Control statement
Protect the system from information leakage due to electromagnetic signals emanations.
Discussion
Information leakage is the intentional or unintentional release of data or information to an untrusted environment from electromagnetic signals emanations. The security categories or classifications of systems (with respect to confidentiality), organizational security policies, and risk tolerance guide the selection of controls employed to protect systems against information leakage due to electromagnetic signals emanations.
From control text to operational evidence
Use Information Leakage 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 physical access, facility protection, environmental safeguards, and visitor accountability.
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
- badge and visitor logs
- physical access reviews
- facility diagrams and sensor records
- environmental and power test results
Common failure patterns
- logical security assumptions invalidated by physical access
- tailgating and visitor exceptions normalized
- critical infrastructure not included in access reviews
- environmental alarms not integrated into response
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
the system is protected from information leakage due to electromagnetic signal emanations.
Examine
- Physical and environmental protection policy
- procedures addressing information leakage due to electromagnetic signal emanations
- mechanisms protecting the system against electronic signal emanations
- facility housing the system
- records from electromagnetic signal emanation tests
- system security plan
- other relevant documents or records
Interview
- Organizational personnel with responsibilities for system environmental controls
- organizational personnel with information security responsibilities
Test
- Mechanisms supporting and/or implementing protection from information leakage due to electromagnetic signal emanations
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.
PE-19(1) — National Emissions Policies and Procedures
Protect system components, associated data communications, and networks in accordance with national Emissions Security policies and procedures based on the security category or classification of the information.
Official discussion
Emissions Security (EMSEC) policies include the former TEMPEST policies.
Assessment objectives and methods
- PE-19(01)[01]system components are protected in accordance with national emissions security policies and procedures based on the security category or classification of the information;
- PE-19(01)[02]associated data communications are protected in accordance with national emissions security policies and procedures based on the security category or classification of the information;
- PE-19(01)[03]networks are protected in accordance with national emissions security policies and procedures based on the security category or classification of the information.
Examine
- Physical and environmental protection policy
- procedures addressing information leakage that comply with national emissions and TEMPEST policies and procedures
- system component design documentation
- system configuration settings and associated documentation system security plan
- other relevant documents or records
Interview
- Organizational personnel with responsibilities for system environmental controls
- organizational personnel with information security responsibilities
Test
- Information system components for compliance with national emissions and TEMPEST policies and procedures
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.