CPCSC Level 2 Control

Last updated June 25, 2026

03.05.05Identification and authentication

CPCSC Level 2 03.05.05: Identifier Management

Apply identifier management to prove that users, devices, and authenticators are unique, protected, and trustworthy for CPCSC Level 2 readiness. This guide separates the official ITSP.10.171 control language from practical implementation, evidence, auditor questions, and related controls.

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Formal Control Language

Official ITSP.10.171 wording for 03.05.05. Use the Cyber Centre publication and contract requirements as the source of truth for certification, assessment, or procurement submissions.

  • Receive authorization from organizational personnel or roles to assign an individual, group, role, service, or device identifier
  • Select and assign an identifier that identifies an individual, group, role, service, or device
  • Prevent reuse of identifiers for [Assignment: organization-defined time period]
  • Manage individual identifiers by uniquely identifying each individual as [Assignment: organization-defined characteristic identifying individual status]

Contains information sourced from Government of Canada material used under the Open Government Licence - Canada.

What This Means In Plain English

Identifier Management is part of the CPCSC Level 2 Identification and authentication family. This is about proving each user, device, and authenticator is unique, managed, protected, and strong enough for the sensitivity of the work.

For a founder, CISO, engineer, or compliance owner, the practical question is whether identifier management is visible in real operating evidence: a setting, workflow, ticket, log, approval, review, or exception record that can survive an external assessment.

Level 2 is different from Level 1 because the evidence has to survive an external assessment. A policy statement helps, but the stronger answer is a record that shows who did the work, when it ran, what system setting or workflow enforced it, and how exceptions were handled.

How To Implement It

1

Define the in-scope systems, owners, users, vendors, and data flows affected by identifier management.

2

Use unique accounts, MFA, password or authenticator standards, lifecycle controls, and technical settings that prevent shared or weak authentication paths.

3

Translate the formal requirement into one or two operating procedures: who performs it, how often, where it is recorded, and who approves exceptions.

4

Configure the relevant systems so the control is enforced by identity, endpoint, cloud, network, ticketing, monitoring, vendor, or documentation workflows rather than memory.

5

Keep evidence in a consistent folder, GRC system, ticket queue, or audit workspace so an assessor can trace the control from requirement to implementation to review.

Evidence Normally Gathered

Identifier Management: identity provider settings.

Identifier Management: MFA reports.

Identifier Management: password policy screenshots.

Identifier Management: authenticator inventory.

Identifier Management: account lifecycle tickets.

Identifier Management: device authentication settings.

Identifier Management: owner assignment and review cadence.

Identifier Management: exception, remediation, or POA&M records when the control is not fully implemented.

Common Auditor Questions

Where is identifier management implemented in the in-scope environment?

Who owns identifier management, and how do they know it is operating?

Show the evidence that proves identifier management ran during the assessment period.

What happens when identifier management fails, is bypassed, or has an exception?

How does this control connect to the system security plan, risk register, POA&M, and related CPCSC controls?

Sources

Source and attribution.

Formal control language is sourced from the Canadian Centre for Cyber Security ITSP.10.171 publication. CPCSC Level 2 assessment context references the Government of Canada CPCSC program overview and ITSP.10.171-01 assessment guidance.

CPCSC Program OverviewITSP.10.171ITSP.10.171-01Open Government Licence - Canada