NSA-approved Cryptography
High Risk
Very Complex
Very High Cost
SC-13(2) (NSA-approved Cryptography) enhances base SC-13 within the NIST System and Communications Protection family. Base SC-13 sets the foundational expectation; this enhancement adds specificity: This enhancement strengthens SC-13 with requirements for nsa-approved cryptography in environments that create, receive, maintain, or transmit ePHI. Covered entities and business associates apply it to boundary protection, cryptography, and communications safeguards for clinical networks and ePHI flows.
Control Objective
Implement NSA-approved Cryptography so organization-defined system and communications protection safeguards operate consistently on systems and networks that handle ePHI, with measurable evidence for HIPAA and NIST assessments.
Implementation Guidance
- Map SC-13(2) to systems in scope (EHR, imaging, lab, pharmacy, billing, identity, backups, and BA connections).\n2. Translate “NSA-approved Cryptography” into technical settings, procedures, or architecture patterns owned by named roles.\n3. Prefer enforceable controls (config, automation, mediation) over awareness-only measures where feasible.\n4. Integrate with change, incident, and downtime processes so clinical operations are not surprised.\n5. Log and retain evidence of operation (tickets, configs, test results) aligned to audit needs.\n6. Include vendors/BAs in contracts and connection standards when they touch the control surface.\n7. Test after major EHR, network, or cloud changes — upgrades often reset protections.\n8. Review exceptions at least quarterly; expire “temporary” holes that expose ePHI paths.
Real-World Use Cases
How this control shows up in healthcare and HIPAA-covered environments.
Best Practices
- Name an owner for SC-13(2) in the SSP control matrix.\n- Favor system enforcement on ePHI paths over informal email approval.\n- Measure coverage: percent of in-scope clinical systems where the enhancement operates.\n- Review exceptions quarterly with security and clinical informatics.\n- Feed relevant events to SIEM with a named use case.\n- Keep a one-page evidence pack (config + sample log + last test) ready for assessors.
Common Gaps & Violations
- Policy cites SC-13(2) but production EHR/network paths show no enforcement of nsa-approved cryptography.\n- Permanent exceptions with no expiry for vendors or “special” clinics.\n- Control implemented only on corporate IT — clinical devices and interfaces omitted.\n- No logs or test records; reliance on tribal knowledge.\n- Major upgrade silently disabled the enhancement.
Required Documentation
- Procedure/standard for NSA-approved Cryptography (SC-13(2))\n- Architecture or configuration baselines showing enforcement points\n- Exception register with owners and expiry\n- Sample logs, alerts, or test results\n- Training or runbook references for clinical/IT operators
How to Test & Validate
- Attempt a prohibited or out-of-policy action related to nsa-approved cryptography; confirm block, alert, or required workflow.\n2. Complete an authorized clinical/IT path; confirm success and logging.\n3. Sample open exceptions for approval and expiry.\n4. Verify at least one EHR-adjacent and one BA/vendor path are in scope.\n5. Confirm evidence retained for the last 90 days (or per policy).
Audit Considerations
Assessors look for operating evidence of NSA-approved Cryptography on systems touching ePHI — configs, logs, restore/DR artifacts, or failed-test results — not only a policy paragraph referencing SC-13(2).
HIPAA Mapping
How this NIST control supports HIPAA Security Rule expectations.
- 164.312(e)(1) Transmission Security — guard against unauthorized access to ePHI in transit.\n- 164.312(a)(1) Access Control — technical policies that limit system access to ePHI.\n- 164.312(c)(1) Integrity — protect ePHI from improper alteration or destruction.\n- 164.308(a)(1)(ii)(B) Risk Management — network and crypto controls reduce residual risk to ePHI.
Compliance Tips
- List SC-13(2) explicitly in the system security plan with system inventory references.\n- Prioritize emergency department, inpatient EHR, and remote access paths first.\n- Bundle evidence with related HIPAA contingency or transmission-security narratives where they overlap.
References & Resources
- NIST SP 800-53 Rev. 5 — SC-13(2)\n- Related controls: SC-13
Related Guidelines
Related controls that commonly accompany SC-13(2).
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