IA-5(2) Authenticator Management | Public Key-based Authentication
(a) For public key-based authentication: (1) Enforce authorized access to the corresponding private key; and (2) Map the authenticated identity to the account of the individual or group; and (b) When public key infrastructure (PKI) is used: (1) Validate certificates by constructing and verifying a certification path to an accepted trust anchor, including checking certificate status information; and (2) Implement a local cache of revocation data to support path discovery and validation.
Source: NIST SP 800-53 Rev 5, IA-5(2). The statement above is our statement of the clause, read from the published text and cited so you can check it against the official text, not the instrument verbatim. Open NIST SP 800-53 Rev 5 in the compliance library.
Base controls and their enhancements. Which apply follows the baseline you are assessed against (for example FedRAMP Moderate or High, or the low, moderate and high baselines of SP 800-53B). Text in square brackets is a parameter your organisation sets.
These are the artefacts auditors commonly ask for on this requirement, our guidance rather than text from the standard. Your assessor decides what is sufficient in your context, and asks for samples across the period when a report covers one.
system holds itEvidence a system already holds
none for this control
periodic reviewEvidence produced at each review
- PKI certification validation records · Key management / PKI
- Test of Mechanisms supporting and/or implementing PKI-based, authenticator management capability · Key management / PKI
governing documentDocuments that govern the control
- Identification and authentication policy · Policy repository / GRC workspace
- Procedures addressing authenticator management · Policy repository / GRC workspace
- System security plan · Policy repository / GRC workspace
- System design documentation · Policy repository / GRC workspace
- System configuration settings and associated documentation · Policy repository / GRC workspace
- PKI certification revocation lists · Policy repository / GRC workspace
First move
Common gaps auditors find
- Certificate validation does not build a path to an accepted trust anchor or check revocation status, per (b)(1)
- Authenticated public key identities are not mapped to the corresponding individual or group account, per (a)(2)
Do this for your whole sheet
Paste the rows you run your controls from and get this mapping for every control at once, with the periodic-review ones flagged and a first move per row. No account for the first run.
Build my evidence sheetIA-5(1) Authenticator Management | Password-based Authentication · IA-5(5) Authenticator Management | Change Authenticators Prior to Delivery