AU-10(1) Association of Identities
Enhancement of: AU-10
High-Level Description
Family: Audit and Accountability (AU)
Framework: NIST SP 800-53 Rev 5
Binding identities to the information supports audit requirements that provide organizational personnel with the means to identify who produced specific information in the event of an information transfer. Organizations determine and approve the strength of attribute binding between the information producer and the information based on the security category of the information and other relevant risk factors.
What to Check
How to Test
Step 1: Review Documentation
Examine the System Security Plan (SSP) and related artifacts for AU-10(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
Bind the identity of the information producer with the information to [organization-defined] ; and
Provide the means for authorized individuals to determine the identity of the producer of the information.
Implementation Guidance
Binding identities to the information supports audit requirements that provide organizational personnel with the means to identify who produced specific information in the event of an information transfer. Organizations determine and approve the strength of attribute binding between the information producer and the information based on the security category of the information and other relevant risk factors.
Risk Assessment
| Finding | Severity | Impact |
|---|
| AU-10(1) Association of Identities not implemented | Medium | Audit and Accountability |
| AU-10(1) partially implemented | Low | Incomplete Audit and Accountability |
CWE Categories
| CWE ID | Title |
|---|
| CWE-778 | Insufficient Logging |
References
Checklist
