NIST 800-53 REV 5 • SYSTEM AND COMMUNICATIONS PROTECTION
SC-16(3) — Cryptographic Binding
Implement {{ insert: param, sc-16.03_odp }} to bind security and privacy attributes to transmitted information.
Supplemental Guidance
Cryptographic mechanisms and techniques can provide strong security and privacy attribute binding to transmitted information to help ensure the integrity of such information.
Practitioner Notes
Bind security attributes to data using cryptographic mechanisms so the attributes cannot be separated from the data or independently modified.
Example 1: Use Azure Information Protection (AIP) to apply encrypted labels that are cryptographically bound to the document content. The label and its protections cannot be removed without the appropriate decryption key, even if the file is copied to another system.
Example 2: Implement HMAC-based integrity checks on data export files that include both the data and its classification metadata. The receiving system verifies the HMAC before processing, ensuring the classification has not been altered.