IA-4(1) Prohibit Account Identifiers as Public Identifiers
Control enhancement of IA-4 Identifier Management
Control
Prohibit the use of system account identifiers that are the same as public identifiers for individual accounts.
Discussion
Prohibiting account identifiers as public identifiers applies to any publicly disclosed account identifier used for communication such as, electronic mail and instant messaging. Prohibiting the use of systems account identifiers that are the same as some public identifier, such as the individual identifier section of an electronic mail address, makes it more difficult for adversaries to guess user identifiers. Prohibiting account identifiers as public identifiers without the implementation of other supporting controls only complicates guessing of identifiers. Additional protections are required for authenticators and credentials to protect the account.
Related controls
Need IA-4(1) implemented and evidenced?
We assess where you stand against this control, document the gap, and build the remediation plan your auditor and your board will both accept.
Control catalog and framework text on this page is reproduced from official NIST publications — a public-domain work of the U.S. Government (17 U.S.C. §105). Maverc commentary, groupings, and readiness guidance are our own and are not part of any NIST publication.