| name | IA-5(1)_password-based-authentication |
| description | For password-based authentication: Maintain a list of commonly-used, expected, or compromised passwords and update the list [organization-defined] and |
| category | authentication |
| version | 5.2.0 |
| author | cyberstrike-official |
| tags | ["nist","sp800-53","rev5","ia-5-1","ia","enhancement"] |
| tech_stack | ["aws","azure","active-directory","linux","windows"] |
| cwe_ids | ["CWE-287"] |
| chains_with | ["IA-6"] |
| prerequisites | ["IA-5"] |
| severity_boost | {"IA-6":"Chain with IA-6 for comprehensive security coverage"} |
IA-5(1) Password-based Authentication
Enhancement of: IA-5
High-Level Description
Family: Identification and Authentication (IA)
Framework: NIST SP 800-53 Rev 5
Password-based authentication applies to passwords regardless of whether they are used in single-factor or multi-factor authentication. Long passwords or passphrases are preferable over shorter passwords. Enforced composition rules provide marginal security benefits while decreasing usability. However, organizations may choose to establish certain rules for password generation (e.g., minimum character length for long passwords) under certain circumstances and can enforce this requirement in IA-5(1)(h). Account recovery can occur, for example, in situations when a password is forgotten. Cryptographically protected passwords include salted one-way cryptographic hashes of passwords. The list of commonly used, compromised, or expected passwords includes passwords obtained from previous breach corpuses, dictionary words, and repetitive or sequential characters. The list includes context-specific words, such as the name of the service, username, and derivatives thereof.
What to Check
How to Test
Step 1: Review Documentation
Examine the System Security Plan (SSP) and related artifacts for IA-5(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 |
