Cryptographic Module Authentication IA-7

Identification and Authentication · Low baseline ✗ Not implemented

Status — program-wide

What references this control

No risks name this control in their Framework field yet.

No policies reference it yet.

Link a risk or policy to this control

Attaching adds IA-7 to the item's Framework field; the ✨ AI button suggests the best match. You can also edit the Framework field on a risk / policy directly.

Source: NIST SP 800-53 Rev.5, Identification and Authentication family NIST SP 800-53 Rev.5. The baseline shows the lowest SP 800-53B baseline (Low / Moderate / High) this control appears in NIST SP 800-53B.

Control guide — plain-English, per NIST SP 800-53

IA-7 (Cryptographic Module Authentication) says that before software or a person can use a cryptographic module — the component that holds keys and does encryption — they must authenticate to it in a way that meets the applicable standards, such as FIPS (Federal Information Processing Standards) 140. In plain terms: the thing that guards your keys should itself demand proof before it uses those keys. It applies from the Low baseline up.

What good looks like

Require authentication to the cryptographic module — an operator or role must prove identity before the module performs key operations.
Meet the applicable standard — for U.S. systems that usually means a FIPS (Federal Information Processing Standards) 140-validated module.
Protect the module’s keys and secrets so they cannot be used without passing that authentication.
Match the authentication strength to the rules that apply to your system, not just a default password.

Framework mapping

NIST CSF 2.0 — PR.AA-03 — Users, services, and hardware are authenticated

How to move it toward Implemented

Turn on the system’s FIPS (Federal Information Processing Standards) mode so cryptographic operations use a validated module — for example fips-mode-setup --enable on Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) family systems, then reboot; on Ubuntu, enable the FIPS packages.
Confirm it is active — check that /proc/sys/crypto/fips_enabled reads 1 and that OpenSSL reports the FIPS provider is loaded.
Protect access to key stores and private keys with tight file permissions and, where used, a passphrase or PKCS#11 (a cryptographic token standard) PIN so the module demands authentication before it acts.
Attach that FIPS-mode confirmation as hardening evidence on the asset, naming IA-7 in the Requirement field — that moves it from ‘To assess’ toward ‘Completed’.