MP 7 Media Use

---
name: "MP-7_media-use"
description: "[organization-defined] the use of [organization-defined] on [organization-defined] using [organization-defined] ;"
category: "configuration"
version: "5.2.0"
author: "cyberstrike-official"
tags:
  - nist
  - sp800-53
  - rev5
  - mp-7
  - mp
tech_stack:
  - linux
  - windows
cwe_ids: []
chains_with:
  - AC-19
  - AC-20
  - PL-4
  - PM-12
  - SC-34
  - SC-41
prerequisites: []
severity_boost:
  AC-19: "Chain with AC-19 for comprehensive security coverage"
  AC-20: "Chain with AC-20 for comprehensive security coverage"
  PL-4: "Chain with PL-4 for comprehensive security coverage"
---

# MP-7 Media Use

## High-Level Description

**Family:** Media Protection (MP)
**Framework:** NIST SP 800-53 Rev 5

System media includes both digital and non-digital media. Digital media includes diskettes, magnetic tapes, flash drives, compact discs, digital versatile discs, and removable hard disk drives. Non-digital media includes paper and microfilm. Media use protections also apply to mobile devices with information storage capabilities. In contrast to [MP-2](#mp-2) , which restricts user access to media, MP-7 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 use technical and nontechnical controls to restrict the use of system media. Organizations may restrict 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 restrict the use of portable storage devices based on the type of device, such as by prohibiting the use of writeable, portable storage devices and implementing this restriction by disabling or removing the capability to write to such devices. Requiring identifiable owners for storage devices reduces the risk of using such devices by allowing organizations to assign responsibility for addressing known vulnerabilities in the devices.

## What to Check

- [ ] Verify MP-7 Media Use is documented in SSP
- [ ] Validate all 2 control requirements are implemented
- [ ] Confirm control is operating effectively
- [ ] Review evidence of continuous monitoring for MP-7

## How to Test

### Step 1: Review Documentation

Examine the System Security Plan (SSP) and related artifacts for MP-7 implementation details. Verify the organization has documented how this control is satisfied.

### Step 2: Validate Implementation

```
# For cloud environments, use cloud-audit-mcp tools
# For on-premises, review system configurations directly

# Example: Check if account management policies exist
grep -r "account.management\|access.control" /etc/security/ 2>/dev/null
```

### Step 3: Test Operating Effectiveness

Verify the control is actively functioning, not just documented. Check logs, configurations, and operational evidence.

## Tools

| Tool          | Purpose                           | Usage |
| ------------- | --------------------------------- | ----- |
| Manual Review | Documentation and interview-based | N/A   |

## Remediation Guide

### Control Statement

[organization-defined] the use of [organization-defined] on [organization-defined] using [organization-defined] ; and
Prohibit the use of portable storage devices in organizational systems when such devices have no identifiable owner.

### Implementation Guidance

System media includes both digital and non-digital media. Digital media includes diskettes, magnetic tapes, flash drives, compact discs, digital versatile discs, and removable hard disk drives. Non-digital media includes paper and microfilm. Media use protections also apply to mobile devices with information storage capabilities. In contrast to [MP-2](#mp-2) , which restricts user access to media, MP-7 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 use technical and nontechnical controls to restrict the use of system media. Organizations may restrict 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 restrict the use of portable storage devices based on the type of device, such as by prohibiting the use of writeable, portable storage devices and implementing this restriction by disabling or removing the capability to write to such devices. Requiring identifiable owners for storage devices reduces the risk of using such devices by allowing organizations to assign responsibility for addressing known vulnerabilities in the devices.

## Risk Assessment

| Finding                        | Severity | Impact                      |
| ------------------------------ | -------- | --------------------------- |
| MP-7 Media Use not implemented | Medium   | Media Protection            |
| MP-7 partially implemented     | Low      | Incomplete Media Protection |

## CWE Categories

| CWE ID | Title                 |
| ------ | --------------------- |
| N/A    | No direct CWE mapping |

## References

- [NIST SP 800-53 Rev 5 - MP-7](https://csrc.nist.gov/projects/cprt/catalog#/cprt/framework/version/SP_800_53_5_1_1/home?element=mp-7)
- [NIST SP 800-53A Rev 5 (Assessment Procedures)](https://csrc.nist.gov/pubs/sp/800/53/a/r5/final)
- [NIST SP 800-53 Rev 5 Full Catalog](https://csrc.nist.gov/pubs/sp/800/53/r5/upd1/final)

## Checklist

- [ ] Control documented in SSP
- [ ] Implementation evidence collected
- [ ] Operating effectiveness validated
- [ ] Continuous monitoring in place
- [ ] Related controls (AC-19, AC-20, PL-4, PM-12, SC-34) reviewed