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AU-13(1) Use of Automated Tools

Enhancement of: AU-13

High-Level Description

Family: Audit and Accountability (AU) Framework: NIST SP 800-53 Rev 5

Automated mechanisms include commercial services that provide notifications and alerts to organizations and automated scripts to monitor new posts on websites.

What to Check

• Verify AU-13(1) Use of Automated Tools is documented in SSP
• Confirm control is operating effectively
• Review evidence of continuous monitoring for AU-13(1)
• Verify enhancement builds upon base control AU-13

How to Test

Step 1: Review Documentation

Examine the System Security Plan (SSP) and related artifacts for AU-13(1) implementation details. Verify the organization has documented how this control is satisfied.

Step 2: Validate Implementation

# For cloud environments, use cloud-audit-mcp tools
# For on-premises, review system configurations directly

# Example: Check if account management policies exist
grep -r "account.management\|access.control" /etc/security/ 2>/dev/null

Step 3: Test Operating Effectiveness

Verify the control is actively functioning, not just documented. Check logs, configurations, and operational evidence.

Tools

Remediation Guide

Control Statement

Monitor open-source information and information sites using [organization-defined].

Implementation Guidance

Automated mechanisms include commercial services that provide notifications and alerts to organizations and automated scripts to monitor new posts on websites.

Risk Assessment

CWE Categories

References

• NIST SP 800-53 Rev 5 - AU-13(1)
• NIST SP 800-53A Rev 5 (Assessment Procedures)
• NIST SP 800-53 Rev 5 Full Catalog

Checklist

• Control documented in SSP
• Implementation evidence collected
• Operating effectiveness validated
• Continuous monitoring in place
• Related controls (none) reviewed