The FortiGate device must synchronize internal information system clocks using redundant authoritative time sources.
Severity | Group ID | Group Title | Version | Rule ID | Date | STIG Version |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| medium | V-234183 | SRG-APP-000373-NDM-000298 | FGFW-ND-000120 | SV-234183r987682_rule | 2025-11-19 | 1 |
Description
The loss of connectivity to a particular authoritative time source will result in the loss of time synchronization (free-run mode) and increasingly inaccurate time stamps on audit events and other functions.
Multiple time sources provide redundancy by including a secondary source. Time synchronization is usually a hierarchy; clients synchronize time to a local source while that source synchronizes its time to a more accurate source. The network device must utilize an authoritative time server and/or be configured to use redundant authoritative time sources. This requirement is related to the comparison done in CCI-001891.
DoD-approved solutions consist of a combination of a primary and secondary time source using a combination or multiple instances of the following: a time server designated for the appropriate DoD network (NIPRNet/SIPRNet); United States Naval Observatory (USNO) time servers; and/or the Global Positioning System (GPS). The secondary time source must be located in a different geographic region than the primary time source.
ℹ️ Check
Log in to the FortiGate GUI with Super-Admin privilege.
1. Open a CLI console, via SSH or available from the GUI.
2. Run the following command:
# show full-configuration system ntp | grep server
The output should be:
set server {IP address of NTP server 1}
set server {IP address of NTP server 2}
If the internal information system clocks are not configured to synchronize with the primary and secondary time sources, this is a finding.
✔️ Fix
Log in to the FortiGate GUI with Super-Admin privilege.
1. Open a CLI console, via SSH or available from the GUI.
2. Run the following command:
# config system ntp
# set ntpsync enable
# set type custom
# set syncinterval {INTEGER}
To add NTP server 1:
# config ntpserver
# edit {ID}
# set server {IP ADDRESS}
# set authentication enable
# set key {PASSWORD}
# set key-id {INTEGER}
# next
To add NTP server 2:
# config ntpserver
# edit {ID}
# set server {IP ADDRESS}
# set authentication enable
# set key {PASSWORD}
# set key-id {INTEGER}
# next
# end