Password lifetime restrictions do not apply to temporary passwords

Changing temporary passwords to permanent passwords immediately after system logon ensures that the necessary strength of the authentication mechanism is implemented at the earliest opportunity, reducing the susceptibility to authenticator compromises.

Cryptographically-protected passwords use salted one-way cryptographic hashes of passwords. See [NIST CRYPTO].

The feedback from systems does not provide any information that would allow unauthorized individuals to compromise authentication mechanisms. For some types of systems or system components, for example, desktop or notebook computers with relatively large monitors, the threat (often referred to as shoulder surfing) may be significant. For other types of systems or components, for example, mobile devices with small displays, this threat may be less significant, and is balanced against the increased likelihood of typographic input errors due to the small keyboards. Therefore, the means for obscuring the authenticator feedback is selected accordingly. Obscuring authenticator feedback includes displaying asterisks when users type passwords into input devices or displaying feedback for a very limited time before fully obscuring it.

Organizations recognize that incident handling capability is dependent on the capabilities of organizational systems and the mission/business processes being supported by those systems. Organizations consider incident handling as part of the definition, design, and development of mission/business processes and systems. Incident-related information can be obtained from a variety of sources including audit monitoring, network monitoring, physical access monitoring, user and administrator reports, and reported supply chain events. Effective incident handling capability includes coordination among many organizational entities including mission/business owners, system owners, authorizing officials, human resources offices, physical and personnel security offices, legal departments, operations personnel, procurement offices, and the risk executive. As part of user response activities, incident response training is provided by organizations and is linked directly to the assigned roles and responsibilities of organizational personnel to ensure that the appropriate content and level of detail is included in such training. For example, regular users may only need to know who to call or how to recognize an incident on the system; system administrators may require additional training on how to handle or remediate incidents; and incident responders may receive more specific training on forensics, reporting, system recovery, and restoration. Incident response training includes user training in the identification/reporting of suspicious activities from external and internal sources. User response activities also includes incident response assistance which may consist of help desk support, assistance groups, and access to forensics services or consumer redress services, when required. [SP 800-61] provides guidance on incident handling. [SP 800-86] and [SP 800-101] provide guidance on integrating forensic techniques into incident response. [SP 800-161] provides guidance on supply chain risk management.

Tracking and documenting system security incidents includes maintaining records about each incident, the status of the incident, and other pertinent information necessary for forensics, evaluating incident details, trends, and handling. Incident information can be obtained from a variety of sources including incident reports, incident response teams, audit monitoring, network monitoring, physical access monitoring, and user/administrator reports. Reporting incidents addresses specific incident reporting requirements within an organization and the formal incident reporting requirements for the organization. Suspected security incidents may also be reported and include the receipt of suspicious email communications that can potentially contain malicious code. The types of security incidents reported, the content and timeliness of the reports, and the designated reporting authorities reflect applicable laws, Executive Orders, directives, regulations, and policies. [SP 800-61] provides guidance on incident handling.

Organizations test incident response capabilities to determine the effectiveness of the capabilities and to identify potential weaknesses or deficiencies. Incident response testing includes the use of checklists, walk-through or tabletop exercises, simulations (both parallel and full interrupt), and comprehensive exercises. Incident response testing can also include a determination of the effects on organizational operations (e.g., reduction in mission capabilities), organizational assets, and individuals due to incident response. [SP 800-84] provides guidance on testing programs for information technology capabilities.

This requirement addresses the information security aspects of the system maintenance program and applies to all types of maintenance to any system component (including hardware, firmware, applications) conducted by any local or nonlocal entity. System maintenance also includes those components not directly associated with information processing and data or information retention such as scanners, copiers, and printers. [26] In general, system maintenance requirements tend to support the security objective of availability. However, improper system maintenance or a failure to perform maintenance can result in the unauthorized disclosure of CUI, thus compromising confidentiality of that information.

This requirement addresses security-related issues with maintenance tools that are not within the organizational system boundaries that process, store, or transmit CUI, but are used specifically for diagnostic and repair actions on those systems. Organizations have flexibility in determining the controls in place for maintenance tools, but can include approving, controlling, and monitoring the use of such tools. Maintenance tools are potential vehicles for transporting malicious code, either intentionally or unintentionally, into a facility and into organizational systems. Maintenance tools can include hardware, software, and firmware items, for example, hardware and software diagnostic test equipment and hardware and software packet sniffers.

This requirement addresses the information security aspects of system maintenance that are performed off-site and applies to all types of maintenance to any system component (including applications) conducted by a local or nonlocal entity (e.g., in-contract, warranty, in- house, software maintenance agreement). [SP 800-88] provides guidance on media sanitization.