MA-4

MA-4 NONLOCAL MAINTENANCE

Overview

Number	Title	Impact	Priority	Subject Area
MA-4	Nonlocal Maintenance	LOW	P2	Maintenance

Instructions
The organization: MA-4a. Approves and monitors nonlocal maintenance and diagnostic activities; MA-4b. Allows the use of nonlocal maintenance and diagnostic tools only as consistent with organizational policy and documented in the security plan for the information system; MA-4c. Employs strong authenticators in the establishment of nonlocal maintenance and diagnostic sessions; MA-4d. Maintains records for nonlocal maintenance and diagnostic activities; and MA-4e. Terminates session and network connections when nonlocal maintenance is completed.

Instructions

The organization:

MA-4a.

Approves and monitors nonlocal maintenance and diagnostic activities;

MA-4b.

Allows the use of nonlocal maintenance and diagnostic tools only as consistent with organizational policy and documented in the security plan for the information system;

MA-4c.

Employs strong authenticators in the establishment of nonlocal maintenance and diagnostic sessions;

MA-4d.

Maintains records for nonlocal maintenance and diagnostic activities; and

MA-4e.

Terminates session and network connections when nonlocal maintenance is completed.

Guidance
Nonlocal maintenance and diagnostic activities are those activities conducted by individuals communicating through a network, either an external network (e.g., the Internet) or an internal network. Local maintenance and diagnostic activities are those activities carried out by individuals physically present at the information system or information system component and not communicating across a network connection. Authentication techniques used in the establishment of nonlocal maintenance and diagnostic sessions reflect the network access requirements in IA-2. Typically, strong authentication requires authenticators that are resistant to replay attacks and employ multifactor authentication. Strong authenticators include, for example, PKI where certificates are stored on a token protected by a password, passphrase, or biometric. Enforcing requirements in MA-4 is accomplished in part by other controls.

Guidance

Nonlocal maintenance and diagnostic activities are those activities conducted by individuals communicating through a network, either an external network (e.g., the Internet) or an internal network. Local maintenance and diagnostic activities are those activities carried out by individuals physically present at the information system or information system component and not communicating across a network connection. Authentication techniques used in the establishment of nonlocal maintenance and diagnostic sessions reflect the network access requirements in IA-2. Typically, strong authentication requires authenticators that are resistant to replay attacks and employ multifactor authentication. Strong authenticators include, for example, PKI where certificates are stored on a token protected by a password, passphrase, or biometric. Enforcing requirements in MA-4 is accomplished in part by other controls.

Enhancements

MA-4 (1) Auditing And Review

The organization:

MA-4 (1)(a)

Audits nonlocal maintenance and diagnostic sessions Assignment: organization-defined audit events; and

MA-4 (1)(b)

Reviews the records of the maintenance and diagnostic sessions.

MA-4 (2) Document Nonlocal Maintenance

MODERATE

The organization documents in the security plan for the information system, the policies and procedures for the establishment and use of nonlocal maintenance and diagnostic connections.

MA-4 (3) Comparable Security / Sanitization

HIGH

Comparable security capability on information systems, diagnostic tools, and equipment providing maintenance services implies that the implemented security controls on those systems, tools, and equipment are at least as comprehensive as the controls on the information system being serviced.

The organization:

MA-4 (3)(a)

Requires that nonlocal maintenance and diagnostic services be performed from an information system that implements a security capability comparable to the capability implemented on the system being serviced; or

MA-4 (3)(b)

Removes the component to be serviced from the information system and prior to nonlocal maintenance or diagnostic services, sanitizes the component (with regard to organizational information) before removal from organizational facilities, and after the service is performed, inspects and sanitizes the component (with regard to potentially malicious software) before reconnecting the component to the information system.

MA-4 (4) Authentication / Separation Of Maintenance Sessions

The organization protects nonlocal maintenance sessions by:

MA-4 (4)(a)

Employing Assignment: organization-defined authenticators that are replay resistant; and

MA-4 (4)(b)

Separating the maintenance sessions from other network sessions with the information system by either:

MA-4 (4)(b)(1)

Physically separated communications paths; or

MA-4 (4)(b)(2)

Logically separated communications paths based upon encryption.

MA-4 (5) Approvals And Notifications

Notification may be performed by maintenance personnel. Approval of nonlocal maintenance sessions is accomplished by organizational personnel with sufficient information security and information system knowledge to determine the appropriateness of the proposed maintenance.

The organization:

MA-4 (5)(a)

Requires the approval of each nonlocal maintenance session by Assignment: organization-defined personnel or roles; and

MA-4 (5)(b)

Notifies Assignment: organization-defined personnel or roles of the date and time of planned nonlocal maintenance.

MA-4 (6) Cryptographic Protection

The information system implements cryptographic mechanisms to protect the integrity and confidentiality of nonlocal maintenance and diagnostic communications.

MA-4 (7) Remote Disconnect Verification

Remote disconnect verification ensures that remote connections from nonlocal maintenance sessions have been terminated and are no longer available for use.

The information system implements remote disconnect verification at the termination of nonlocal maintenance and diagnostic sessions.