media] is restricted to [Organization-defined: personnel or roles];
- MP-02[02]access to [Organization-defined: types of non-digital media] is restricted to [Organization-defined: personnel or roles].
Examine
- System media protection policy
- procedures addressing media access restrictions
- access control policy and procedures
- physical and environmental protection policy and procedures
- media storage facilities
- access control records
- system security plan
- other relevant documents or records
Interview
- Organizational personnel with system media protection responsibilities
- organizational personnel with information security responsibilities
- system/network administrators
Test
- Organizational processes for restricting information media
- mechanisms supporting and/or implementing media access restrictions
Related controls
These relationships come from the official OSCAL catalog. They indicate useful dependencies or context, not automatic inheritance or equivalence.
Related NIST SP 800-171 requirements
These Rev. 3 requirements cite this base control or one of its enhancements as a source. The relationship does not by itself determine contractual applicability or complete implementation.
Control enhancements
Enhancements add specificity, strength, or scope to the base control. Baseline badges show explicit selections in the official SP 800-53B OSCAL profiles.
MP-2(1) — Automated Restricted Access
This enhancement is marked withdrawn in the official OSCAL catalog. Related-control metadata below may identify where its intent was incorporated.
MP-2(2) — Cryptographic Protection
This enhancement is marked withdrawn in the official OSCAL catalog. Related-control metadata below may identify where its intent was incorporated.
Authoritative sources
Bare Metal Cyber is an independent educational publisher and is not affiliated with or endorsed by NIST. Official control requirements and interpretations remain with NIST and the responsible authorizing organization.