Separation of Duties
What is Separation of Duties?
A security principle that divides critical tasks among multiple individuals to prevent fraud, error, and misuse by ensuring no single person controls all aspects of a process.
Terms that appear alongside separation of duties
Each of these is named in at least one of the same controls as separation of duties. The number is how many controls name both.
- least privilege 18 shared controls
- access control 16 shared controls
- authentication 11 shared controls
- nist 8 shared controls
- audit 7 shared controls
- remote access 7 shared controls
- privileged access management 6 shared controls
- access management 6 shared controls
Frameworks that govern separation of duties
What the standards actually require on separation of duties
Requirements naming separation of duties across 6 standards, quoted from the control text.
Split duties across separate identities so no single person can both perform and approve a sensitive action.
CCM-IAM-04 · Separation of Duties →Physical access requirements apply separation of duties wherever possible, for example someone who may enter a facility may not enter its server room.
australian-energy-sector-cyber-security-framework-aescsf::ACCESS-3f · ACCESS-3f: Separation of duties applied to physical access →Policies and procedures to manage access rights on the principles of least privilege and separation of duties, describing the compensating controls where these principles are not technically feasible.
tsa-pipeline-cybersecurity-directives::SD02-III.C.3 · SD02 III.C.3 Least privilege and separation of duties →Implement separation of duties in user processes, taking account of the risk of abuse.
awwa-cybersecurity-guidance-for-the-water-sector-american-water-works-association::CM-3 · CM-3 Separation of duties in user processes →Separation of duties is implemented in performing administrative activities for gateways.
ISM-0616 · Separation of duties for gateway administration →Define and implement an enterprise segmentation and separation of duties strategy that segments access to assets using a combination of identity, network, application and subscription or account controls.
ASBv3-GS-2 · Define and implement enterprise segmentation/separation of duties strategy →Questions people ask about separation of duties
What is Separation of Duties?
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Which compliance frameworks address Separation of Duties?
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See how Separation of Duties applies across compliance frameworks
Our platform maps 1,016 frameworks with 316K cross-framework control mappings. Explore how this concept is addressed across standards.