LLMPrompt MA.L2-3.7.5

I am a cybersecurity manager working for an organization that is a DoD contractor. I need to implement various security practices that conform to DoD's CMMC program at level 2. The CMMC program stipulates security practices that are based on NIST Special Publication 800-171 R2. For each security practice of CMMC Level 2, I need to show evidence that my organization is in compliance with CMMC. Each security practice has a security requirement and several assessment objectives that support that high-level security requirement.

I am assessing one of the assessment objectives within the practice MA.L2-3.7.5 – NONLOCAL MAINTENANCE. The CMMC program has published the following assessment guidance, so take them into account as you formulate your response. Also refer to the attached CMMC Level 2 Assessment Guide, AssessmentGuideL2v2.pdf, for more context and information about the practice.

A. SECURITY REQUIREMENT: Require multifactor authentication to establish nonlocal maintenance sessions via external network connections and terminate such connections when nonlocal maintenance is complete.

B. ASSESSMENT OBJECTIVES: Determine if: [a] multifactor authentication is used to establish nonlocal maintenance sessions via external network connections; and [b] nonlocal maintenance sessions established via external network connections are terminated when nonlocal maintenance is complete.

C. ASSESSMENT APPROACHES: I have three assessment approaches for assessing any security practice. They are listed as follows:

C1. Examine: The process of checking, inspecting, reviewing, observing, studying, or analyzing one or more assessment objectives to facilitate understanding, achieve clarification, or obtain evidence. The results are used to support the determination of security safeguard existence, functionality, correctness, completeness, and potential for improvement over time.

C2. Interview: The process of conducting discussion with individuals or groups of individuals in an organization to facilitate understanding, achieve clarification, or lead to the location of evidence. The results are used to support the determination of security safeguard existence, functionality, correctness, completeness, and potential for improvement over time.

C3. Test: The process of exercising one or more assessment objects under specified conditions to compare actual with expected behavior. The results are used to support the determination of security safeguard existence, functionality, correctness, completeness, and potential for improvement over time.

D. ASSESSMENT OBJECTS: Each assessment approach can yield potential assessment objects:

D1. Examine: [SELECT FROM: System maintenance policy; procedures addressing nonlocal system maintenance; system security plan; system design documentation; system configuration settings and associated documentation; maintenance records; diagnostic records; other relevant documents or records].

D2. Interview: [SELECT FROM: Personnel with system maintenance responsibilities; personnel with information security responsibilities; system or network administrators].

D3. Test: [SELECT FROM: Organizational processes for managing nonlocal maintenance; mechanisms implementing, supporting, and managing nonlocal maintenance; mechanisms for strong authentication of nonlocal maintenance diagnostic sessions; mechanisms for terminating nonlocal maintenance sessions and network connections].

E. DISCUSSION: Nonlocal maintenance and diagnostic activities are those activities conducted by individuals communicating through an external network. The authentication techniques employed in the establishment of these nonlocal maintenance and diagnostic sessions reflect the network access requirements in IA.L2-3.5.3.

F. FURTHER DISCUSSION: Nonlocal maintenance activities must use multifactor authentication. Multifactor authentication requires at least two factors, such as:

something you know (e.g., password, personal identification number [PIN]); something you have (e.g., cryptographic identification device, token); or something you are (e.g., biometric fingerprint or facial scan). Requiring two or more factors to prove your identity increases the security of the connection. Nonlocal maintenance activities are activities conducted from external network connections such as over the internet. After nonlocal maintenance activities are complete, shut down the external network connection.

This practice, MA.L2-3.7.5 requires the addition of multifactor authentication for remote maintenance sessions and complements five other practices dealing with remote access (AC.L2-3.1.12, AC.L2-3.1.14, AC.L2-3.1.13, AC.L2-3.1.15, and IA.L2-3.5.3):

AC.L2-3.1.12 requires the control of remote access sessions. AC.L2-3.1.14 limits remote access to specific access control points. AC.L2-3.1.13 requires the use of cryptographic mechanisms when enabling remote sessions. AC.L2-3.1.15 requires authorization for privileged commands executed during a remote session. Finally, IA.L2-3.5.3 requires multifactor authentication for network access to non-privileged accounts.

G. Example: You are responsible for maintaining your company’s firewall. In order to conduct maintenance while working remotely, you connect to the firewall’s management interface and log in using administrator credentials. The firewall then sends a verification request to the multifactor authentication app on your smartphone [a]. You need both of these things to prove your identity [a]. After you respond to the multifactor challenge, you have access to the maintenance interface. When you finish your activities, you shut down the remote connection by logging out and quitting your web browser [b].

H. Potential Assessment Considerations: Is multifactor authentication required prior to maintenance of a system when connecting remotely from outside the system boundary [a]? Are personnel required to manually terminate remote maintenance sessions established via external network connections when maintenance is complete, or are connections terminated automatically through system session management mechanisms [b]?

I. EVIDENCE TYPES: Finally, I have four evidence types that I can collect. The definitions of the evidence types are as follows:

I1. Artifacts: Tangible and reviewable records that are the direct outcome of a practice or process being performed by a system, person, or persons performing a role in that practice, control, or process. (See CAP Glossary for additional details.)

I2. Document: Any tangible thing which constitutes or contains information and means the original and any copies (whether different from the originals because of notes made on such copies or otherwise) of all writing of every kind and description over which an agency has authority. (See CAP Glossary for additional details.)

I3. Physical Review: An on-premise observation of Evidence.

I4. Screen Share: Live observation ""over the shoulder"" of a user as they share their computer screen while performing a task.

J. KEY REFERENCES: NIST SP 800-171 Rev 2 3.7.5