PE 15 Water Damage Protection

---
name: "PE-15_water-damage-protection"
description: "Protect the system from damage resulting from water leakage by providing master shutoff or isolation valves that are accessible, working properly, and"
category: "configuration"
version: "5.2.0"
author: "cyberstrike-official"
tags:
  - nist
  - sp800-53
  - rev5
  - pe-15
  - pe
tech_stack:
  - any
cwe_ids: []
chains_with:
  - AT-3
  - PE-10
prerequisites: []
severity_boost:
  AT-3: "Chain with AT-3 for comprehensive security coverage"
  PE-10: "Chain with PE-10 for comprehensive security coverage"
---

# PE-15 Water Damage Protection

## High-Level Description

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

The provision of water damage protection primarily applies to organizational facilities that contain concentrations of system resources, including data centers, server rooms, and mainframe computer rooms. Isolation valves can be employed in addition to or in lieu of master shutoff valves to shut off water supplies in specific areas of concern without affecting entire organizations.

## What to Check

- [ ] Verify PE-15 Water Damage Protection is documented in SSP
- [ ] Confirm control is operating effectively
- [ ] Review evidence of continuous monitoring for PE-15

## How to Test

### Step 1: Review Documentation

Examine the System Security Plan (SSP) and related artifacts for PE-15 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

Protect the system from damage resulting from water leakage by providing master shutoff or isolation valves that are accessible, working properly, and known to key personnel.

### Implementation Guidance

The provision of water damage protection primarily applies to organizational facilities that contain concentrations of system resources, including data centers, server rooms, and mainframe computer rooms. Isolation valves can be employed in addition to or in lieu of master shutoff valves to shut off water supplies in specific areas of concern without affecting entire organizations.

## Risk Assessment

| Finding                                       | Severity | Impact                                           |
| --------------------------------------------- | -------- | ------------------------------------------------ |
| PE-15 Water Damage Protection not implemented | Medium   | Physical and Environmental Protection            |
| PE-15 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-15](https://csrc.nist.gov/projects/cprt/catalog#/cprt/framework/version/SP_800_53_5_1_1/home?element=pe-15)
- [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 (AT-3, PE-10) reviewed