What exactly is NIST Special Publication 800-171?
NIST SP 800-171 (National Institute of Standards and Technology Special Publication 800-171) is a
standard meant for non-federal organizations that are mandated to safely handle CUI information
within both internal and external data systems for assisting federal operations. Also, both
CMMC 2.0 Level 2 and DFARS 7012 necessitate NIST 800-171 compliance all over information systems
and procedures for Government Contractors facilitating the Department of Defense (DoD).
How Do NIST 800-171 Effect Contractors and CMMC 2.0?
DoD federal contracts will need NIST SP 800-171 framework implemented at Government Contractor (DIB)
facilities in order to meet FAR cybersecurity specifications. Effective preparedness for compliance
is vital for companies that offer services to DoD and in the near future to non-DoD bureaus.
NIST SP 800-171 is critical for Defense Industrial Base (DIB) contractors in the short term since
DCMA is vigorously evaluating the way the (DIB) organizational IT systems, People, Policies, and
procedures conform to the specifications of DFARS 7012. CMMC has also added another convenience by
requiring contractors to be accredited at the time of contract award or earlier.
Based on your company's past investments and existing security stance, it may be more cost-efficient
to deploy NIST SP 800-171 framework technical security mechanisms through On-Premises or
Cloud Services.
What is CUI?
CDI is a catch-all term for all Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) and Controlled Technical
Information (CTI). Previously, the government used a variety of terms to define this type of data.
These categories are assigned to unclassified content that must be safeguarded in a precise way inside
and outside of a government data system.
Protecting Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) in Nonfederal Systems and Organizations
Understanding an SSP:
An SSP (System Security Plan) includes the mandatory details around each department in your
organizational surroundings that analyse, Create, store, and transmit CUI for the specific purpose
of NIST SP 800-171 and CUI criteria.
This dataset comprises security configurations or functionalities that are present or are planned
to be executed, with each capability explicitly linked to specific security requirements and controls.
Besides this, the SSP specifies how these systems communicate with one another (data flow and common
authentication/authorization) and how they react independently.
Requirements for NIST SP 800-171 Control Families and CMMC Domains:
NIST SP 800-171 is an exhaustive set of specifications that includes 28 basics and 81 derived security
protocols. There are a total of 110 prerequisites in the purview of NIST SP 800-171 along with 320
Assessment objectives. CMMC is made up of 17 Domains and 171 Practices.
Several of these safeguards or processes may be technological or operational in nature. A few of
them will be managed by your Cloud Service Provider when you're migrating to the Cloud. The NIST
Control Family and affiliated CMMC Domains are listed below-
| Section | Requirement |
| CMMC | NIST SP 800-171 |
| Access Control (AC) | 3.1 Access Control |
| Awareness and Training (AT) | 3.2 Awareness and Training |
| Audit and Accountability (AU) | 3.3 Audit and Accountability |
| Configuration Management (CM) | 3.4 Configuration Management |
| Identification and Authentication (IA) | 3.5 Identification and Authentication |
| Incident Response (IR) | 3.6 Incident Response |
| Maintenance (MA) | 3.7 Maintenance |
| Media Protection (MP) | 3.8 Media Protection |
| Personnel Security (PS) | 3.9 Personnel Security |
| Physical Protection (PE) | 3.10 Physical Protection |
| Risk Management (RM) | 3.11 Risk Assessment |
| Security Assessment (CA) | 3.12 Security Assessment |
| System and Communications Protection (SC) | 3.13 System and Communications Protection |
| System and Information Integrity (SI) | 3.14 System and Information Integrity |
Get started with your NIST compliance strategy today. Talk to one of our specialists and begin your journey.