NIST Special Publication 800-171 Revision 2

Discussion:

In contrast to requirement 3.8.1, which restricts user access to media, this requirement restricts the use of certain types of media on systems, for example, restricting or prohibiting the use of flash drives or external hard disk drives. Organizations can employ technical and nontechnical controls (e.g., policies, procedures, and rules of behavior) to control the use of system media. Organizations may control the use of portable storage devices, for example, by using physical cages on workstations to prohibit access to certain external ports, or disabling or removing the ability to insert, read, or write to such devices. Organizations may also limit the use of portable storage devices to only approved devices including devices provided by the organization, devices provided by other approved organizations, and devices that are not personally owned. Finally, organizations may control the use of portable storage devices based on the type of device, prohibiting the use of writeable, portable devices, and implementing this restriction by disabling or removing the capability to write to such devices.

Upon assessment, assessors must determine if-

Determine if the use of removable media on system components is controlled.

Assessors are instructed to-

Examine: [SELECT FROM: System media protection policy; system use policy; procedures addressing media usage restrictions; system security plan; rules of behavior; system design documentation; system configuration settings and associated documentation; system audit logs and records; other relevant documents or records].

Interview: [SELECT FROM: Personnel with system media use responsibilities; personnel with information security responsibilities; system or network administrators].

Test: [SELECT FROM: Organizational processes for media use; mechanisms restricting or prohibiting use of system media on systems or system components].