SI-19(7) Validated Algorithms and Software
Enhancement of: SI-19
High-Level Description
Family: System and Information Integrity (SI)
Framework: NIST SP 800-53 Rev 5
Algorithms that appear to remove personally identifiable information from a dataset may in fact leave information that is personally identifiable or data that is re-identifiable. Software that is claimed to implement a validated algorithm may contain bugs or implement a different algorithm. Software may de-identify one type of data, such as integers, but not de-identify another type of data, such as floating point numbers. For these reasons, de-identification is performed using algorithms and software that are validated.
What to Check
How to Test
Step 1: Review Documentation
Examine the System Security Plan (SSP) and related artifacts for SI-19(7) 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 integrity monitoring | cloud_audit_monitoring |
| AWS CLI | Review GuardDuty/Inspector | aws guardduty list-detectors |
Remediation Guide
Control Statement
Perform de-identification using validated algorithms and software that is validated to implement the algorithms.
Implementation Guidance
Algorithms that appear to remove personally identifiable information from a dataset may in fact leave information that is personally identifiable or data that is re-identifiable. Software that is claimed to implement a validated algorithm may contain bugs or implement a different algorithm. Software may de-identify one type of data, such as integers, but not de-identify another type of data, such as floating point numbers. For these reasons, de-identification is performed using algorithms and software that are validated.
Risk Assessment
| Finding | Severity | Impact |
|---|
| SI-19(7) Validated Algorithms and Software not implemented | High | System and Information Integrity |
| SI-19(7) partially implemented | Medium | Incomplete System and Information Integrity |
CWE Categories
| CWE ID | Title |
|---|
| CWE-20 | Improper Input Validation |
References
Checklist
