5.3.2 Impacts per Category
All changes in this version
Title changed
Before · SP 800-63-3
Impacts per Category
After · SP 800-63-4
Impacts per Category
Control changed
Before · SP 800-63-3
This section defines the potential impacts for each category of harm. Each assurance level, IAL, AAL, and FAL (if accepting or asserting a federated identity) SHALL be evaluated separately.
Note: If an error in the identity system causes no measurable consequences for a category, there is no impact.
Potential impact of inconvenience, distress, or damage to standing or reputation:
• Low: at worst, limited, short-term inconvenience, distress, or embarrassment to any party.
• Moderate: at worst, serious short-term or limited long-term inconvenience, distress, or damage to the standing or reputation of any party.
• High: severe or serious long-term inconvenience, distress, or damage to the standing or reputation of any party. This is ordinarily reserved for situations with particularly severe effects or which potentially affect many individuals.
Potential impact of financial loss:
• Low: at worst, an insignificant or inconsequential financial loss to any party, or at worst, an insignificant or inconsequential agency liability.
• Moderate: at worst, a serious financial loss to any party, or a serious agency liability.
• High: severe or catastrophic financial loss to any party, or severe or catastrophic agency liability.
Potential impact of harm to agency programs or public interests:
• Low: at worst, a limited adverse effect on organizational operations or assets, or public interests. Examples of limited adverse effects are: (i) mission capability degradation to the extent and duration that the organization is able to perform its primary functions with noticeably reduced effectiveness, or (ii) minor damage to organizational assets or public interests.
• Moderate: at worst, a serious adverse effect on organizational operations or assets, or public interests. Examples of serious adverse effects are: (i) significant mission capability degradation to the extent and duration that the organization is able to perform its primary functions with significantly reduced effectiveness; or (ii) significant damage to organizational assets or public interests.
• High: a severe or catastrophic adverse effect on organizational operations or assets, or public interests. Examples of severe or catastrophic effects are: (i) severe mission capability degradation or loss of to the extent and duration that the organization is unable to perform one or more of its primary functions; or (ii) major damage to organizational assets or public interests.
Potential impact of unauthorized release of sensitive information:
• Low: at worst, a limited release of personal, U.S. government sensitive, or commercially sensitive information to unauthorized parties resulting in a loss of confidentiality with a low impact as defined in FIPS 199 .
• Moderate: at worst, a release of personal, U.S. government sensitive, or commercially sensitive information to unauthorized parties resulting in loss of confidentiality with a moderate impact as defined in FIPS 199 .
• High: a release of personal, U.S. government sensitive, or commercially sensitive information to unauthorized parties resulting in loss of confidentiality with a high impact as defined in FIPS 199 .
Potential impact to personal safety:
• Low: at worst, minor injury not requiring medical treatment.
• Moderate: at worst, moderate risk of minor injury or limited risk of injury requiring medical treatment.
• High: a risk of serious injury or death.
The potential impact of civil or criminal violations is:
• Low: at worst, a risk of civil or criminal violations of a nature that would not ordinarily be subject to enforcement efforts.
• Moderate: at worst, a risk of civil or criminal violations that may be subject to enforcement efforts.
• High: a risk of civil or criminal violations that are of special importance to enforcement programs.
After · SP 800-63-4
This section defines the potential impacts for each category of harm. Each assurance level, IAL, AAL, and FAL (if accepting or asserting a federated identity) SHALL be evaluated separately.
Note: If an error in the identity system causes no measurable consequences for a category, there is no impact.
Potential impact of inconvenience, distress, or damage to standing or reputation:
• Low: at worst, limited, short-term inconvenience, distress, or embarrassment to any party.
• Moderate: at worst, serious short-term or limited long-term inconvenience, distress, or damage to the standing or reputation of any party.
• High: severe or serious long-term inconvenience, distress, or damage to the standing or reputation of any party. This is ordinarily reserved for situations with particularly severe effects or which potentially affect many individuals.
Potential impact of financial loss:
• Low: at worst, an insignificant or inconsequential financial loss to any party, or at worst, an insignificant or inconsequential agency liability.
• Moderate: at worst, a serious financial loss to any party, or a serious agency liability.
• High: severe or catastrophic financial loss to any party, or severe or catastrophic agency liability.
Potential impact of harm to agency programs or public interests:
• Low: at worst, a limited adverse effect on organizational operations or assets, or public interests. Examples of limited adverse effects are: (i) mission capability degradation to the extent and duration that the organization is able to perform its primary functions with noticeably reduced effectiveness, or (ii) minor damage to organizational assets or public interests.
• Moderate: at worst, a serious adverse effect on organizational operations or assets, or public interests. Examples of serious adverse effects are: (i) significant mission capability degradation to the extent and duration that the organization is able to perform its primary functions with significantly reduced effectiveness; or (ii) significant damage to organizational assets or public interests.
• High: a severe or catastrophic adverse effect on organizational operations or assets, or public interests. Examples of severe or catastrophic effects are: (i) severe mission capability degradation or loss of to the extent and duration that the organization is unable to perform one or more of its primary functions; or (ii) major damage to organizational assets or public interests.
Potential impact of unauthorized release of sensitive information:
• Low: at worst, a limited release of personal, U.S. government sensitive, or commercially sensitive information to unauthorized parties resulting in a loss of confidentiality with a low impact as defined in FIPS 199 .
• Moderate: at worst, a release of personal, U.S. government sensitive, or commercially sensitive information to unauthorized parties resulting in loss of confidentiality with a moderate impact as defined in FIPS 199 .
• High: a release of personal, U.S. government sensitive, or commercially sensitive information to unauthorized parties resulting in loss of confidentiality with a high impact as defined in FIPS 199 .
Potential impact to personal safety:
• Low: at worst, minor injury not requiring medical treatment.
• Moderate: at worst, moderate risk of minor injury or limited risk of injury requiring medical treatment.
• High: a risk of serious injury or death.
The potential impact of civil or criminal violations is:
• Low: at worst, a risk of civil or criminal violations of a nature that would not ordinarily be subject to enforcement efforts.
• Moderate: at worst, a risk of civil or criminal violations that may be subject to enforcement efforts.
• High: a risk of civil or criminal violations that are of special importance to enforcement programs.