SC-7 Boundary Protection
a. Monitor and control communications at the external managed interfaces to the system and at key internal managed interfaces within the system; b. Implement subnetworks for publicly accessible system components that are Selection: physically; logically separated from internal organizational networks; and c. Connect to external networks or systems only through managed interfaces consisting of boundary protection devices arranged in accordance with an organizational security and privacy architecture.
Source: NIST SP 800-53 Rev 5, SC-7. 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
- System audit records · Policy repository / GRC workspace
- Test of Mechanisms implementing boundary protection capabilities · Document repository
governing documentDocuments that govern the control
- System and communications protection policy · Policy repository / GRC workspace
- Procedures addressing boundary protection · Policy repository / GRC workspace
- List of key internal boundaries of the system · Document repository
- System design documentation · Document repository
- Boundary protection hardware and software · Document repository
- System configuration settings and associated documentation · Policy repository / GRC workspace
- Enterprise security architecture documentation · Policy repository / GRC workspace
- System security plan · Policy repository / GRC workspace
First move
Common gaps auditors find
- Communications at external and key internal managed interfaces are not monitored and controlled
- Publicly accessible components sit on internal networks rather than a separated subnetwork
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 sheetSC-6 Resource Availability · SC-7(3) Boundary Protection | Access Points