ac-22-publicly-accessible-content

name	AC-22_publicly-accessible-content
description	Designate individuals authorized to make information publicly accessible;
category	authorization
version	5.2.0
author	cyberstrike-official
tags	["nist","sp800-53","rev5","ac-22","ac"]
tech_stack	["aws","azure","gcp","linux","windows"]
cwe_ids	["CWE-284"]
chains_with	["AC-3","AT-2","AT-3","AU-13"]
prerequisites	[]
severity_boost	{"AC-3":"Chain with AC-3 for comprehensive security coverage","AT-2":"Chain with AT-2 for comprehensive security coverage","AT-3":"Chain with AT-3 for comprehensive security coverage"}

AC-22 Publicly Accessible Content

High-Level Description

Family: Access Control (AC) Framework: NIST SP 800-53 Rev 5

In accordance with applicable laws, executive orders, directives, policies, regulations, standards, and guidelines, the public is not authorized to have access to nonpublic information, including information protected under the PRIVACT and proprietary information. Publicly accessible content addresses systems that are controlled by the organization and accessible to the public, typically without identification or authentication. Posting information on non-organizational systems (e.g., non-organizational public websites, forums, and social media) is covered by organizational policy. While organizations may have individuals who are responsible for developing and implementing policies about the information that can be made publicly accessible, publicly accessible content addresses the management of the individuals who make such information publicly accessible.

What to Check

• Verify AC-22 Publicly Accessible Content is documented in SSP
• Validate all 4 control requirements are implemented
• Confirm control is operating effectively
• Review evidence of continuous monitoring for AC-22

How to Test

Step 1: Review Documentation

Examine the System Security Plan (SSP) and related artifacts for AC-22 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 IAM policies and access controls	cloud_audit_iam_policies
hackbrowser-mcp	Test web application access controls	browser_auth_test

Remediation Guide