# IA-02 (01) Multi-factor Authentication to Privileged Accounts — NIST 800-53 Rev5 control

> FedRAMP Consolidated Rules for 2026 v2026.07.14.01 · updated 2026-07-14
> Canonical page: /control/ia-2.1

Canonical id: `ia-2.1` · family `IA`

> Implement multi-factor authentication for access to privileged accounts.

_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.

## FedRAMP guidance

{
  "guidance": [
    "Multi-factor authentication must be phishing-resistant. In accordance with current CISA Guidance. Current CISA guidance can be found here: https://www.cisa.gov/sites/default/files/publications/fact-sheet-implementing-phishing-resistant-mfa-508c.pdf"
  ]
}

## Annual independent assessment

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