ma-4-5-approvals-and-notifications

name	MA-4(5)_approvals-and-notifications
description	Require the approval of each nonlocal maintenance session by [organization-defined] ;
category	configuration
version	5.2.0
author	cyberstrike-official
tags	["nist","sp800-53","rev5","ma-4-5","ma","enhancement"]
tech_stack	["linux","windows"]
cwe_ids	[]
chains_with	[]
prerequisites	["MA-4"]
severity_boost	{}

MA-4(5) Approvals and Notifications

Enhancement of: MA-4

High-Level Description

Family: Maintenance (MA) Framework: NIST SP 800-53 Rev 5

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

What to Check

• Verify MA-4(5) Approvals and Notifications is documented in SSP
• Validate all 2 control requirements are implemented
• Confirm control is operating effectively
• Review evidence of continuous monitoring for MA-4(5)
• Verify enhancement builds upon base control MA-4

How to Test

Step 1: Review Documentation

Examine the System Security Plan (SSP) and related artifacts for MA-4(5) 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
Manual Review	Documentation and interview-based	N/A

Remediation Guide

Control Statement

Require the approval of each nonlocal maintenance session by [organization-defined] ; and Notify the following personnel or roles of the date and time of planned nonlocal maintenance: [organization-defined].

Implementation Guidance

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

Risk Assessment