How does EchelonGraph detect NIST 800-53 SC-13 violations?

EchelonGraph automatically detects NIST 800-53 SC-13 violations using scanner rule NIST-SC-013. The scanner checks cloud infrastructure configurations in real-time and flags non-compliant resources.

What audit questions are asked for NIST 800-53 SC-13?

What cryptographic algorithms are used? FIPS-validated? Are MD5/SHA-1/RC4/DES/TLS 1.0 disabled across the estate? How are encryption keys managed? Show the approved-algorithms list.

🏛️NIST 800-53 SC-13Rule: NIST-SC-013high

Cryptographic Protection

Description

Determine the types of cryptography required for protecting the system; implement them using FIPS-validated cryptography for federal systems.

⚠️ Risk Impact

Non-FIPS-validated cryptography fails federal compliance requirements. Self-rolled or deprecated crypto (MD5, SHA-1, RC4, DES) creates implementation vulnerabilities. Strong crypto incorrectly used (key reuse, weak modes) creates effective vulnerabilities.

🔍 How EchelonGraph Detects This

NIST-SC-013Automated scanner rule

EchelonGraph's Tier 1 Cloud Scanner automatically checks for this condition across all connected cloud accounts. Violations are flagged as high-severity findings with remediation guidance.

🔧 Remediation

Use FIPS 140-2 / 140-3 validated implementations: AWS KMS, GCP Cloud KMS, Azure Key Vault HSM. Document approved algorithms per use case. Deprecate weak algorithms (MD5, SHA-1, RC4, DES, 3DES, TLS 1.0/1.1).

💀 Real-World Attack Scenario

A government agency used MD5 for password hashing 'because the legacy app required it'. A 2023 breach exposed the password database. Attackers rainbow-tabled all passwords in under 6 hours. The breach was traced to deprecated crypto choice; subsequent FedRAMP review required full crypto refresh + ATO suspension during remediation.

💰 Cost of Non-Compliance

Weak-crypto breaches: avg $4.45M (IBM 2024). FedRAMP SC-13 violations: ATO suspension. PCI-3.6 violations: $5K-$100K/month + cardholder-data exposure liability.

📋 Audit Questions

1.What cryptographic algorithms are used? FIPS-validated?
2.Are MD5/SHA-1/RC4/DES/TLS 1.0 disabled across the estate?
3.How are encryption keys managed?
4.Show the approved-algorithms list.

🎯 MITRE ATT&CK Mapping

T1552 — Unsecured Credentials

⚡ Common Pitfalls

⛔Legacy applications using deprecated crypto 'for compatibility'
⛔Self-rolled crypto instead of validated libraries
⛔TLS 1.0/1.1 still enabled 'for backward compatibility'

📈 Business Value

Strong, validated cryptography is the technical foundation of every data-protection control. Material for federal contracts, healthcare, payments, and any organization handling sensitive PII.

⏱️ Effort Estimate

Manual

40-80 hours crypto-inventory + remediation per legacy system

With EchelonGraph

EchelonGraph evaluates crypto posture (TLS versions, hash algorithms) across estate

🔗 Cross-Framework References

SOC2-CC6.7PCI-3.6

Automate NIST 800-53 SC-13 compliance

EchelonGraph continuously monitors this control across all your cloud accounts.

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