CMMC Practice IA.L1-3.5.2 – Authentication: Authenticate (or verify) the identities of those users, processes, or devices, as a prerequisite to allowing access to organizational information systems.
Links to Publicly Available Resources
Webinar presented by Thales and Verasec on challenges and best practices for deploying and managing FIDO (phishing-resistant MFA). This video is a quick introduction to the problems faced with common MFA systems. CISA's guide for getting started with MFA in your business and personal life. This document provides self-assessment guidance for conducting Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) assessments for Level 1. This article highlights MFA and the necessity to implement to all privileged account access and users who access network resources. This guide aims to aid existing and new Duo customers in securing their MFA rollout at their respective organizations. Learn what to look for when assessing and comparing two-factor authentication solutions. Duo's wide variety of authentication methods make it easy for every user to securely and quickly log in. This example procedure from the EPA describes how the agency is to implement security control requirements for the NIST SP 800-53 Identification and Authentication (IA) control family. Gartner's user authentication product reviews and ratings Guide to enable Multi-factor autheitication for Active Directory Federation Services (AD FS) in Windows Server. Also provide guides for use of common Third-party authentication methods (i.e., Duo, Akamai, RSA, etc.,) Guide for enforcing MFA for Microsoft 365 This NIST Special Publication provides technical requirements for federal agencies implementing digital identity services. This cheat sheet from OWASP provides general authentication guidelines. The scope of this test is to verify if it is possible to collect a set of valid usernames by interacting with the authentication mechanism of the application. OpenOTP is a phishing-resistant MFA solution. Secure access to your extended enterprise with RSA SecurID Access, the leading multi-factor authentication and identity assurance solution. This SANS guideline provides best practices for creating secure passwords. This is a sample password protection policy from SANS. This SANS whitepaper generalizes several authentication methods and authentication protocols. This SANS whitepaper looks at the use of biometrics technology to determine how secure it might be in authenticating users. This SANS whitepaper discusses implementing an additional security layer for wired networks. This SANS whitepaper discusses the theory behind user-based two-factor (or multifactor) authentication systems, also known as “2FA”. This SANS whitepaper focuses on enterprise solutions for two-factor authentication. More on Two-Factor Authentication and it's ineffectivenss defense against identity theft. This example policy from the State of Alabama provides a starting point for system maintenance. This whitepaper is directed at IT, Security, and Compliance workers who are responsible for recommending or evaluating security products; or running and managing two-factor authentication infrastructure. Gemalto's identity and access management (IAM) solutions allow organizations to meet the evolving needs around cloud applications and mobile devices. This YouTube video discusses identification and authentication issues in the context of computer security. In this edition of the On Call Compliance Solutions Compliance Tip of the Week, we focus on individual authenticators including passwords, key cards, cryptographic devices, and one-time password devices. Let’s talk about NIST 800-171 Authenticate (or verify) the identities of users, processes, or devices, as a prerequisite to allowing access to organizational systems. Yubikey is a phishing-resistant MFA that stops modern cyber-attacks.
Discussion [NIST SP 800-171 R2]
Individual authenticators include the following: passwords, key cards, cryptographic devices, and one-time password devices. Initial authenticator content is the actual content of the authenticator, for example, the initial password. In contrast, the requirements about authenticator content include the minimum password length. Developers ship system components with factory default authentication credentials to allow for initial installation and configuration. Default authentication credentials are often well known, easily discoverable, and present a significant security risk.
Systems support authenticator management by organization-defined settings and restrictions for various authenticator characteristics including minimum password length, validation time window for time synchronous one-time tokens, and number of allowed rejections during the verification stage of biometric authentication. Authenticator management includes issuing and revoking, when no longer needed, authenticators for temporary access such as that required for remote maintenance. Device authenticators include certificates and passwords.
NIST SP 800-63-3 provides guidance on digital identities.
Further Discussion
Before you let a person or a device have access to your system, verify that the user or device is who or what it claims to be. This verification is called authentication. The most common way to verify identity is using a username and a hard-to-guess password.
Some devices ship with default usernames and passwords. For example, some devices ship so that when you first log on to the device, the username is “admin” and the password is “admin”. When you have devices with this type of default username and password, immediately change the default password to a unique password you create. Default passwords may be well known to the public, easily found in a search, or easy to guess, allowing an unauthorized person to access your system.