03.01.06 – Least Privilege – Privileged Accounts (NIST 800-171 Rev. 3)

2025-06-09

Welcome to our breakdown of 03.01.06 – Privileged Accounts, the next control in the Access Control family under NIST SP 800-171 Revision 3.

This control builds directly on the previous one — except now, the focus is on accounts with elevated access like system administrators, root users, and service accounts.

03.01.06 – Privileged Accounts

Privileged accounts allow users to bypass safeguards, reconfigure security settings, or access sensitive data. While they’re necessary for system maintenance, they’re also high-risk if misused or overprovisioned.

• Limit which roles or personnel have privileged accounts
• Use admin rights only when needed — not for everyday tasks
• Control, track, and review every use of elevated access

Just because someone has admin rights doesn’t mean they should always use them.

03.01.06 – Key Requirements

To comply with this control, organizations must:

• Restrict privileged accounts to specific, defined personnel or roles
• Require use of non-privileged accounts when elevated access is not needed

This prevents misuse, enforces discipline, and supports accountability across your environment.

🚨 DoD-Defined Parameters (Rev. 3)

Under SR-03.01.06.a, the Department of Defense requires privileged accounts to be limited to only defined and authorized personnel or administrative roles. It’s not enough to say you restrict access — you must prove it.

• Authorized roles must be explicitly documented in your policies

• System configurations should enforce account separation for privileged vs. non-privileged use

03.01.06 – Implementation Tips

Effective implementation includes:

• Inventory all privileged accounts in your environment
• Assign them only to well-defined roles (e.g., system administrators)
• Document rules in your access control policy
• Require use of regular accounts for non-admin tasks
• Set up logging and regularly review privileged account activity
• Track and disable dormant or system-generated privileged accounts

🛡️ If you don’t know who’s using elevated access — and when — you’re flying blind.

03.01.06 – Evidence

Auditors may request:

• A documented list of privileged accounts and assigned roles
• Access control policies and supporting procedures
• Logs showing when privileged accounts were used
• Proof that non-privileged accounts are used for daily tasks
• SSP documentation detailing your approach

Include in your SSP

You should document:

• Who is authorized to hold a privileged account
• How your systems enforce separation of account types
• How account activity is monitored and reviewed

Why it matters..

Privileged accounts are your system’s crown jewels. If compromised, they can cause devastating damage. This control reduces the blast radius — limiting harm from both mistakes and malicious actors.

Even the best defenses can’t help if an attacker walks in with over-permissioned keys.

• Role-specific permissions and alerts
• Non-privileged access by default
• Audit-ready logging and SSP documentation
• Visibility into dormant or untracked accounts

Next up in our NIST 800-171 Rev. 3 series: 03.01.07 – Least Privilege: Privileged Functions. We’ll explore how to secure high-impact system actions like patching, key management, and configuration changes.