The Federal Information Security Management Act (FISMA) recognizes the need for security control and assessment procedures for Federal Information Systems and Organizations.

NIST Special Publication 800-53 (Rev 5) section PE-6 relates specifically to the monitoring of physical access and is where the deployment of a Digitus Access Solution can help with your compliance efforts.

Control:

1. Monitor physical access to the facility where the system resides to detect and respond to physical security incidents;
2. Review physical access logs [Assignment: organization-defined frequency] and upon occurrence of [Assignment: organization-defined events or potential indications of events]; and
3. Coordinate results of reviews and investigations with the organizational incident response capability.

Discussion:

Physical access monitoring includes publicly accessible areas within organizational facilities. Examples of physical access monitoring include the employment of guards, video surveillance equipment (i.e., cameras), and sensor devices. Reviewing physical access logs can help identify suspicious activity, anomalous events, or potential threats. The reviews can be supported by audit logging controls, such as AU-2, if the access logs are part of an automated system. Organizational incident response capabilities include investigations of physical security incidents and responses to the incidents. Incidents include security violations or suspicious physical access activities. Suspicious physical access activities include accesses outside of normal work hours, repeated accesses to areas not normally accessed, accesses for unusual lengths of time, and out-of-sequence accesses.

Control Enhancements:

(4) MONITORING PHYSICAL ACCESS | MONITORING PHYSICAL ACCESS TO SYSTEMS

Monitor physical access to the system in addition to the physical access monitoring of the facility at [Assignment: organization-defined physical spaces containing one or more components of the system].

Discussion:

Monitoring physical access to systems provides additional monitoring for those areas within facilities where there is a concentration of system components, including server rooms, media storage areas, and communications centers. Physical access monitoring can be coordinated with intrusion detection systems and system monitoring capabilities to provide comprehensive and integrated threat coverage for the organization.