# AC-3 — Access Enforcement

- **Control ID:** AC-3
- **Family:** [AC](/md/families/AC.md)
- **Baselines:** low, moderate, high
- **Enhancement of:** No content available.

## Description

Enforce approved authorizations for logical access to information and system resources in accordance with applicable access control policies.

## Discussion

Access control policies control access between active entities or subjects (i.e., users or processes acting on behalf of users) and passive entities or objects (i.e., devices, files, records, domains) in organizational systems. In addition to enforcing authorized access at the system level and recognizing that systems can host many applications and services in support of mission and business functions, access enforcement mechanisms can also be employed at the application and service level to provide increased information security and privacy. In contrast to logical access controls that are implemented within the system, physical access controls are addressed by the controls in the Physical and Environmental Protection ( \[PE\](\#pe) ) family.

## Implementation guidance

No content available.

## CSF 2.0 subcategories

- [PR.AA-05](/md/csf/PR.AA-05.md) — Access permissions, entitlements, and authorizations are defined in a policy, managed, enforced, and reviewed, and incorporate the principles of least privilege and separation of duties
- [PR.DS-10](/md/csf/PR.DS-10.md) — PR.DS-10
- [PR.IR-01](/md/csf/PR.IR-01.md) — PR.IR-01

## Related controls

- [AC-2](/md/controls/AC-2.md)
- [AC-4](/md/controls/AC-4.md)
- [AC-5](/md/controls/AC-5.md)
- [AC-6](/md/controls/AC-6.md)
- [AC-16](/md/controls/AC-16.md)
- [AC-17](/md/controls/AC-17.md)
- [AC-18](/md/controls/AC-18.md)
- [AC-19](/md/controls/AC-19.md)
- [AC-20](/md/controls/AC-20.md)
- [AC-21](/md/controls/AC-21.md)
- [AC-22](/md/controls/AC-22.md)
- [AC-24](/md/controls/AC-24.md)
- [AC-25](/md/controls/AC-25.md)
- [AT-2](/md/controls/AT-2.md)
- [AT-3](/md/controls/AT-3.md)
- [AU-9](/md/controls/AU-9.md)
- [CA-9](/md/controls/CA-9.md)
- [CM-5](/md/controls/CM-5.md)
- [CM-11](/md/controls/CM-11.md)
- [IA-2](/md/controls/IA-2.md)
- [IA-5](/md/controls/IA-5.md)
- [IA-6](/md/controls/IA-6.md)
- [IA-7](/md/controls/IA-7.md)
- [IA-11](/md/controls/IA-11.md)
- [IA-13](/md/controls/IA-13.md)
- [MA-3](/md/controls/MA-3.md)
- [MA-4](/md/controls/MA-4.md)
- [MA-5](/md/controls/MA-5.md)
- [MP-4](/md/controls/MP-4.md)
- [PM-2](/md/controls/PM-2.md)
- [PS-3](/md/controls/PS-3.md)
- [PT-2](/md/controls/PT-2.md)
- [PT-3](/md/controls/PT-3.md)
- [SA-17](/md/controls/SA-17.md)
- [SC-2](/md/controls/SC-2.md)
- [SC-3](/md/controls/SC-3.md)
- [SC-4](/md/controls/SC-4.md)
- [SC-12](/md/controls/SC-12.md)
- [SC-13](/md/controls/SC-13.md)
- [SC-28](/md/controls/SC-28.md)
- [SC-31](/md/controls/SC-31.md)
- [SC-34](/md/controls/SC-34.md)
- [SI-4](/md/controls/SI-4.md)
- [SI-8](/md/controls/SI-8.md)

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Derived from official NIST publications (NIST SP 800-53 Rev 5 and NIST CSF 2.0). nistcontrols.com is not affiliated with NIST.