NIST SP 800-53A Rev. 5
Assessing Security and Privacy Controls in Federal Information Systems and Organizations: Guideline for Conducting Security Assessments
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Framework Domains (19)
Assessment Governance
| Code | Title |
|---|---|
| 53A-ASSESSOR-INDEP | Establish Assessor Independence |
Assessment Methods
| Code | Title |
|---|---|
| 53A-METHOD-EXAMINE | Apply the Examine Assessment Method |
| 53A-METHOD-INTERVIEW | Apply the Interview Assessment Method |
| 53A-METHOD-TEST | Apply the Test Assessment Method |
| 53A-SAMPLING | Apply Sampling for Population Assessments |
Assessment Planning
| Code | Title |
|---|---|
| 53A-ASMT-PLAN | Develop a Security and Privacy Assessment Plan |
| 53A-OBJECT-INVENTORY | Identify Assessment Objects |
Assessment Procedures
| Code | Title |
|---|---|
| 53A-OBJECTIVE | Define Assessment Objectives and Determination Statements |
Assessment Rigor
| Code | Title |
|---|---|
| 53A-DEPTH-COVERAGE | Determine Assessment Depth and Coverage |
Automation
| Code | Title |
|---|---|
| 53A-AUTOMATED-EVID | Use Automated Evidence Collection |
Control Inheritance
| Code | Title |
|---|---|
| 53A-CONTROL-INHERIT | Assess Inherited and Hybrid Controls |
Evidence Management
| Code | Title |
|---|---|
| 53A-EVIDENCE-CHAIN | Maintain Evidence Chain of Custody |
NIST SP 800-53A: Access Control & Identity
Managing access to information systems (NIST SP 800-53A)
| Code | Title |
|---|---|
| NIST53A-01 | Account management and provisioning |
| NIST53A-02 | Access enforcement and least privilege |
| NIST53A-03 | Multi-factor authentication requirements |
| NIST53A-04 | Remote access controls |
| NIST53A-05 | Wireless access restrictions |
| NIST53A-06 | Identity proofing and verification |
NIST SP 800-53A: Audit & Accountability
Audit logging and accountability measures (NIST SP 800-53A)
| Code | Title |
|---|---|
| NIST53A-28 | Audit event logging and storage |
| NIST53A-29 | Audit record review and analysis |
| NIST53A-30 | Time synchronization |
| NIST53A-31 | Audit log protection and retention |
| NIST53A-32 | Accountability and non-repudiation |
NIST SP 800-53A: Configuration Management
Managing system configurations securely (NIST SP 800-53A)
| Code | Title |
|---|---|
| NIST53A-23 | Baseline configuration establishment |
| NIST53A-24 | Configuration change control |
| NIST53A-25 | Security impact analysis |
| NIST53A-26 | System component inventory |
| NIST53A-27 | Software usage restrictions |
NIST SP 800-53A: Incident Response
Detecting and responding to security incidents (NIST SP 800-53A)
| Code | Title |
|---|---|
| NIST53A-18 | Incident response planning and testing |
| NIST53A-19 | Incident handling and containment |
| NIST53A-20 | Incident reporting and notification |
| NIST53A-21 | Forensic analysis capabilities |
| NIST53A-22 | Lessons learned and improvement |
NIST SP 800-53A: Risk Assessment & Management
Identifying and managing cybersecurity risks (NIST SP 800-53A)
| Code | Title |
|---|---|
| NIST53A-13 | Risk assessment procedures |
| NIST53A-14 | Vulnerability scanning and management |
| NIST53A-15 | Security categorization |
| NIST53A-16 | Threat intelligence integration |
| NIST53A-17 | Continuous monitoring strategy |
NIST SP 800-53A: System & Communications Protection
Protecting systems and communications (NIST SP 800-53A)
| Code | Title |
|---|---|
| NIST53A-07 | Boundary protection and segmentation |
| NIST53A-08 | Cryptographic protection of data |
| NIST53A-09 | Denial-of-service protection |
| NIST53A-10 | Transmission confidentiality and integrity |
| NIST53A-11 | Session management controls |
| NIST53A-12 | Network monitoring and defense |
Ongoing Assessment
| Code | Title |
|---|---|
| 53A-CONTINUOUS | Support Continuous Control Monitoring |
Privacy Assessment
| Code | Title |
|---|---|
| 53A-PRIVACY-ASMT | Assess Privacy Controls |
Remediation Validation
| Code | Title |
|---|---|
| 53A-RETEST | Retest After Remediation |
Reporting
| Code | Title |
|---|---|
| 53A-FINDINGS | Document Assessment Findings and Recommendations |
| 53A-SAR | Produce Security and Privacy Assessment Report |
Supply Chain
| Code | Title |
|---|---|
| 53A-SUPPLY-CHAIN | Assess Supply Chain Risk Management Controls |
Your Compliance Coverage
If you comply with NIST SP 800-53A Rev. 5, you already cover:
ANSSI Cybersecurity Framework
36%
18 controls mapped
Compare →Cyber Essentials Plus
36%
18 controls mapped
Compare →NIST SP 800-171
36%
18 controls mapped
Compare →+ 534 more: NIST SP 800-172 (36%), CISA Zero Trust Maturity Model (36%)
See all 537 mapped frameworks ↓Maps to 537 other frameworks
Frequently Asked Questions
What is NIST SP 800-53A Rev. 5?
NIST SP 800-53A Rev. 5 is a compliance framework from United States with 19 domains and 50 controls. Assessing Security and Privacy Controls in Federal Information Systems and Organizations: Guideline for Conducting Security Assessments It is used by organisations to establish and maintain compliance with industry standards and regulatory requirements.
How many controls does NIST SP 800-53A Rev. 5 have?
NIST SP 800-53A Rev. 5 has 50 controls organised across 19 domains. The largest domains are NIST SP 800-53A: Access Control & Identity (6 controls), NIST SP 800-53A: System & Communications Protection (6 controls), NIST SP 800-53A: Audit & Accountability (5 controls). Each control defines specific requirements that organisations must implement to achieve compliance.
What frameworks does NIST SP 800-53A Rev. 5 map to?
NIST SP 800-53A Rev. 5 maps to 537 other compliance frameworks. The top mapping partners are ANSSI Cybersecurity Framework (36% coverage), Cyber Essentials Plus (36% coverage), NIST SP 800-171 (36% coverage). Use our comparison tool to explore control-level mappings between frameworks.
How do I get started with NIST SP 800-53A Rev. 5 compliance?
Start your NIST SP 800-53A Rev. 5 compliance journey by running a self-assessment on our platform to identify your current compliance posture. Our AI advisory can answer specific questions about NIST SP 800-53A Rev. 5 requirements, and cross-framework mapping helps you leverage existing controls from other frameworks you may already comply with. Create a free account to access all 50 controls and track your progress.
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