sa-23-specialization

name	SA-23_specialization
description	Employ [organization-defined] on [organization-defined] supporting mission essential services or functions to increase the trustworthiness in those sy
category	configuration
version	5.2.0
author	cyberstrike-official
tags	["nist","sp800-53","rev5","sa-23","sa"]
tech_stack	["any"]
cwe_ids	["CWE-16"]
chains_with	["RA-9","SA-8"]
prerequisites	[]
severity_boost	{"RA-9":"Chain with RA-9 for comprehensive security coverage","SA-8":"Chain with SA-8 for comprehensive security coverage"}

SA-23 Specialization

High-Level Description

Family: System and Services Acquisition (SA) Framework: NIST SP 800-53 Rev 5

It is often necessary for a system or system component that supports mission-essential services or functions to be enhanced to maximize the trustworthiness of the resource. Sometimes this enhancement is done at the design level. In other instances, it is done post-design, either through modifications of the system in question or by augmenting the system with additional components. For example, supplemental authentication or non-repudiation functions may be added to the system to enhance the identity of critical resources to other resources that depend on the organization-defined resources.

What to Check

• Verify SA-23 Specialization is documented in SSP
• Confirm control is operating effectively
• Review evidence of continuous monitoring for SA-23

How to Test

Step 1: Review Documentation

Examine the System Security Plan (SSP) and related artifacts for SA-23 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 [organization-defined] on [organization-defined] supporting mission essential services or functions to increase the trustworthiness in those systems or components.

Implementation Guidance

It is often necessary for a system or system component that supports mission-essential services or functions to be enhanced to maximize the trustworthiness of the resource. Sometimes this enhancement is done at the design level. In other instances, it is done post-design, either through modifications of the system in question or by augmenting the system with additional components. For example, supplemental authentication or non-repudiation functions may be added to the system to enhance the identity of critical resources to other resources that depend on the organization-defined resources.