PE 12 Emergency Lighting

---
name: "PE-12_emergency-lighting"
description: "Employ and maintain automatic emergency lighting for the system that activates in the event of a power outage or disruption and that covers emergency "
category: "configuration"
version: "5.2.0"
author: "cyberstrike-official"
tags:
  - nist
  - sp800-53
  - rev5
  - pe-12
  - pe
tech_stack:
  - any
cwe_ids: []
chains_with:
  - CP-2
  - CP-7
prerequisites: []
severity_boost:
  CP-2: "Chain with CP-2 for comprehensive security coverage"
  CP-7: "Chain with CP-7 for comprehensive security coverage"
---

# PE-12 Emergency Lighting

## High-Level Description

**Family:** Physical and Environmental Protection (PE)
**Framework:** NIST SP 800-53 Rev 5

The provision of emergency lighting applies primarily to organizational facilities that contain concentrations of system resources, including data centers, server rooms, and mainframe computer rooms. Emergency lighting provisions for the system are described in the contingency plan for the organization. If emergency lighting for the system fails or cannot be provided, organizations consider alternate processing sites for power-related contingencies.

## What to Check

- [ ] Verify PE-12 Emergency Lighting is documented in SSP
- [ ] Confirm control is operating effectively
- [ ] Review evidence of continuous monitoring for PE-12

## How to Test

### Step 1: Review Documentation

Examine the System Security Plan (SSP) and related artifacts for PE-12 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

Employ and maintain automatic emergency lighting for the system that activates in the event of a power outage or disruption and that covers emergency exits and evacuation routes within the facility.

### Implementation Guidance

The provision of emergency lighting applies primarily to organizational facilities that contain concentrations of system resources, including data centers, server rooms, and mainframe computer rooms. Emergency lighting provisions for the system are described in the contingency plan for the organization. If emergency lighting for the system fails or cannot be provided, organizations consider alternate processing sites for power-related contingencies.

## Risk Assessment

| Finding                                  | Severity | Impact                                           |
| ---------------------------------------- | -------- | ------------------------------------------------ |
| PE-12 Emergency Lighting not implemented | Medium   | Physical and Environmental Protection            |
| PE-12 partially implemented              | Low      | Incomplete Physical and Environmental Protection |

## CWE Categories

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

## References

- [NIST SP 800-53 Rev 5 - PE-12](https://csrc.nist.gov/projects/cprt/catalog#/cprt/framework/version/SP_800_53_5_1_1/home?element=pe-12)
- [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 (CP-2, CP-7) reviewed