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SI-4(10)System Monitoring | Visibility of Encrypted Communications

IL4 High
IL5
IL6

>Control Description

Make provisions so that organization-defined encrypted communications traffic is visible to organization-defined system monitoring tools and mechanisms.

>DoD Impact Level Requirements

Additional Requirements and Guidance

SI-4 (10) Requirement: The service provider must support Agency requirements to comply with M-21-31 (https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/M-21-31-Improving-the-Federal-Governments-Investigative-and-Remediation-Capabilities-Related-to-Cybersecurity-Incidents.pdf) and M-22-09 (https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/M-22-09.pdf).

>Discussion

Organizations balance the need to encrypt communications traffic to protect data confidentiality with the need to maintain visibility into such traffic from a monitoring perspective. Organizations determine whether the visibility requirement applies to internal encrypted traffic, encrypted traffic intended for external destinations, or a subset of the traffic types.

>Assessment Interview Topics

Questions assessors commonly ask

Process & Governance:

  • What policies and procedures govern visibility of encrypted communications?
  • Who is responsible for monitoring system and information integrity?
  • How frequently are integrity monitoring processes reviewed and updated?

Technical Implementation:

  • What technical controls detect and respond to visibility of encrypted communications issues?
  • How are integrity violations identified and reported?
  • What automated tools support system and information integrity monitoring?
  • What systems and events are monitored for integrity violations?

Evidence & Documentation:

  • Can you provide recent integrity monitoring reports or alerts?
  • What logs demonstrate that SI-4(10) is actively implemented?
  • Where is evidence of integrity monitoring maintained and for how long?
  • Can you provide examples of integrity monitoring alerts and responses?

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