SA-10(3) Hardware Integrity Verification
Enhancement of: SA-10
High-Level Description
Family: System and Services Acquisition (SA)
Framework: NIST SP 800-53 Rev 5
Hardware integrity verification allows organizations to detect unauthorized changes to hardware components using developer-provided tools, techniques, methods, and mechanisms. Organizations may verify the integrity of hardware components with hard-to-copy labels, verifiable serial numbers provided by developers, and by requiring the use of anti-tamper technologies. Delivered hardware components also include hardware and firmware updates to such components.
What to Check
How to Test
Step 1: Review Documentation
Examine the System Security Plan (SSP) and related artifacts for SA-10(3) 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 developer of the system, system component, or system service to enable integrity verification of hardware components.
Implementation Guidance
Hardware integrity verification allows organizations to detect unauthorized changes to hardware components using developer-provided tools, techniques, methods, and mechanisms. Organizations may verify the integrity of hardware components with hard-to-copy labels, verifiable serial numbers provided by developers, and by requiring the use of anti-tamper technologies. Delivered hardware components also include hardware and firmware updates to such components.
Risk Assessment
| Finding | Severity | Impact |
|---|
| SA-10(3) Hardware Integrity Verification not implemented | Medium | System and Services Acquisition |
| SA-10(3) partially implemented | Low | Incomplete System and Services Acquisition |
CWE Categories
| CWE ID | Title |
|---|
| CWE-16 | Configuration |
References
Checklist
