# NIST SP 800-53 Rev. 5 AU-14(1) — System Start-Up - Source: https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/nist-sp-800-53-rev-5/au-14-1-system-start-up - Section: [Compliance](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance) › [NIST SP 800-53 Rev. 5 Controls](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/nist-sp-800-53-rev-5) › AU — Audit and Accountability - Last updated: 2026-06-05 - Publisher: iCompaas, Inc. (https://www.icompaas.com) **NIST SP 800-53 Rev. 5**·Control `AU-14(1)`·high·Component: **Audit and Accountability** ## What this control requires > Initiates session audits automatically at system start-up to ensure complete capture of session data without risk of tampering. This control supports the Automated Session Audit capability within the Audit and Accountability family. > > — NIST SP 800-53 Rev. 5, Control AU-14(1) ### In plain English Initiates session audits automatically at system start-up to ensure complete capture of session data without risk of tampering. In practice, this means you can prove you policy management-level controls on a defined cadence. ## Why it matters SP 800-53 is the catalogue every U.S. federal authorisation (FedRAMP, FISMA, CMMC) and most regulated industries point at. A missing control surfaces as a Plan of Action & Milestones (POA&M) item that an Authorizing Official must approve before the Authority To Operate is granted or renewed. 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 3PAO (FedRAMP) or Independent Assessor (NIST RMF) tests against NIST SP 800-53A assessment procedures. For each control they expect a documented implementation that addresses every assessment objective (Examine, Interview, Test) and an implementation summary in the System Security Plan. Within **Audit and Accountability**, the assessor will trace your implementation back to the catalogue reference (Control AU-14(1)) and look for objective evidence on the latest two assessment cycles. ## How to implement #### Policy Management **Docs.** Keep each policy in version-controlled Markdown alongside the code that implements it; ship a signed PDF snapshot at each annual review and link the SHA into the SoA. ### Operational checklist - **Policy.** Document the trigger, the owner and the cadence. - **Audit.** Document the trigger, the owner and the cadence. - **Data.** Document the trigger, the owner and the cadence. - **Session.** Document the trigger, the owner and the cadence. - **Session Audit.** Document the trigger, the owner and the cadence. - **Scope:** management, system, start-up, capability, accountability, policy. ## Evidence to collect - **Policy Document.** A signed and version-controlled policy / standard / procedure document. Signed policy or standard documents the safeguard. Focus: System Start-Up. ## Common pitfalls - Policies that no engineer has read; the version in Confluence drifts from the version that's actually being enforced. ## 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. - [**HIPAA (45 CFR Part 164) 164.310(d)(2)(iii)** — Device and Media Controls - Accountability](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/hipaa/164-310-d-2-iii-device-and-media-controls-accountability) - [**NIST SP 800-171 Rev. 3 3.3.7** — Time Stamps](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/nist-sp-800-171-rev-3/3-3-7-time-stamps) - [**BSI C5:2020 SP-01** — Documentation, communication and provision of policies and instructions](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/bsi-c5-2020/sp-01-documentation-communication-and-provision-of-policies-and-instructions) - [**ISO/IEC 27001:2022 A.5.5** — Contact with authorities](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/iso-27001-2022/a-5-5-contact-with-authorities) - [**SOC 2 (2017 TSC) CC2.3** — External Communication on Internal Control Matters](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/soc-2-trust-services-criteria/cc2-3-external-communication-on-internal-control-matters) ## Related controls in NIST SP 800-53 Rev. 5 - [**Control AU-5(5)** — Alternate Audit Logging Capability](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/nist-sp-800-53-rev-5/au-5-5-alternate-audit-logging-capability) - [**Control AU-14** — Session Audit](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/nist-sp-800-53-rev-5/au-14-session-audit) - [**Control AU-13(3)** — Unauthorized Replication Of Information](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/nist-sp-800-53-rev-5/au-13-3-unauthorized-replication-of-information) - [**Control AU-1** — Policy And Procedures](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/nist-sp-800-53-rev-5/au-1-policy-and-procedures) - [**Control AU-12(1)** — System-Wide And Time-Correlated Audit Trail](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/nist-sp-800-53-rev-5/au-12-1-system-wide-and-time-correlated-audit-trail) - [**Control AU-12(2)** — Standardized Formats](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/nist-sp-800-53-rev-5/au-12-2-standardized-formats) ## References - [NIST Computer Security Resource Center — NIST SP 800-53 Rev. 5](https://csrc.nist.gov/Projects/risk-management/sp800-53-controls) - Catalogue identifier: `Control AU-14(1)` Topics: governance riskpolicy management ## Related compliance guidance - [NIST SP 800-53 Rev. 5: a practical implementation guide for cloud teams](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/nist-sp-800-53-rev-5): Start with the full NIST SP 800-53 implementation guide — scope, roadmap, evidence and how the assessment runs. - [NIST SP 800-171 and CMMC: a practical guide to protecting CUI in the cloud](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/nist-sp-800-171-rev-3): If your obligation is protecting CUI in your own systems for a federal or defence contract, this derived subset — not the full catalogue — is the requirement. - [SOC 2 compliance: a practical implementation guide for cloud-native SaaS teams](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/soc-2-trust-services-criteria): Most commercial SaaS already hold a SOC 2 Type 2, and FedRAMP 20x Class A is designed for providers that have one.