# NIST SP 800-53 Rev. 5 IA-5(7) — No Embedded Unencrypted Static Authenticators - Source: https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/nist-sp-800-53-rev-5/ia-5-7-no-embedded-unencrypted-static-authenticators - 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) › IA — Identification and Authentication - Last updated: 2026-06-05 - Publisher: iCompaas, Inc. (https://www.icompaas.com) **NIST SP 800-53 Rev. 5**·Control `IA-5(7)`·high·Component: **Identification and Authentication** ## What this control requires > Ensure unencrypted static authenticators are not embedded in applications, scripts, or storage to prevent unauthorized access. This control supports the Application Security System capability within the Identification and Authentication family. > > — NIST SP 800-53 Rev. 5, Control IA-5(7) ### In plain English Ensure unencrypted static authenticators are not embedded in applications, scripts, or storage to prevent unauthorized access. In practice, this means you can prove you access 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 **Identification and Authentication**, the assessor will trace your implementation back to the catalogue reference (Control IA-5(7)) and look for objective evidence on the latest two assessment cycles. ## How to implement #### Code Review Testing **Pipeline.** Require at least one human reviewer plus passing CI (lint, type, unit, security scan) before merge — protected branches enforce this. ### Operational checklist - **Access.** Document the trigger, the owner and the cadence. - **Security.** Document the trigger, the owner and the cadence. - **Review.** Document the trigger, the owner and the cadence. - **Authentication.** Document the trigger, the owner and the cadence. - **No.** Document the trigger, the owner and the cadence. - **Scope:** management, authentication, system, application, identity, review, capability, authenticators. ## 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: No Embedded Unencrypted Static Authenticators. ## 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 3.5.5** — Identifier Management](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/nist-sp-800-171-rev-3/3-5-5-identifier-management) - [**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) - [**SOC 2 (2017 TSC) CC6.8** — Malicious Code Protection](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/soc-2-trust-services-criteria/cc6-8-malicious-code-protection) - [**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 IA-5(10)** — Dynamic Credential Binding](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/nist-sp-800-53-rev-5/ia-5-10-dynamic-credential-binding) - [**Control IA-4(1)** — Prohibit Account Identifiers As Public Identifiers](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/nist-sp-800-53-rev-5/ia-4-1-prohibit-account-identifiers-as-public-identifiers) - [**Control IA-5(5)** — Change Authenticators Prior To Delivery](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/nist-sp-800-53-rev-5/ia-5-5-change-authenticators-prior-to-delivery) - [**Control IA-5(6)** — Protection Of Authenticators](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/nist-sp-800-53-rev-5/ia-5-6-protection-of-authenticators) - [**Control IA-5(13)** — Expiration Of Cached Authenticators](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/nist-sp-800-53-rev-5/ia-5-13-expiration-of-cached-authenticators) - [**Control IA-4** — Identifier Management](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/nist-sp-800-53-rev-5/ia-4-identifier-management) ## 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 IA-5(7)` Topics: identity accessidentity managementaccess reviewprivileged accesscode review testing ## 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.