| name | SC-24_fail-in-known-state |
| description | Fail to a [organization-defined] for the following failures on the indicated components while preserving [organization-defined] in failure: [organizat |
| category | configuration |
| version | 5.2.0 |
| author | cyberstrike-official |
| tags | ["nist","sp800-53","rev5","sc-24","sc"] |
| tech_stack | ["aws","azure","gcp","linux","windows","network"] |
| cwe_ids | ["CWE-311"] |
| chains_with | ["CP-2","CP-4","CP-10","CP-12","SA-8","SC-7","SC-22","SI-13"] |
| prerequisites | [] |
| severity_boost | {"CP-2":"Chain with CP-2 for comprehensive security coverage","CP-4":"Chain with CP-4 for comprehensive security coverage","CP-10":"Chain with CP-10 for comprehensive security coverage"} |
SC-24 Fail in Known State
High-Level Description
Family: System and Communications Protection (SC)
Framework: NIST SP 800-53 Rev 5
Failure in a known state addresses security concerns in accordance with the mission and business needs of organizations. Failure in a known state prevents the loss of confidentiality, integrity, or availability of information in the event of failures of organizational systems or system components. Failure in a known safe state helps to prevent systems from failing to a state that may cause injury to individuals or destruction to property. Preserving system state information facilitates system restart and return to the operational mode with less disruption of mission and business processes.
What to Check
How to Test
Step 1: Review Documentation
Examine the System Security Plan (SSP) and related artifacts for SC-24 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 encryption and network controls | cloud_audit_encryption |
| nmap | Network scanning | nmap -sV --script ssl-enum-ciphers |
Remediation Guide
Control Statement
Fail to a [organization-defined] for the following failures on the indicated components while preserving [organization-defined] in failure: [organization-defined].
Implementation Guidance
Failure in a known state addresses security concerns in accordance with the mission and business needs of organizations. Failure in a known state prevents the loss of confidentiality, integrity, or availability of information in the event of failures of organizational systems or system components. Failure in a known safe state helps to prevent systems from failing to a state that may cause injury to individuals or destruction to property. Preserving system state information facilitates system restart and return to the operational mode with less disruption of mission and business processes.
