CM-3(6) Cryptography Management
Enhancement of: CM-3
High-Level Description
Family: Configuration Management (CM)
Framework: NIST SP 800-53 Rev 5
The controls referenced in the control enhancement refer to security and privacy controls from the control catalog. Regardless of the cryptographic mechanisms employed, processes and procedures are in place to manage those mechanisms. For example, if system components use certificates for identification and authentication, a process is implemented to address the expiration of those certificates.
What to Check
How to Test
Step 1: Review Documentation
Examine the System Security Plan (SSP) and related artifacts for CM-3(6) 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 configuration baselines | cloud_audit_config |
| AWS CLI | Review Config rules | aws configservice describe-config-rules |
Remediation Guide
Control Statement
Ensure that cryptographic mechanisms used to provide the following controls are under configuration management: [organization-defined].
Implementation Guidance
The controls referenced in the control enhancement refer to security and privacy controls from the control catalog. Regardless of the cryptographic mechanisms employed, processes and procedures are in place to manage those mechanisms. For example, if system components use certificates for identification and authentication, a process is implemented to address the expiration of those certificates.
Risk Assessment
| Finding | Severity | Impact |
|---|
| CM-3(6) Cryptography Management not implemented | Medium | Configuration Management |
| CM-3(6) partially implemented | Low | Incomplete Configuration Management |
CWE Categories
| CWE ID | Title |
|---|
| CWE-16 | Configuration |
References
Checklist
