SC 5 Denial Of Service Protection

---
name: "SC-5_denial-of-service-protection"
description: "[organization-defined] the effects of the following types of denial-of-service events: [organization-defined] ;"
category: "configuration"
version: "5.2.0"
author: "cyberstrike-official"
tags:
  - nist
  - sp800-53
  - rev5
  - sc-5
  - sc
tech_stack:
  - aws
  - azure
  - gcp
  - linux
  - windows
  - network
cwe_ids:
  - CWE-311
chains_with:
  - CP-2
  - IR-4
  - SC-6
  - SC-7
  - SC-40
prerequisites: []
severity_boost:
  CP-2: "Chain with CP-2 for comprehensive security coverage"
  IR-4: "Chain with IR-4 for comprehensive security coverage"
  SC-6: "Chain with SC-6 for comprehensive security coverage"
---

# SC-5 Denial-of-service Protection

## High-Level Description

**Family:** System and Communications Protection (SC)
**Framework:** NIST SP 800-53 Rev 5

Denial-of-service events may occur due to a variety of internal and external causes, such as an attack by an adversary or a lack of planning to support organizational needs with respect to capacity and bandwidth. Such attacks can occur across a wide range of network protocols (e.g., IPv4, IPv6). A variety of technologies are available to limit or eliminate the origination and effects of denial-of-service events. For example, boundary protection devices can filter certain types of packets to protect system components on internal networks from being directly affected by or the source of denial-of-service attacks. Employing increased network capacity and bandwidth combined with service redundancy also reduces the susceptibility to denial-of-service events.

## What to Check

- [ ] Verify SC-5 Denial-of-service Protection is documented in SSP
- [ ] Validate all 2 control requirements are implemented
- [ ] Confirm control is operating effectively
- [ ] Review evidence of continuous monitoring for SC-5

## How to Test

### Step 1: Review Documentation

Examine the System Security Plan (SSP) and related artifacts for SC-5 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                                |
| --------------- | ------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------ |
| cloud-audit-mcp | Check encryption and network controls | `cloud_audit_encryption`             |
| nmap            | Network scanning                      | `nmap -sV --script ssl-enum-ciphers` |

## Remediation Guide

### Control Statement

[organization-defined] the effects of the following types of denial-of-service events: [organization-defined] ; and
Employ the following controls to achieve the denial-of-service objective: [organization-defined].

### Implementation Guidance

Denial-of-service events may occur due to a variety of internal and external causes, such as an attack by an adversary or a lack of planning to support organizational needs with respect to capacity and bandwidth. Such attacks can occur across a wide range of network protocols (e.g., IPv4, IPv6). A variety of technologies are available to limit or eliminate the origination and effects of denial-of-service events. For example, boundary protection devices can filter certain types of packets to protect system components on internal networks from being directly affected by or the source of denial-of-service attacks. Employing increased network capacity and bandwidth combined with service redundancy also reduces the susceptibility to denial-of-service events.

## Risk Assessment

| Finding                                           | Severity | Impact                                          |
| ------------------------------------------------- | -------- | ----------------------------------------------- |
| SC-5 Denial-of-service Protection not implemented | High     | System and Communications Protection            |
| SC-5 partially implemented                        | Medium   | Incomplete System and Communications Protection |

## CWE Categories

| CWE ID  | Title                                |
| ------- | ------------------------------------ |
| CWE-311 | Missing Encryption of Sensitive Data |

## References

- [NIST SP 800-53 Rev 5 - SC-5](https://csrc.nist.gov/projects/cprt/catalog#/cprt/framework/version/SP_800_53_5_1_1/home?element=sc-5)
- [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, IR-4, SC-6, SC-7, SC-40) reviewed