Vulnerability Discussion

Shared accounts (accounts where two or more people log on with the same user identification) do not provide adequate identification and authentication. There is no way to provide for nonrepudiation or individual accountability for system access and resource usage.

Check

Determine whether any shared accounts exist. If no shared accounts exist, this is NA.

Shared accounts, such as required by an application, may be approved by the organization. This must be documented with the Information System Security Officer (ISSO). Documentation must include the reason for the account, who has access to the account, and how the risk of using the shared account is mitigated to include monitoring account activity.

If unapproved shared accounts exist, this is a finding.

Fix

Remove unapproved shared accounts from the system.

Document required shared accounts with the ISSO. Documentation must include the reason for the account, who has access to the account, and how the risk of using the shared account is mitigated to include monitoring account activity.