NIST SP 800-53
Security

Access Control Policy (AC Family) Template

Establishes access control requirements covering account management, access enforcement, separation of duties, and least privilege, aligned with NIST SP 800-53 AC control family.

What This Policy Covers

Purpose and Scope-Policy objectives and applicability (AC-1).
Account Management-Account lifecycle, types, and reviews (AC-2).
Access Enforcement-Authorization mechanisms and enforcement (AC-3).
Information Flow Enforcement-Data flow controls and boundary protection (AC-4).
Separation of Duties-Duty separation requirements (AC-5).
Least Privilege-Minimum necessary access principles (AC-6).
Session Management-Session lock, termination, and concurrency (AC-11, AC-12).
Remote Access and Wireless-Remote and wireless access controls (AC-17, AC-18).

Required Sections

A compliant Access Control Policy (AC Family) for NIST SP 800-53 must include the following8 sections. Each section addresses a specific control requirement that auditors will review.

1

Purpose and Scope

Policy objectives and applicability (AC-1).

2

Account Management

Account lifecycle, types, and reviews (AC-2).

3

Access Enforcement

Authorization mechanisms and enforcement (AC-3).

4

Information Flow Enforcement

Data flow controls and boundary protection (AC-4).

5

Separation of Duties

Duty separation requirements (AC-5).

6

Least Privilege

Minimum necessary access principles (AC-6).

7

Session Management

Session lock, termination, and concurrency (AC-11, AC-12).

8

Remote Access and Wireless

Remote and wireless access controls (AC-17, AC-18).

Generate a Customized Version

This template shows the required structure. PoliWriter generates a fully customized Access Control Policy (AC Family) that references your actual cloud providers, identity systems, tools, and team practices — ready for auditor review.

Policy Details

Category

Security

Sections

8 total (8 required)

Other NIST SP 800-53 Templates

Audit & Accountability Policy (AU Family)

Defines audit logging, monitoring, and accountability requirements aligned with NIST SP 800-53 AU control family.

Security Assessment & Authorization Policy (CA Family)

Establishes requirements for security assessments, system authorization, and continuous monitoring, aligned with NIST SP 800-53 CA control family.

Configuration Management Policy (CM Family)

Defines configuration management requirements including baseline configurations, change control, and configuration monitoring, aligned with NIST SP 800-53 CM control family.

Contingency Planning Policy (CP Family)

Establishes contingency planning requirements including backup, recovery, and continuity of operations, aligned with NIST SP 800-53 CP control family.

Identification & Authentication Policy (IA Family)

Defines requirements for identifying and authenticating users, devices, and services, aligned with NIST SP 800-53 IA control family.

Incident Response Policy (IR Family)

Establishes an incident response capability including preparation, detection, analysis, containment, recovery, and post-incident activities, aligned with NIST SP 800-53 IR control family.

System & Communications Protection Policy (SC Family)

Defines requirements for protecting system communications and data, including boundary protection, cryptography, and denial-of-service protection, aligned with NIST SP 800-53 SC control family.

Risk Assessment Policy (RA Family)

Establishes requirements for assessing security risks including vulnerability scanning, threat analysis, and privacy impact assessments, aligned with NIST SP 800-53 RA control family.

View all 10 templates