IA-5(1)_password-based-authentication

IA-5(1) Password-based Authentication

Enhancement of: IA-5

High-Level Description

Family: Identification and Authentication (IA) Framework: NIST SP 800-53 Rev 5

Password-based authentication applies to passwords regardless of whether they are used in single-factor or multi-factor authentication. Long passwords or passphrases are preferable over shorter passwords. Enforced composition rules provide marginal security benefits while decreasing usability. However, organizations may choose to establish certain rules for password generation (e.g., minimum character length for long passwords) under certain circumstances and can enforce this requirement in IA-5(1)(h). Account recovery can occur, for example, in situations when a password is forgotten. Cryptographically protected passwords include salted one-way cryptographic hashes of passwords. The list of commonly used, compromised, or expected passwords includes passwords obtained from previous breach corpuses, dictionary words, and repetitive or sequential characters. The list includes context-specific words, such as the name of the service, username, and derivatives thereof.

What to Check

• Verify IA-5(1) Password-based Authentication is documented in SSP
• Validate all 8 control requirements are implemented
• Confirm control is operating effectively
• Review evidence of continuous monitoring for IA-5(1)
• Verify enhancement builds upon base control IA-5

How to Test

Step 1: Review Documentation

Examine the System Security Plan (SSP) and related artifacts for IA-5(1) 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

Remediation Guide

Control Statement

For password-based authentication: Maintain a list of commonly-used, expected, or compromised passwords and update the list [organization-defined] and when organizational passwords are suspected to have been compromised directly or indirectly; Verify, when users create or update passwords, that the passwords are not found on the list of commonly-used, expected, or compromised passwords in IA-5(1)(a); Transmit passwords only over cryptographically-protected channels; Store passwords using an approved salted key derivation function, preferably using a keyed hash; Require immediate selection of a new password upon account recovery; Allow user selection of long passwords and passphrases, including spaces and all printable characters; Employ automated tools to assist the user in selecting strong password authenticators; and Enforce the following composition and complexity rules: [organization-defined].

Implementation Guidance

Password-based authentication applies to passwords regardless of whether they are used in single-factor or multi-factor authentication. Long passwords or passphrases are preferable over shorter passwords. Enforced composition rules provide marginal security benefits while decreasing usability. However, organizations may choose to establish certain rules for password generation (e.g., minimum character length for long passwords) under certain circumstances and can enforce this requirement in IA-5(1)(h). Account recovery can occur, for example, in situations when a password is forgotten. Cryptographically protected passwords include salted one-way cryptographic hashes of passwords. The list of commonly used, compromised, or expected passwords includes passwords obtained from previous breach corpuses, dictionary words, and repetitive or sequential characters. The list includes context-specific words, such as the name of the service, username, and derivatives thereof.

Risk Assessment

CWE Categories

References

• NIST SP 800-53 Rev 5 - IA-5(1)
• NIST SP 800-53A Rev 5 (Assessment Procedures)
• NIST SP 800-53 Rev 5 Full Catalog

Checklist

• Control documented in SSP
• Implementation evidence collected
• Operating effectiveness validated
• Continuous monitoring in place
• Related controls (IA-6) reviewed