# NIST SP 800-53 Rev. 5 SI-3(4) — Updates Only By Privileged Users - Source: https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/nist-sp-800-53-rev-5/si-3-4-updates-only-by-privileged-users - 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) › SI — System and Information Integrity - Last updated: 2026-06-05 - Publisher: iCompaas, Inc. (https://www.icompaas.com) **NIST SP 800-53 Rev. 5**·Control `SI-3(4)`·high·Component: **System and Information Integrity** ## What this control requires > Update malicious code protection mechanisms only when directed by a privileged user. Since these protection mechanisms are considered security-related software, updates should be restricted to personnel with appropriate access privileges to ensure proper control and security. This control supports the Malicious Code Protection Systems capability within the System and Information Integrity family. > > — NIST SP 800-53 Rev. 5, Control SI-3(4) ### In plain English Update malicious code protection mechanisms only when directed by a privileged user. 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 **System and Information Integrity**, the assessor will trace your implementation back to the catalogue reference (Control SI-3(4)) and look for objective evidence on the latest two assessment cycles. ## How to implement 1. Write a short policy stating intent, scope and named owner. 2. Encode it as a platform guardrail — SCP, Azure Policy initiative, Organisation Policy, or repository policy. 3. Wire a monitoring signal that catches drift (CSPM rule, SIEM rule, scheduled query, Workspace alert) and ticket it. 4. Review on a documented cadence and capture the review in the risk register or compliance tracker. ### Operational checklist - **Access.** Document the trigger, the owner and the cadence. - **Information.** 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. - **Protection.** Document the trigger, the owner and the cadence. - **Scope:** management, information, system, application, only, personnel, protection, identity. ## 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: Updates Only By Privileged Users. ## 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 3.15.2** — System Security Plan](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/nist-sp-800-171-rev-3/3-15-2-system-security-plan) - [**ISO/IEC 27001:2022 A.8.4** — Access to source code](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/iso-27001-2022/a-8-4-access-to-source-code) ## Related controls in NIST SP 800-53 Rev. 5 - [**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 SI-4(20)** — Privileged Users](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/nist-sp-800-53-rev-5/si-4-20-privileged-users) - [**Control CM-7(6)** — Confined Environments With Limited Privileges](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/nist-sp-800-53-rev-5/cm-7-6-confined-environments-with-limited-privileges) - [**Control SC-42(1)** — Reporting To Authorized Individuals Or Roles](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/nist-sp-800-53-rev-5/sc-42-1-reporting-to-authorized-individuals-or-roles) - [**Control SI-7(15)** — Code Authentication](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/nist-sp-800-53-rev-5/si-7-15-code-authentication) - [**Control PS-6(2)** — Classified Information Requiring Special Protection](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/nist-sp-800-53-rev-5/ps-6-2-classified-information-requiring-special-protection) ## 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 SI-3(4)` Topics: identity accessapplication securityprivileged accessidentity managementaccess reviewpatch 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.