ac-17-6-protection-of-mechanism-information

name	AC-17(6)_protection-of-mechanism-information
description	Protect information about remote access mechanisms from unauthorized use and disclosure.
category	authorization
version	5.2.0
author	cyberstrike-official
tags	["nist","sp800-53","rev5","ac-17-6","ac","enhancement"]
tech_stack	["aws","azure","gcp","linux","windows"]
cwe_ids	["CWE-284"]
chains_with	["AT-2","AT-3","PS-6"]
prerequisites	["AC-17"]
severity_boost	{"AT-2":"Chain with AT-2 for comprehensive security coverage","AT-3":"Chain with AT-3 for comprehensive security coverage","PS-6":"Chain with PS-6 for comprehensive security coverage"}

AC-17(6) Protection of Mechanism Information

Enhancement of: AC-17

High-Level Description

Family: Access Control (AC) Framework: NIST SP 800-53 Rev 5

Remote access to organizational information by non-organizational entities can increase the risk of unauthorized use and disclosure about remote access mechanisms. The organization considers including remote access requirements in the information exchange agreements with other organizations, as applicable. Remote access requirements can also be included in rules of behavior (see PL-4 ) and access agreements (see PS-6).

What to Check

• Verify AC-17(6) Protection of Mechanism Information is documented in SSP
• Confirm control is operating effectively
• Review evidence of continuous monitoring for AC-17(6)
• Verify enhancement builds upon base control AC-17

How to Test

Step 1: Review Documentation

Examine the System Security Plan (SSP) and related artifacts for AC-17(6) implementation details. Verify the organization has documented how this control is satisfied.

Step 2: Validate Implementation

# For cloud environments, use cloud-audit-mcp tools
# For on-premises, review system configurations directly

# Example: Check if account management policies exist
grep -r "account.management\|access.control" /etc/security/ 2>/dev/null

Step 3: Test Operating Effectiveness

Verify the control is actively functioning, not just documented. Check logs, configurations, and operational evidence.

Tools

Tool	Purpose	Usage
cloud-audit-mcp	Check IAM policies and access controls	cloud_audit_iam_policies
hackbrowser-mcp	Test web application access controls	browser_auth_test

Remediation Guide

Control Statement

Protect information about remote access mechanisms from unauthorized use and disclosure.

Implementation Guidance

Remote access to organizational information by non-organizational entities can increase the risk of unauthorized use and disclosure about remote access mechanisms. The organization considers including remote access requirements in the information exchange agreements with other organizations, as applicable. Remote access requirements can also be included in rules of behavior (see ) and access agreements (see ).