AU-12(1) System-wide and Time-correlated Audit Trail
Enhancement of: AU-12
High-Level Description
Family: Audit and Accountability (AU)
Framework: NIST SP 800-53 Rev 5
Audit trails are time-correlated if the time stamps in the individual audit records can be reliably related to the time stamps in other audit records to achieve a time ordering of the records within organizational tolerances.
What to Check
How to Test
Step 1: Review Documentation
Examine the System Security Plan (SSP) and related artifacts for AU-12(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 |
|---|
| cloud-audit-mcp | Check logging configuration | cloud_audit_logging |
| AWS CLI | Review CloudTrail/CloudWatch | aws cloudtrail describe-trails |
Remediation Guide
Control Statement
Compile audit records from [organization-defined] into a system-wide (logical or physical) audit trail that is time-correlated to within [organization-defined].
Implementation Guidance
Audit trails are time-correlated if the time stamps in the individual audit records can be reliably related to the time stamps in other audit records to achieve a time ordering of the records within organizational tolerances.
Risk Assessment
| Finding | Severity | Impact |
|---|
| AU-12(1) System-wide and Time-correlated Audit Trail not implemented | Medium | Audit and Accountability |
| AU-12(1) partially implemented | Low | Incomplete Audit and Accountability |
CWE Categories
| CWE ID | Title |
|---|
| CWE-778 | Insufficient Logging |
References
Checklist
