NIST 800-53 REV 5 • CONFIGURATION MANAGEMENT
CM-8(3) — Automated Unauthorized Component Detection
Detect the presence of unauthorized hardware, software, and firmware components within the system using {{ insert: param, cm-8.3_prm_1 }} {{ insert: param, cm-08.03_odp.04 }} ; and Take the following actions when unauthorized components are detected: {{ insert: param, cm-08.03_odp.05 }}.
Supplemental Guidance
Automated unauthorized component detection is applied in addition to the monitoring for unauthorized remote connections and mobile devices. Monitoring for unauthorized system components may be accomplished on an ongoing basis or by the periodic scanning of systems for that purpose. Automated mechanisms may also be used to prevent the connection of unauthorized components (see [CM-7(9)](#cm-7.9) ). Automated mechanisms can be implemented in systems or in separate system components. When acquiring and implementing automated mechanisms, organizations consider whether such mechanisms depend on the ability of the system component to support an agent or supplicant in order to be detected since some types of components do not have or cannot support agents (e.g., IoT devices, sensors). Isolation can be achieved , for example, by placing unauthorized system components in separate domains or subnets or quarantining such components. This type of component isolation is commonly referred to as "sandboxing."
Practitioner Notes
This enhancement requires automated detection of unauthorized components on your network — finding rogue devices that should not be there.
Example 1: Deploy 802.1X port-based network access control to detect and block unauthorized devices that attempt to connect to your network switches.
Example 2: Use Nmap or Rumble network discovery scans weekly to identify unknown devices on your network and compare results against your approved asset inventory.