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IAC-50: Compliance As Code (CAC) Identity Governance

IAC 7 — High Identify

Mechanisms exist to inventory, uniquely identify and assign accountable ownership for Control Assurance Automation (CAA) automated identifies, including: (1) Service accounts; (2) API keys; (3) OAuth grants; and (4) Machine and workload identities.

Control Question: Does the organization inventory, uniquely identify and assign accountable ownership for Control Assurance Automation (CAA) automated identifies, including: (1) Service accounts; (2) API keys; (3) OAuth grants; and (4) Machine and workload identities?

Capability Maturity Model

Level 0 — Not Performed

Practices are non-existent, based on the inability to demonstrate an implemented and operational capability. A reasonable person would conclude the control is not being performed.

Level 1 — Performed Informally

Identification & Authentication (IAC) domain capabilities are ad hoc and inconsistent. Capability criteria associated with this control may include: ▪ Policies, standards & procedures associated with IAC domain capabilities provide limited coverage due to the depth and breadth of the existing documentation. ▪ Identity & Access Management (IAM)-related activities are decentralized (e.g., a localized/regionalized function) and uses non-standardized methods to implement secure, resilient and compliant practices. ▪ IAM controls are primarily administrative in nature (e.g., policies & standards) to manage accounts and permissions. ▪ IT and/or cybersecurity personnel identify and implement IAM cybersecurity and data protection controls that are appropriate to address applicable statutory, regulatory and contractual requirements.

Level 2 — Planned & Tracked

Identification & Authentication (IAC) capabilities are requirements-driven, but are not standardized across the entity (e.g., local/regional level consistency). Capability criteria associated with this control reasonably expect the following criteria to exist: ▪ Policies and standards associated with IAC domain capabilities are formally documented and centrally-managed by the entity. ▪ Standardized Operating Procedures (SOP) associated with IAC domain capabilities are documented and maintained by process owners. ▪ IT and/or cybersecurity personnel work with business stakeholders and process owners to appropriately scope and reasonably implement cybersecurity and data protection controls associated with IAC domain capabilities to address applicable statutory, regulatory and/or contractual requirements for Technology Assets, Applications, Services and/or Data (TAASD). ▪ Identity & Access Management (IAM)-related controls are primarily administrative and preventative in nature (e.g., policies, standards and procedures & guidelines) to enforce Logical Access Control (LAC). ▪ IAM may be a defined function (e.g., team or department) or assigned as an additional duty to existing IT and/or cybersecurity personnel to implement Role Based Access Control (RBAC) practices for the management of user, group and system accounts, including privileged accounts. ▪ A directory services technology is used to centrally manage identities and permissions with RBAC. Due to technical or business limitations, asset/process owners are empowered to operate a decentralized access control program for their specific Technology Assets, Applications and/or Services (TAAS) that cannot be integrated into directory services.

Level 3 — Well Defined

Identification & Authentication (IAC) capabilities are standardized across the entity for applicability to People, Processes, Technologies, Data and/or Facilities (PPTDF) to ensure consistency for Technology Assets, Applications, Services and/or Data (TAASD). Capability criteria associated with this control reasonably expect the following criteria to exist: ▪ Policies and standards associated with IAC domain capabilities are formally documented and centrally-managed by the entity's Governance, Risk & Compliance (GRC) team, or similar function. ▪ Standardized Operating Procedures (SOP) associated with IAC domain capabilities are well-documented and kept current by process owners. ▪ An Identity & Access Management (IAM) team, or similar function, is appropriately staffed and supported to implement and maintain IAC domain capabilities. ▪ Technology is leveraged to enhance the efficiency and accuracy of IAM operations (e.g., directory services, Authenticate, Authorize and Audit (AAA) solution). ▪ The entity's Governance, Risk & Compliance (GRC) team, or similar function, works with business stakeholders and process owners to appropriately scope and reasonably implement cybersecurity and data protection controls associated with IAC domain capabilities to address Minimum Compliance Requirements (MCR) (e.g., applicable statutory, regulatory and/or contractual requirements) and Discretionary Security Requirements (DSR) (e.g., entity-required controls).

Level 4 — Quantitatively Controlled

Utilize SCR-CMM Level 3 criteria definitions: ▪ There are no defined Level 4 criteria, since it is reasonable to assume a quantitatively-controlled process is not necessary to operationalize this control. ▪ While it may be possible to develop “metrics-driven” capabilities for this control, the criteria would be organization-specific to define.

Level 5 — Continuously Improving

Utilize SCR-CMM Level 3 or Level 4 (if available) criteria definitions: ▪ There are no defined Level 5 criteria, since it is reasonable to assume a continuously-improving process is not necessary to operationalize this control. ▪ Level 5 capabilities should be considered “world-class” where the control builds on Level 4 capabilities, but are continuously improving through Artificial Intelligence (AI) and/or Machine Learning (ML) technologies. ▪ While it may be possible to develop responsive capabilities for this control through the use of AI and/or ML technologies, the criteria would be organization-specific to define.

Assessment Objectives

  1. IAC-50_A01 an inventory of Control Assurance Automation (CAA) automated identities is maintained.
  2. IAC-50_A02 each Control Assurance Automation (CAA) automated identity is uniquely identified and is not shared across tools, pipelines or workloads.
  3. IAC-50_A03 an accountable owner is assigned to each Control Assurance Automation (CAA) automated identity and is recorded in the inventory.
  4. IAC-50_A04 the inventory of Control Assurance Automation (CAA) automated identities includes service accounts.
  5. IAC-50_A05 the inventory of Control Assurance Automation (CAA) automated identities includes API keys.
  6. IAC-50_A06 the inventory of Control Assurance Automation (CAA) automated identities includes OAuth grants.
  7. IAC-50_A07 the inventory of Control Assurance Automation (CAA) automated identities includes machine and workload identities.
  8. IAC-50_A08 the inventory of Control Assurance Automation (CAA) automated identities is reconciled against identities present in the identity provider(s), tooling and pipelines at a defined frequency.

Evidence Requirements

E-IAC-15 Control Assurance Automation (CAA) Identity & Credential Management

Documented evidence of the inventory, ownership, least-privilege (read-only) scope and credential lifecycle management for Control Assurance Automation (CAA) automated identities (service accounts, API keys, OAuth grants).

Identity & Access Management

Technology Recommendations

Micro/Small

  • List of automation/service accounts and API keys with named owner (spreadsheet)

Small

  • Service account and API key inventory with owners
  • Cloud provider IAM reports (e.g., AWS IAM credential report, Entra enterprise applications)

Medium

  • Service account inventory in the identity governance tool or CMDB
  • Annual service account review
  • Cloud IAM inventory (e.g., AWS IAM Access Analyzer, Entra app registrations)

Large

  • Identity Governance & Administration (IGA) covering non-human identities (e.g., SailPoint, Saviynt)
  • Secrets manager inventory of API keys
  • Annual ownership recertification

Enterprise

  • Enterprise non-human identity management (e.g., SailPoint, Saviynt, CyberArk, Entro, Oasis)
  • Automated discovery of service accounts, API keys and OAuth grants
  • Ownership recertification workflows

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