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IA-8(2)Identification and Authentication (non-organizational Users) | Acceptance of External Authenticators

IL4 Mod
IL4 High
IL5
IL6

>Control Description

(a) Accept only external authenticators that are NIST-compliant; and (b) Document and maintain a list of accepted external authenticators.

>DoD Impact Level Requirements

No specific parameter values or requirements for this impact level.

>Discussion

Acceptance of only NIST-compliant external authenticators applies to organizational systems that are accessible to the public (e.g., public-facing websites). External authenticators are issued by nonfederal government entities and are compliant with SP 800-63B. Approved external authenticators meet or exceed the minimum Federal Government-wide technical, security, privacy, and organizational maturity requirements.

Meeting or exceeding Federal requirements allows Federal Government relying parties to trust external authenticators in connection with an authentication transaction at a specified authenticator assurance level.

>Programmatic Queries

Beta

Related Services

Cognito
SSM Parameter Store
IAM Roles

CLI Commands

Configure external authenticator in Cognito
aws cognito-idp create-identity-provider --user-pool-id POOL_ID --provider-name ExternalAuth --provider-type SAML --provider-details MetadataURL=https://external-auth.com/metadata.xml
Add external auth to user pool
aws cognito-idp update-identity-provider --user-pool-id POOL_ID --provider-name ExternalAuth --provider-details MetadataURL=https://external-auth.com/metadata.xml,IDPSignout=true
List identity providers in pool
aws cognito-idp list-identity-providers --user-pool-id POOL_ID --query 'Providers[*].{ProviderName:ProviderName,ProviderType:ProviderType}'

>Assessment Interview Topics

Questions assessors commonly ask

Process & Governance:

  • What formal policies and procedures govern the implementation of IA-8(2) (Acceptance Of External Authenticators)?
  • Who are the designated roles responsible for implementing, maintaining, and monitoring IA-8(2)?
  • How frequently is the IA-8(2) policy reviewed and updated, and what triggers policy changes?
  • What governance structure ensures IA-8(2) requirements are consistently applied across all systems?

Technical Implementation:

  • Describe the specific technical mechanisms or controls used to enforce IA-8(2) requirements.
  • What automated tools, systems, or technologies are deployed to implement IA-8(2)?
  • How is IA-8(2) integrated into your system architecture and overall security posture?
  • What configuration settings, parameters, or technical specifications enforce IA-8(2) requirements?

Evidence & Documentation:

  • What documentation demonstrates the complete implementation of IA-8(2)?
  • What audit logs, records, reports, or monitoring data validate IA-8(2) compliance?
  • Can you provide evidence of periodic reviews, assessments, or testing of IA-8(2) effectiveness?
  • What artifacts would you present during a FedRAMP assessment to demonstrate IA-8(2) compliance?

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