MA-3(5) Maintenance Tools | Execution with Privilege
Monitor the use of maintenance tools that execute with increased privilege.
Source: NIST SP 800-53 Rev 5, MA-3(5). 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
- Maintenance tool usage records · Cloud console / configuration management
periodic reviewEvidence produced at each review
- Maintenance records · Document repository
- Test of Organizational processes for restricting the use of maintenance tools; organizational process for monitoring maintenance tools and maintenance tool usage; mechanisms monitoring the use of maintenance tools · SIEM / log platform
governing documentDocuments that govern the control
- Maintenance policy · Policy repository / GRC workspace
- Procedures addressing system maintenance tools · Policy repository / GRC workspace
- System maintenance tools and associated documentation · Document repository
- List of personnel authorized to use maintenance tools · Document repository
- System security plan · Policy repository / GRC workspace
First move
Common gaps auditors find
- Maintenance tools that execute with increased privilege are used without monitoring
- Logs of privileged maintenance tool use are not reviewed
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 sheetMA-3(4) Maintenance Tools | Restricted Tool Use · MA-3(6) Maintenance Tools | Software Updates and Patches