pe-3-3-continuous-guards

name	PE-3(3)_continuous-guards
description	Employ guards to control [organization-defined] to the facility where the system resides 24 hours per day, 7 days per week.
category	configuration
version	5.2.0
author	cyberstrike-official
tags	["nist","sp800-53","rev5","pe-3-3","pe","enhancement"]
tech_stack	["any"]
cwe_ids	[]
chains_with	["CP-6","CP-7","PE-6"]
prerequisites	["PE-3"]
severity_boost	{"CP-6":"Chain with CP-6 for comprehensive security coverage","CP-7":"Chain with CP-7 for comprehensive security coverage","PE-6":"Chain with PE-6 for comprehensive security coverage"}

PE-3(3) Continuous Guards

Enhancement of: PE-3

High-Level Description

Family: Physical and Environmental Protection (PE) Framework: NIST SP 800-53 Rev 5

Employing guards at selected physical access points to the facility provides a more rapid response capability for organizations. Guards also provide the opportunity for human surveillance in areas of the facility not covered by video surveillance.

What to Check

• Verify PE-3(3) Continuous Guards is documented in SSP
• Confirm control is operating effectively
• Review evidence of continuous monitoring for PE-3(3)
• Verify enhancement builds upon base control PE-3

How to Test

Step 1: Review Documentation

Examine the System Security Plan (SSP) and related artifacts for PE-3(3) 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
Manual Review	Documentation and interview-based	N/A

Remediation Guide

Control Statement

Employ guards to control [organization-defined] to the facility where the system resides 24 hours per day, 7 days per week.

Implementation Guidance

Employing guards at selected physical access points to the facility provides a more rapid response capability for organizations. Guards also provide the opportunity for human surveillance in areas of the facility not covered by video surveillance.

Risk Assessment

Finding	Severity	Impact
PE-3(3) Continuous Guards not implemented