CMA_0276 - Establish procedures for initial authenticator distribution
Additional metadata
Name/Id: CMA_0276 / CMA_0276 Category: Documentation Title: Establish procedures for initial authenticator distribution Ownership: Customer Description: Microsoft recommends that your organization establish and implement processes for initial authenticator distribution, lost/compromised or damaged authenticators, and revoking authenticators. It is also recommended that your organization to manage the information system authenticators by establishing initial authenticator content for authenticators as defined by the organization. Your organization should consider creating and maintaining Identification and Authentication policies and standard operating procedures for initial authenticator distribution, for lost/compromised or damaged authenticators, and for revoking authenticators. Your organization may consider documenting requirements for enrollment codes when distributing initial authenticators.
NIST 800-63A recommends minimizing the wait time for users to receive their authenticator after completing the enrollment process in order to enable users to access information systems as needed. It is also recommended that your organization ensure that users are informed about the process for receiving their authenticators. Requirements: The customer is responsible for implementing this recommendation.
Mode
All
Type
BuiltIn
Preview
False
Deprecated
False
Effect
Default Manual Allowed Manual, Disabled
RBAC role(s)
none
Rule aliases
none
Rule resource types
IF (1) Microsoft.Resources/subscriptions
Compliance
The following 19 compliance controls are associated with this Policy definition 'Establish procedures for initial authenticator distribution' (35963d41-4263-0ef9-98d5-70eb058f9e3c)
The organization manages information system authenticators by:
a. Verifying, as part of the initial authenticator distribution, the identity of the individual, group, role, or device receiving the authenticator;
b. Establishing initial authenticator content for authenticators defined by the organization;
c. Ensuring that authenticators have sufficient strength of mechanism for their intended use;
d. Establishing and implementing administrative procedures for initial authenticator distribution, for lost/compromised or damaged authenticators, and for revoking authenticators;
e. Changing default content of authenticators prior to information system installation;
f. Establishing minimum and maximum lifetime restrictions and reuse conditions for authenticators;
g. Changing/refreshing authenticators [Assignment: organization-defined time period by authenticator type];
h. Protecting authenticator content from unauthorized disclosure and modification;
i. Requiring individuals to take, and having devices implement, specific security safeguards to protect authenticators; and
j. Changing authenticators for group/role accounts when membership to those accounts changes.
Supplemental Guidance: Individual authenticators include, for example, passwords, tokens, biometrics, PKI certificates, and key cards. Initial authenticator content is the actual content (e.g., the initial password) as opposed to requirements about authenticator content (e.g., minimum password length). In many cases, developers ship information system components with factory default authentication credentials to allow for initial installation and configuration. Default authentication credentials are often well known, easily discoverable, and present a significant security risk. The requirement to protect individual authenticators may be implemented via control PL-4 or PS-6 for authenticators in the possession of individuals and by controls AC-3, AC-6, and SC-28 for authenticators stored within organizational information systems (e.g., passwords stored in hashed or encrypted formats, files containing encrypted or hashed passwords accessible with administrator privileges). Information systems support individual authenticator management by organization-defined settings and restrictions for various authenticator characteristics including, for example, minimum password length, password composition, validation time window for time synchronous one-time tokens, and number of allowed rejections during the verification stage of biometric authentication. Specific actions that can be taken to safeguard authenticators include, for example, maintaining possession of individual authenticators, not loaning or sharing individual authenticators with others, and reporting lost, stolen, or compromised authenticators immediately. Authenticator management includes issuing and revoking, when no longer needed, authenticators for temporary access such as that required for remote maintenance. Device authenticators include, for example, certificates and passwords. Related controls: AC-2, AC-3, AC-6, CM-6, IA-2, IA-4, IA-8, PL-4, PS-5, PS-6, SC-12, SC-13, SC-17, SC-28.
References: OMB Memoranda 04-04, 11-11; FIPS Publication 201; NIST Special Publications 800-73, 800-63, 800-76, 800-78; FICAM Roadmap and Implementation Guidance
The information system, for PKI-based authentication:
(a) Validates certifications by constructing and verifying a certification path to an accepted trust anchor including checking certificate status information;
(b) Enforces authorized access to the corresponding private key;
(c) Maps the authenticated identity to the account of the individual or group; and
(d) Implements a local cache of revocation data to support path discovery and validation in case of inability to access revocation information via the network.
Supplemental Guidance: Status information for certification paths includes, for example, certificate revocation lists or certificate status protocol responses. For PIV cards, validation of certifications involves the construction and verification of a certification path to the Common Policy Root trust anchor including certificate policy processing. Related control: IA-6.
The organization manages information system authenticators by:
a. Verifying, as part of the initial authenticator distribution, the identity of the individual, group, role, or device receiving the authenticator;
b. Establishing initial authenticator content for authenticators defined by the organization;
c. Ensuring that authenticators have sufficient strength of mechanism for their intended use;
d. Establishing and implementing administrative procedures for initial authenticator distribution, for lost/compromised or damaged authenticators, and for revoking authenticators;
e. Changing default content of authenticators prior to information system installation;
f. Establishing minimum and maximum lifetime restrictions and reuse conditions for authenticators;
g. Changing/refreshing authenticators [Assignment: organization-defined time period by authenticator type];
h. Protecting authenticator content from unauthorized disclosure and modification;
i. Requiring individuals to take, and having devices implement, specific security safeguards to protect authenticators; and
j. Changing authenticators for group/role accounts when membership to those accounts changes.
Supplemental Guidance: Individual authenticators include, for example, passwords, tokens, biometrics, PKI certificates, and key cards. Initial authenticator content is the actual content (e.g., the initial password) as opposed to requirements about authenticator content (e.g., minimum password length). In many cases, developers ship information system components with factory default authentication credentials to allow for initial installation and configuration. Default authentication credentials are often well known, easily discoverable, and present a significant security risk. The requirement to protect individual authenticators may be implemented via control PL-4 or PS-6 for authenticators in the possession of individuals and by controls AC-3, AC-6, and SC-28 for authenticators stored within organizational information systems (e.g., passwords stored in hashed or encrypted formats, files containing encrypted or hashed passwords accessible with administrator privileges). Information systems support individual authenticator management by organization-defined settings and restrictions for various authenticator characteristics including, for example, minimum password length, password composition, validation time window for time synchronous one-time tokens, and number of allowed rejections during the verification stage of biometric authentication. Specific actions that can be taken to safeguard authenticators include, for example, maintaining possession of individual authenticators, not loaning or sharing individual authenticators with others, and reporting lost, stolen, or compromised authenticators immediately. Authenticator management includes issuing and revoking, when no longer needed, authenticators for temporary access such as that required for remote maintenance. Device authenticators include, for example, certificates and passwords. Related controls: AC-2, AC-3, AC-6, CM-6, IA-2, IA-4, IA-8, PL-4, PS-5, PS-6, SC-12, SC-13, SC-17, SC-28.
References: OMB Memoranda 04-04, 11-11; FIPS Publication 201; NIST Special Publications 800-73, 800-63, 800-76, 800-78; FICAM Roadmap and Implementation Guidance
The information system, for PKI-based authentication:
(a) Validates certifications by constructing and verifying a certification path to an accepted trust anchor including checking certificate status information;
(b) Enforces authorized access to the corresponding private key;
(c) Maps the authenticated identity to the account of the individual or group; and
(d) Implements a local cache of revocation data to support path discovery and validation in case of inability to access revocation information via the network.
Supplemental Guidance: Status information for certification paths includes, for example, certificate revocation lists or certificate status protocol responses. For PIV cards, validation of certifications involves the construction and verification of a certification path to the Common Policy Root trust anchor including certificate policy processing. Related control: IA-6.
1031.01d1System.34510-01.d 01.02 Authorized Access to Information Systems
Shared
n/a
The organization changes passwords for default system accounts, whenever there is any indication of password compromise, at first logon following the issuance of a temporary password, and requires immediate selection of a new password upon account recovery.
1107.01b1System.2-01.b 01.02 Authorized Access to Information Systems
Shared
n/a
Default and unnecessary system accounts are removed, disabled, or otherwise secured (e.g., the passwords are changed and privileges are reduced to the lowest levels of access).
11111.01q2System.4-01.q 01.05 Operating System Access Control
Shared
n/a
When PKI-based authentication is used, the information system validates certificates by constructing and verifying a certification path to an accepted trust anchor, including checking certificate status information; enforces access to the corresponding private key; maps the identity to the corresponding account of the individual or group; and implements a local cache of revocation data to support path discovery and validation in case of an inability to access revocation information via the network.
Authenticate (or verify) the identities of users, processes, or devices, as a prerequisite to allowing access to organizational systems.
Shared
Microsoft and the customer share responsibilities for implementing this requirement.
Individual authenticators include the following: passwords, key cards, cryptographic devices, and one-time password devices. Initial authenticator content is the actual content of the authenticator, for example, the initial password. In contrast, the requirements about authenticator content include the minimum password length. Developers ship system components with factory default authentication credentials to allow for initial installation and configuration. Default authentication credentials are often well known, easily discoverable, and present a significant security risk. Systems support authenticator management by organization-defined settings and restrictions for various authenticator characteristics including minimum password length, validation time window for time synchronous one-time tokens, and number of allowed rejections during the verification stage of biometric authentication. Authenticator management includes issuing and revoking, when no longer needed, authenticators for temporary access such as that required for remote maintenance. Device authenticators include certificates and passwords. [SP 800-63-3] provides guidance on digital identities.
The organization manages information system authenticators by:
a. Verifying, as part of the initial authenticator distribution, the identity of the individual, group, role, or device receiving the authenticator;
b. Establishing initial authenticator content for authenticators defined by the organization;
c. Ensuring that authenticators have sufficient strength of mechanism for their intended use;
d. Establishing and implementing administrative procedures for initial authenticator distribution, for lost/compromised or damaged authenticators, and for revoking authenticators;
e. Changing default content of authenticators prior to information system installation;
f. Establishing minimum and maximum lifetime restrictions and reuse conditions for authenticators;
g. Changing/refreshing authenticators [Assignment: organization-defined time period by authenticator type];
h. Protecting authenticator content from unauthorized disclosure and modification;
i. Requiring individuals to take, and having devices implement, specific security safeguards to protect authenticators; and
j. Changing authenticators for group/role accounts when membership to those accounts changes.
Supplemental Guidance: Individual authenticators include, for example, passwords, tokens, biometrics, PKI certificates, and key cards. Initial authenticator content is the actual content (e.g., the initial password) as opposed to requirements about authenticator content (e.g., minimum password length). In many cases, developers ship information system components with factory default authentication credentials to allow for initial installation and configuration. Default authentication credentials are often well known, easily discoverable, and present a significant security risk. The requirement to protect individual authenticators may be implemented via control PL-4 or PS-6 for authenticators in the possession of individuals and by controls AC-3, AC-6, and SC-28 for authenticators stored within organizational information systems (e.g., passwords stored in hashed or encrypted formats, files containing encrypted or hashed passwords accessible with administrator privileges). Information systems support individual authenticator management by organization-defined settings and restrictions for various authenticator characteristics including, for example, minimum password length, password composition, validation time window for time synchronous one-time tokens, and number of allowed rejections during the verification stage of biometric authentication. Specific actions that can be taken to safeguard authenticators include, for example, maintaining possession of individual authenticators, not loaning or sharing individual authenticators with others, and reporting lost, stolen, or compromised authenticators immediately. Authenticator management includes issuing and revoking, when no longer needed, authenticators for temporary access such as that required for remote maintenance. Device authenticators include, for example, certificates and passwords. Related controls: AC-2, AC-3, AC-6, CM-6, IA-2, IA-4, IA-8, PL-4, PS-5, PS-6, SC-12, SC-13, SC-17, SC-28.
References: OMB Memoranda 04-04, 11-11; FIPS Publication 201; NIST Special Publications 800-73, 800-63, 800-76, 800-78; FICAM Roadmap and Implementation Guidance
The information system, for PKI-based authentication:
(a) Validates certifications by constructing and verifying a certification path to an accepted trust anchor including checking certificate status information;
(b) Enforces authorized access to the corresponding private key;
(c) Maps the authenticated identity to the account of the individual or group; and
(d) Implements a local cache of revocation data to support path discovery and validation in case of inability to access revocation information via the network.
Supplemental Guidance: Status information for certification paths includes, for example, certificate revocation lists or certificate status protocol responses. For PIV cards, validation of certifications involves the construction and verification of a certification path to the Common Policy Root trust anchor including certificate policy processing. Related control: IA-6.
Manage system authenticators by:
a. Verifying, as part of the initial authenticator distribution, the identity of the individual, group, role, service, or device receiving the authenticator;
b. Establishing initial authenticator content for any authenticators issued by the organization;
c. Ensuring that authenticators have sufficient strength of mechanism for their intended use;
d. Establishing and implementing administrative procedures for initial authenticator distribution, for lost or compromised or damaged authenticators, and for revoking authenticators;
e. Changing default authenticators prior to first use;
f. Changing or refreshing authenticators [Assignment: organization-defined time period by authenticator type] or when [Assignment: organization-defined events] occur;
g. Protecting authenticator content from unauthorized disclosure and modification;
h. Requiring individuals to take, and having devices implement, specific controls to protect authenticators; and
i. Changing authenticators for group or role accounts when membership to those accounts changes.
(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.
Ensure the proper management, tracking, and use of connected and disconnected hardware authentication or personal tokens (when tokens are used).
Shared
n/a
Connected and disconnected hardware authentication or personal tokens are managed appropriately during their assignment, distribution, revocation, use, and storage.