Control statement
- a.[Organization-defined: mp-07_odp.02] the use of [Organization-defined: types of system media] on [Organization-defined: systems or system components] using [Organization-defined: controls] ; and
- b.Prohibit the use of portable storage devices in organizational systems when such devices have no identifiable owner.
Discussion
System media includes both digital and non-digital media. Digital media includes diskettes, magnetic tapes, flash drives, compact discs, digital versatile discs, and removable hard disk drives. Non-digital media includes paper and microfilm. Media use protections also apply to mobile devices with information storage capabilities. In contrast to [MP-2](#mp-2) , which restricts user access to media, MP-7 restricts the use of certain types of media on systems, for example, restricting or prohibiting the use of flash drives or external hard disk drives. Organizations use technical and nontechnical controls to restrict the use of system media. Organizations may restrict the use of portable storage devices, for example, by using physical cages on workstations to prohibit access to certain external ports or disabling or removing the ability to insert, read, or write to such devices. Organizations may also limit the use of portable storage devices to only approved devices, including devices provided by the organization, devices provided by other approved organizations, and devices that are not personally owned. Finally, organizations may restrict the use of portable storage devices based on the type of device, such as by prohibiting the use of writeable, portable storage devices and implementing this restriction by disabling or removing the capability to write to such devices. Requiring identifiable owners for storage devices reduces the risk of using such devices by allowing organizations to assign responsibility for addressing known vulnerabilities in the devices.
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 Use 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-07a.the use of [Organization-defined: types of system media] is [Organization-defined: mp-07_odp.02] on [Organization-defined: systems or system components] using [Organization-defined: controls];
- MP-07b.the use of portable storage devices in organizational systems is prohibited when such devices have no identifiable owner.
Examine
- System media protection policy
- system use policy
- procedures addressing media usage restrictions
- rules of behavior
- system design documentation
- system configuration settings and associated documentation
- audit records
- system security plan
- other relevant documents or records
Interview
- Organizational personnel with system media use responsibilities
- organizational personnel with information security responsibilities
- system/network administrators
Test
- Organizational processes for media use
- mechanisms restricting or prohibiting the use of system media on systems or system components
Related controls
These relationships come from the official OSCAL catalog. They indicate useful dependencies or context, not automatic inheritance or equivalence.
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-7(1) — Prohibit Use Without Owner
This enhancement is marked withdrawn in the official OSCAL catalog. Related-control metadata below may identify where its intent was incorporated.
MP-7(2) — Prohibit Use of Sanitization-resistant Media
Prohibit the use of sanitization-resistant media in organizational systems.
Official discussion
Sanitization resistance refers to how resistant media are to non-destructive sanitization techniques with respect to the capability to purge information from media. Certain types of media do not support sanitization commands, or if supported, the interfaces are not supported in a standardized way across these devices. Sanitization-resistant media includes compact flash, embedded flash on boards and devices, solid state drives, and USB removable media.
Assessment objectives and methods
- MP-07(02)[01]sanitization-resistant media is identified;
- MP-07(02)[02]the use of sanitization-resistant media in organizational systems is prohibited.
Examine
- System media protection policy
- system use policy
- procedures addressing media usage restrictions
- rules of behavior
- system configuration settings and associated documentation
- system security plan
- other relevant documents or records
Interview
- Organizational personnel with system media use responsibilities
- organizational personnel with information security responsibilities
- system/network administrators
Test
- Organizational processes for media use
- mechanisms prohibiting use of media on systems or system components
Related controls
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.