Description:  

In contrast to requirement 3.8., which restricts user access to media, this requirement restricts the use of certain types of media on systems, for example, restricting or prohibiting the use of flash drives or external hard disk drives. Organizations can employ technical and nontechnical controls (e.g., policies, procedures, and rules of behavior) to control the use of system media. Organizations may control the use of portable storage devices, for example, by using physical cages on workstations to prohibit access to certain external ports, or disabling or removing the ability to insert, read, or write to such devices.  Organizations may also limit the use of portable storage devices to only approved devices including devices provided by the organization, devices provided by other approved organizations, and devices that are not personally owned. Finally, organizations may control the use of portable storage devices based on the type of device, prohibiting the use of writeable, portable devices, and implementing this restriction by disabling or removing the capability to write to such devices.


Priority: High 


Category:  Personnel Security 


Services Associated with AWS:   

  • AWS Systems Manager, AWS IAM, AWS Security Hub


Objective Evidence:  

  • Administrative: documented policies, standards & procedures
  • Administrative: supporting documentation to demonstrate the "secure practices" used to build technology platform-specific secure baseline configurations
  • Administrative: supporting documentation of role-based security training being performed
  • Administrative: supporting documentation to demonstrate how Data Loss Prevention (DLP) is implemented, if applicable
  • Technical: screenshot of DLP technology, if applicable
  • Technical: screenshot of configuration settings, if applicable 


Possible Technology Considerations : 

  • Secure Baseline Configurations (SBC)
  • Data Classification Solution 


What needs to be answered :  


Is the use of writable, removable media restricted on the system? Are removable media allowed? 

  • Control of Removable Media Usage
    Description: This check ensures that organizations have implemented controls to control the use of removable media on system components. Removable media, such as flash drives or external hard disk drives, can pose security risks if used inappropriately or without proper authorization. Organizations employ technical and non-technical controls, such as policies, procedures, and rules of behavior, to restrict or prohibit the use of certain types of media on systems. This control helps mitigate the risk of unauthorized data transfer, introduction of malware, or data leakage through removable media.     


More Details:   

Removable media policies in place for all users. All users go through training regarding removable media.