# BSI C5:2020 PSS-05 — Authentication Mechanisms - Source: https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/bsi-c5-2020/pss-05-authentication-mechanisms - Section: [Compliance](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance) › [BSI C5:2020 (Cloud Computing Compliance Criteria)](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/bsi-c5-2020) › Platform & Service Security (PSS) - Last updated: 2026-06-05 - Publisher: iCompaas, Inc. (https://www.icompaas.com) **BSI C5:2020**·Criterion `PSS-05`·high·Component: **Platform & Service Security** ## What this control requires > Provides strong authentication mechanisms, enforcing multi-factor for privileged users and components. Ensures secure access at all interaction points, protecting cloud customer data from unauthorized access within customer environments. > > — BSI C5:2020, Criterion PSS-05 ### In plain English Provides strong authentication mechanisms, enforcing multi-factor for privileged users and components. In practice, this means you can prove you review cloud customer data-level controls on a defined cadence. ## Why it matters BSI C5 is the default cloud-security baseline German public-sector buyers and many DAX-listed enterprises expect; gaps here directly block procurement in the DACH region and frequently appear as must-have items in EU public-tender documents. This control is rated **high**. Auditors expect a named owner, a remediation SLA, and a tooling artefact that evidences continuous operation. ## What an auditor looks for A C5 attesting auditor (under ISAE 3000 / IDW PS 860) tests both the design and — for a Type 2 — the operating effectiveness over the attestation period. For each criterion they look for both the Basic and any in-scope Additional objectives. Within **Platform & Service Security**, the assessor will trace your implementation back to the catalogue reference (Criterion PSS-05) and look for objective evidence on the latest two assessment cycles. ## How to implement #### Cloud Posture **CSPM.** Run Wiz / Prisma / Defender for Cloud / Security Command Center over every account; auto-ticket findings above your accepted-risk threshold. ### Operational checklist - **Review.** Document the trigger, the owner and the cadence. - **Security.** Document the trigger, the owner and the cadence. - **Data.** Document the trigger, the owner and the cadence. - **Access.** Document the trigger, the owner and the cadence. - **Authentication.** Document the trigger, the owner and the cadence. - **Scope:** cloud customer data, mechanisms, environments, management. ## Evidence to collect - **Identity Scan.** IAM / IdP exports — Entra ID, Okta, IAM Identity Center, Workspace directory — showing accounts, roles, MFA state and last sign-in. Identity analytics (Okta, SailPoint, Access Analyzer) demonstrates least-privilege. Focus: Authentication Mechanisms. ## Common pitfalls - Treating CSPM findings as a backlog instead of a hot queue: findings older than the policy SLA accumulate until the auditor asks why. ## How it maps to other frameworks Computed from shared tags, control component and key-operation subjects — handy when you are reconciling controls across an audit. - [**SOC 2 (2017 TSC) CC6.2** — Access Provisioning](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/soc-2-trust-services-criteria/cc6-2-access-provisioning) - [**ISO/IEC 27001:2022 A.8.2** — Privileged access rights](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/iso-27001-2022/a-8-2-privileged-access-rights) - [**CIS Controls v8 14.9** — Conduct Role-Specific Security Awareness and Skills Training](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/cis-controls-v8/14-9-conduct-role-specific-security-awareness-and-skills-training) - [**NIST SP 800-171 Rev. 3 3.13.4** — Information in Shared System Resources](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/nist-sp-800-171-rev-3/3-13-4-information-in-shared-system-resources) - [**NIST SP 800-53 Rev. 5 AC-6(6)** — Privileged Access By Non-Organizational Users](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/nist-sp-800-53-rev-5/ac-6-6-privileged-access-by-non-organizational-users) ## Related controls in BSI C5:2020 - [**Criterion PSS-09** — Authorisation Mechanisms](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/bsi-c5-2020/pss-09-authorisation-mechanisms) - [**Criterion PSS-08** — Roles and Rights Concept](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/bsi-c5-2020/pss-08-roles-and-rights-concept) - [**Criterion AM-05** — Commitment to Permissible Use, Safe Handling and Return of Assets](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/bsi-c5-2020/am-05-commitment-to-permissible-use-safe-handling-and-return-of-assets) - [**Criterion HR-01** — Verification of qualification and trustworthiness](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/bsi-c5-2020/hr-01-verification-of-qualification-and-trustworthiness) - [**Criterion IDM-03** — Locking and withdrawal of user accounts in the event of inactivity or multiple failed logins](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/bsi-c5-2020/idm-03-locking-and-withdrawal-of-user-accounts-in-the-event-of-inactivity-or-multiple) - [**Criterion INQ-03** — Conditions for Access to or Disclosure of Data in Investigation Requests](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/bsi-c5-2020/inq-03-conditions-for-access-to-or-disclosure-of-data-in-investigation-requests) ## References - [Bundesamt für Sicherheit in der Informationstechnik (BSI) — BSI C5:2020](https://www.bsi.bund.de/EN/Topics/CloudComputing/Compliance_Criteria_Catalogue/Compliance_Criteria_Catalogue_node.html) - Catalogue identifier: `Criterion PSS-05` Topics: identity accessprivileged accessidentity managementaccess reviewcloud posture ## Related compliance guidance - [SOC 2 compliance: a practical implementation guide for cloud-native SaaS teams](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/soc-2-trust-services-criteria): Configuration checks like this one are the technical half of a SOC 2 / ISO 27001 programme — the guide shows where they fit, what else an auditor expects, and how to evidence them. - [ISO/IEC 27001:2022 compliance: a practical implementation guide](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/iso-27001-2022): ISO 27001 Annex A.8 (technological controls) is where cloud hardening evidence lands; the guide shows how to run the ISMS around it.