AU.L2-3.3.9: Audit Management — Restrict Audit Log Access
Audit logs are the crown jewels of security operations—they document every critical action on your systems. Control AU.L2-3.3.9 requires you to limit who can manage those logs to a small group of trusted administrators. This prevents tampering, ensures accountability, and demonstrates security maturity to customers and auditors.
What this means
This control mandates that only a defined subset of privileged users—typically security admins, compliance officers, or IT leadership—can access, modify, or delete audit logging configurations and records. The goal is to prevent unauthorized changes that could hide malicious activity or compliance violations. It's about maintaining the integrity and trustworthiness of your audit trail.
How to comply
- 1.Identify and document all users who need audit management permissions (e.g., CISO, security engineers, compliance lead).
- 2.Implement role-based access control (RBAC) to restrict audit log administration to privileged accounts only.
- 3.Configure logging systems to enforce multi-factor authentication for any user accessing audit management functions.
- 4.Disable or remove audit management rights from standard user accounts and non-administrative roles.
- 5.Enable logging of all audit management activities (who accessed logs, when, and what changed).
- 6.Review and revalidate privileged user access quarterly to ensure no scope creep or orphaned accounts remain.
- 7.Document your audit management access policy and maintain an approved list of privileged users.
Evidence auditors look for
- Role definitions and RBAC configuration screenshots showing audit admin role restricted to named users
- Active Directory or identity management system settings confirming group membership for audit administrators
- Audit system configuration reports showing access control lists (ACLs) for log modification/deletion
- MFA enrollment records for all privileged audit management accounts
- Quarterly access reviews and sign-offs confirming only authorized users retain privileges
- Audit logs showing authentication and authorization events for audit management tool access
- Written audit management policy document with list of approved privileged users and their roles
Frequently asked questions
When will FAQs be available?
The FAQ for this control is currently being prepared.
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