pe-3-1-system-access

name	PE-3(1)_system-access
description	Enforce physical access authorizations to the system in addition to the physical access controls for the facility at [organization-defined].
category	configuration
version	5.2.0
author	cyberstrike-official
tags	["nist","sp800-53","rev5","pe-3-1","pe","enhancement"]
tech_stack	["any"]
cwe_ids	[]
chains_with	[]
prerequisites	["PE-3"]
severity_boost	{}

PE-3(1) System Access

Enhancement of: PE-3

High-Level Description

Family: Physical and Environmental Protection (PE) Framework: NIST SP 800-53 Rev 5

Control of physical access to the system provides additional physical security for those areas within facilities where there is a concentration of system components.

What to Check

• Verify PE-3(1) System Access is documented in SSP
• Confirm control is operating effectively
• Review evidence of continuous monitoring for PE-3(1)
• Verify enhancement builds upon base control PE-3

How to Test

Step 1: Review Documentation

Examine the System Security Plan (SSP) and related artifacts for PE-3(1) 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

Enforce physical access authorizations to the system in addition to the physical access controls for the facility at [organization-defined].

Implementation Guidance

Control of physical access to the system provides additional physical security for those areas within facilities where there is a concentration of system components.

Risk Assessment

Finding	Severity	Impact
PE-3(1) System Access not implemented	Medium	Physical and Environmental Protection
PE-3(1) partially implemented