# AC-02 Account Management — NIST 800-53 Rev5 control

> FedRAMP Consolidated Rules for 2026 v2026.07.14.01 · updated 2026-07-14
> Canonical page: /control/ac-2

Canonical id: `ac-2` · family `AC`

> a. Define and document the types of accounts allowed and specifically prohibited for use within the system; b. Assign account managers; c. Require [prerequisites and criteria] for group and role membership; d. Specify: 1. Authorized users of the system; 2. Group and role membership; and 3. Access authorizations (i.e., privileges) and [attributes (as required)] for each account; e. Require approvals by [personnel or roles] for requests to create accounts; f. Create, enable, modify, disable, and remove accounts in accordance with [policy, procedures, prerequisites, and criteria]; g. Monitor the use of accounts; h. Notify account managers and [personnel or roles] within: 1. [time period] when accounts are no longer required; 2. [time period] when users are terminated or transferred; and 3. [time period] when system usage or need-to-know changes for an individual; i. Authorize access to the system based on: 1. A valid access authorization; 2. Intended system usage; and 3. [attributes (as required)]; j. Review accounts for compliance with account management requirements [frequency]; k. Establish and implement a process for changing shared or group account authenticators (if deployed) when individuals are removed from the group; and l. Align account management processes with personnel termination and transfer processes.

_Control title and statement: NIST SP 800-53 Rev5 catalog (the pinned commit is in `/api` under `control_text`). The FedRAMP rules reference these controls by id only; everything below is what FedRAMP says about this id._

## Rev5 baseline membership

- certification class B (in the annual independent assessment)
- certification class C (in the annual independent assessment)
- certification class D (in the annual independent assessment)

## Key Security Indicators that reach it

- `KSI-IAM-APM` — Adopting Passwordless Methods (Identity and Access Management)
  Secure passwordless methods are used for user authentication and authorization when feasible, otherwise strong passwords with phishing-resistant MFA is used.
- `KSI-IAM-JIT` — Authorizing Just-in-Time (Identity and Access Management)
  A least-privileged, role and attribute-based, and just-in-time security authorization model is used and persistently reviewed for all user and non-user accounts and services.
- `KSI-IAM-SNU` — Securing Non-User Authentication (Identity and Access Management)
  Appropriately secure authentication methods are used and persistently reviewed for non-user accounts and services.
- `KSI-IAM-SUS` — Responding to Suspicious Activity (Identity and Access Management)
  Accounts with privileged access are disabled or otherwise secured in response to suspicious activity.

## FedRAMP guidance

_No FedRAMP-specific guidance attaches to this control._

## Annual independent assessment

In the annual assessment subset for class B, C, D.