SA-4(6)

Requirement
1. Employ only government off-the-shelf or commercial off-the-shelf information assurance and information assurance-enabled information technology products that compose an NSA-approved solution to protect classified information when the networks used to transmit the information are at a lower classification level than the information being transmitted; and
2. Ensure that these products have been evaluated and/or validated by NSA or in accordance with NSA-approved procedures.

Discussion

Commercial off-the-shelf IA or IA-enabled information technology products used to protect classified information by cryptographic means may be required to use NSA-approved key management. See NSA CSFC.

NIST 800-53A Assessment Guidance

Examine

[SELECT FROM: Supply chain risk management plan; system and services acquisition policy; procedures addressing the integration of security requirements, descriptions, and criteria into the acquisition process; solicitation documents; acquisition documentation; acquisition contracts for the system, system component, or system service; security configurations to be implemented by the developer of the system, system component, or system service; service level agreements; list of deployed IT products/solutions; NSA-approved list; system security plan; other relevant documents or records].

Interview

[SELECT FROM: Organizational personnel with acquisition/contracting responsibilities; organizational personnel with the responsibility to determine system security requirements; organizational personnel responsible for ensuring information assurance products are NSA-approved and are evaluated and/or validated products in accordance with NSA-approved procedures; organizational personnel with information security responsibilities].

Test

[SELECT FROM: Organizational processes for selecting and employing evaluated and/or validated information assurance products and services that compose an NSA-approved solution to protect classified information].

ID	Assessment Objectives
SA-04(06)(a)	only government off-the-shelf or commercial off-the-shelf information assurance and information assurance-enabled information technology products that compose an NSA-approved solution to protect classified information when the networks used to transmit the information are at a lower classification level than the information being transmitted are employed;
SA-04(06)(b)	these products have been evaluated and/or validated by NSA or in accordance with NSA-approved procedures.

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