SC-17

Requirement
1. Issue public key certificates under an [Assignment: organization-defined certificate policy] or obtain public key certificates from an approved service provider; and
2. Include only approved trust anchors in trust stores or certificate stores managed by the organization.

Discussion

Public key infrastructure (PKI) certificates are certificates with visibility external to organizational systems and certificates related to the internal operations of systems, such as application-specific time services. In cryptographic systems with a hierarchical structure, a trust anchor is an authoritative source (i.e., a certificate authority) for which trust is assumed and not derived. A root certificate for a PKI system is an example of a trust anchor. A trust store or certificate store maintains a list of trusted root certificates.

NIST 800-53A Assessment Guidance

Examine

[SELECT FROM: System and communications protection policy; procedures addressing public key infrastructure certificates; public key certificate policy or policies; public key issuing process; system security plan; other relevant documents or records].

Interview

[SELECT FROM: System/network administrators; organizational personnel with information security responsibilities; organizational personnel with responsibilities for issuing public key certificates; service providers].

Test

[SELECT FROM: Mechanisms supporting and/or implementing the management of public key infrastructure certificates].

ID	Assessment Objectives
SC-17a.	public key certificates are issued under <SC-17_ODP certificate policy> , or public key certificates are obtained from an approved service provider;
SC-17b.	only approved trust anchors are included in trust stores or certificate stores managed by the organization.

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