| name | AT-2_literacy-training-and-awareness |
| description | Provide security and privacy literacy training to system users (including managers, senior executives, and contractors): As part of initial training f |
| category | configuration |
| version | 5.2.0 |
| author | cyberstrike-official |
| tags | ["nist","sp800-53","rev5","at-2","at"] |
| tech_stack | ["any"] |
| cwe_ids | [] |
| chains_with | ["AC-3","AC-17","AC-22","AT-3","AT-4","CP-3","IA-4","IR-2","IR-7","IR-9"] |
| prerequisites | [] |
| severity_boost | {"AC-3":"Chain with AC-3 for comprehensive security coverage","AC-17":"Chain with AC-17 for comprehensive security coverage","AC-22":"Chain with AC-22 for comprehensive security coverage"} |
AT-2 Literacy Training and Awareness
High-Level Description
Family: Awareness and Training (AT)
Framework: NIST SP 800-53 Rev 5
Organizations provide basic and advanced levels of literacy training to system users, including measures to test the knowledge level of users. Organizations determine the content of literacy training and awareness based on specific organizational requirements, the systems to which personnel have authorized access, and work environments (e.g., telework). The content includes an understanding of the need for security and privacy as well as actions by users to maintain security and personal privacy and to respond to suspected incidents. The content addresses the need for operations security and the handling of personally identifiable information.
Awareness techniques include displaying posters, offering supplies inscribed with security and privacy reminders, displaying logon screen messages, generating email advisories or notices from organizational officials, and conducting awareness events. Literacy training after the initial training described in AT-2a.1 is conducted at a minimum frequency consistent with applicable laws, directives, regulations, and policies. Subsequent literacy training may be satisfied by one or more short ad hoc sessions and include topical information on recent attack schemes, changes to organizational security and privacy policies, revised security and privacy expectations, or a subset of topics from the initial training. Updating literacy training and awareness content on a regular basis helps to ensure that the content remains relevant. Events that may precipitate an update to literacy training and awareness content include, but are not limited to, assessment or audit findings, security incidents or breaches, or changes in applicable laws, executive orders, directives, regulations, policies, standards, and guidelines.
What to Check
How to Test
Step 1: Review Documentation
Examine the System Security Plan (SSP) and related artifacts for AT-2 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
