# NIST SP 800-53 Rev. 5 CM-8(3) — Automated Unauthorized Component Detection - Source: https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/nist-sp-800-53-rev-5/cm-8-3-automated-unauthorized-component-detection - 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) › CM — Configuration Management - Last updated: 2026-06-05 - Publisher: iCompaas, Inc. (https://www.icompaas.com) **NIST SP 800-53 Rev. 5**·Control `CM-8(3)`·high·Component: **Configuration Management** ## What this control requires > Detect unauthorized hardware, software, and firmware using automated mechanisms at a defined frequency. Disable network access, isolate components, or notify personnel to minimize risks. This control supports the Detection capability within the Configuration Management family. > > — NIST SP 800-53 Rev. 5, Control CM-8(3) ### In plain English Detect unauthorized hardware, software, and firmware using automated mechanisms at a defined frequency. In practice, this means you can prove you disable 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 **Configuration Management**, the assessor will trace your implementation back to the catalogue reference (Control CM-8(3)) and look for objective evidence on the latest two assessment cycles. ## How to implement #### Network Security **AWS.** VPC Flow Logs to S3, default-deny security groups, AWS Network Firewall for north-south, and Transit Gateway for hub-and-spoke segmentation. **Azure.** NSGs with deny-by-default, Azure Firewall Premium with TLS inspection, Private Endpoints for PaaS, and Microsoft Defender for Cloud's secure score for drift. **GCP.** VPC Service Controls perimeters around sensitive APIs, Cloud NGFW Enterprise for L7 inspection, Private Service Connect for managed services. ### Operational checklist - **Disable.** Document the trigger, the owner and the cadence. - **Access.** Document the trigger, the owner and the cadence. - **Security.** Document the trigger, the owner and the cadence. - **Configuration.** Document the trigger, the owner and the cadence. - **Detection.** Document the trigger, the owner and the cadence. - **Scope:** management, personnel, identity, configuration, hardware, software, firmware, review. ## 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: Automated Unauthorized Component Detection. ## Common pitfalls - Default-allow egress rules; East-West traffic with no segmentation; jump hosts on the public internet with password auth. ## 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. - [**NIST SP 800-171 Rev. 3 3.4.10** — System Component Inventory](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/nist-sp-800-171-rev-3/3-4-10-system-component-inventory) - [**CIS Controls v8 9.2** — Use DNS Filtering Services](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/cis-controls-v8/9-2-use-dns-filtering-services) - [**ISO/IEC 27001:2022 A.5.2** — Information security roles and responsibilities](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/iso-27001-2022/a-5-2-information-security-roles-and-responsibilities) - [**BSI C5:2020 IDM-09** — Authentication mechanisms](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/bsi-c5-2020/idm-09-authentication-mechanisms) - [**ISO/IEC 27701:2025 A.3.8** — Identity management](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/iso-27701-2025/a-3-8-identity-management) ## Related controls in NIST SP 800-53 Rev. 5 - [**Control CM-8(5)** — No Duplicate Accounting Of Components](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/nist-sp-800-53-rev-5/cm-8-5-no-duplicate-accounting-of-components) - [**Control SR-11(1)** — Anti-Counterfeit Training](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/nist-sp-800-53-rev-5/sr-11-1-anti-counterfeit-training) - [**Control CM-3(6)** — Cryptography Management](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/nist-sp-800-53-rev-5/cm-3-6-cryptography-management) - [**Control CM-5(4)** — Dual Authorization](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/nist-sp-800-53-rev-5/cm-5-4-dual-authorization) - [**Control CM-11(2)** — Software Installation With Privileged Status](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/nist-sp-800-53-rev-5/cm-11-2-software-installation-with-privileged-status) - [**Control CM-5(6)** — Limit Library Privileges](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/nist-sp-800-53-rev-5/cm-5-6-limit-library-privileges) ## 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 CM-8(3)` Topics: identity accessidentity managementaccess reviewprivileged accessnetwork security ## 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.