# NIST SP 800-53 Rev. 5 SA-18 — Tamper Resistance And Detection - Source: https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/nist-sp-800-53-rev-5/sa-18-tamper-resistance-and-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) › SA — System and Services Acquisition - Last updated: 2026-06-05 - Publisher: iCompaas, Inc. (https://www.icompaas.com) **NIST SP 800-53 Rev. 5**·Control `SA-18`·high·Component: **System and Services Acquisition** ## What this control requires > Implement tamper-resistant measures and detection mechanisms to protect system components from tampering. This control supports the Tamper Detection System capability within the System and Services Acquisition family. > > — NIST SP 800-53 Rev. 5, Control SA-18 ### In plain English Implement tamper-resistant measures and detection mechanisms to protect system components from 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 **System and Services Acquisition**, the assessor will trace your implementation back to the catalogue reference (Control SA-18) 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. - **Detection.** Document the trigger, the owner and the cadence. - **System.** Document the trigger, the owner and the cadence. - **Control.** Document the trigger, the owner and the cadence. - **Mechanisms.** Document the trigger, the owner and the cadence. - **Scope:** management, system, components, services, capability, system components, implement, policy. ## Evidence to collect - **Policy Document.** A signed and version-controlled policy / standard / procedure document. Signed policy or standard documents the safeguard. Focus: Tamper Resistance And Detection. ## 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) 164.308(a)(5)(i)** — Security Awareness and Training](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/hipaa/164-308-a-5-i-security-awareness-and-training) - [**NIST SP 800-171 Rev. 3 3.4.11** — Information Location](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/nist-sp-800-171-rev-3/3-4-11-information-location) - [**SOC 2 (2017 TSC) PI1.3** — Processing Controls](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/soc-2-trust-services-criteria/pi1-3-processing-controls) - [**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.5.21** — Managing information security in the ICT supply chain](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/iso-27001-2022/a-5-21-managing-information-security-in-the-ict-supply-chain) ## Related controls in NIST SP 800-53 Rev. 5 - [**Control SA-8(17)** — Secure Distributed Composition](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/nist-sp-800-53-rev-5/sa-8-17-secure-distributed-composition) - [**Control SA-17(4)** — Informal Correspondence](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/nist-sp-800-53-rev-5/sa-17-4-informal-correspondence) - [**Control SA-8(12)** — Hierarchical Protection](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/nist-sp-800-53-rev-5/sa-8-12-hierarchical-protection) - [**Control SA-17(3)** — Formal Correspondence](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/nist-sp-800-53-rev-5/sa-17-3-formal-correspondence) - [**Control SA-4(12)** — Data Ownership](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/nist-sp-800-53-rev-5/sa-4-12-data-ownership) - [**Control SA-10(1)** — Software And Firmware Integrity Verification](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/nist-sp-800-53-rev-5/sa-10-1-software-and-firmware-integrity-verification) ## 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 SA-18` 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.