au-6-4-central-review-and-analysis

name	AU-6(4)_central-review-and-analysis
description	Provide and implement the capability to centrally review and analyze audit records from multiple components within the system.
category	information-gathering
version	5.2.0
author	cyberstrike-official
tags	["nist","sp800-53","rev5","au-6-4","au","enhancement"]
tech_stack	["aws","azure","gcp","linux","windows"]
cwe_ids	["CWE-778"]
chains_with	["AU-2","AU-12"]
prerequisites	["AU-6"]
severity_boost	{"AU-2":"Chain with AU-2 for comprehensive security coverage","AU-12":"Chain with AU-12 for comprehensive security coverage"}

AU-6(4) Central Review and Analysis

Enhancement of: AU-6

High-Level Description

Family: Audit and Accountability (AU) Framework: NIST SP 800-53 Rev 5

Automated mechanisms for centralized reviews and analyses include Security Information and Event Management products.

What to Check

• Verify AU-6(4) Central Review and Analysis is documented in SSP
• Confirm control is operating effectively
• Review evidence of continuous monitoring for AU-6(4)
• Verify enhancement builds upon base control AU-6

How to Test

Step 1: Review Documentation

Examine the System Security Plan (SSP) and related artifacts for AU-6(4) 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

Provide and implement the capability to centrally review and analyze audit records from multiple components within the system.

Implementation Guidance

Automated mechanisms for centralized reviews and analyses include Security Information and Event Management products.

Risk Assessment

Finding	Severity	Impact
AU-6(4) Central Review and Analysis not implemented