3.13.11Use FIPS-validated cryptography

Where you use encryption for CUI, the module must be FIPS validated.

SC
Level 2
3 or 5 pt
Rev. 3: Reworded

The requirement, verbatim

NIST SP 800-171 Rev. 2 · 3.13.11
Employ FIPS-validated cryptography when used to protect the confidentiality of CUI.

Requirement 3.13.11, practice name in the CMMC assessment guide: CUI Encryption.

NIST's discussion

Cryptography can be employed to support many security solutions including the protection of controlled unclassified information, the provision of digital signatures, and the enforcement of information separation when authorized individuals have the necessary clearances for such information but lack the necessary formal access approvals. Cryptography can also be used to support random number generation and hash generation. Cryptographic standards include FIPS-validated cryptography and/or NSA-approved cryptography.

NIST SP 800-171 Rev. 2, discussion under 3.13.11. Whitespace normalised; wording unchanged.

Assessment objectives

An assessor decides each of these separately. The requirement is met only when every objective is.

[a] FIPS-validated cryptography is employed to protect the confidentiality of CUI

NIST SP 800-171A, determination statements for 3.13.11.

For assessors: examine, interview, test

NIST SP 800-171A names what an assessor may examine, whom they may interview, and what they may test for this requirement. Assessors select from these lists; they are not a checklist of everything you must produce.

Examine

System and communications protection policy
procedures addressing cryptographic protection
system security plan
system design documentation
system configuration settings and associated documentation
cryptographic module validation certificates
list of FIPS-validated cryptographic modules
system audit logs and records
any other relevant documents or records

Interview

System or network administrators
personnel with information security responsibilities
system developers
personnel with responsibilities for cryptographic protection

Test

Mechanisms supporting or implementing cryptographic protection

NIST SP 800-171A, potential assessment methods and objects for 3.13.11.

Evidence

No evidence examples are published for this requirement yet. The objectives above are what an assessor checks; evidence is whatever shows each one is true in your environment, dated and kept with your system security plan.

Scoring weight

Worth 5 points, or 3 in one specific case. Not meeting this requirement subtracts 5 from your 110-point SPRS score; the partial-credit rule below can reduce that to 3.

Partial credit. 3 if encryption is employed but not FIPS validated (POA&M allowed); 5 if encryption is not employed (POA&M not allowed).

DoD NIST SP 800-171 Assessment Methodology v1.2.1 weighting, as carried in the Bedrock scoring table. The score starts at 110 and subtracts the weight of every requirement not met.

In Rev. 3

Rev. 2 is what your contract requires today. A standing DoD class deviation keeps Rev. 2 in force; NIST has published Rev. 3, but it is not adopted for contracts. In Rev. 3 this requirement is reworded: 03.13.11 Cryptographic Protection. It gains organization-defined parameters.

See the Rev. 2 and Rev. 3 wording word by word, or start with the status page.

Where this page's facts come from

Requirement text: bedrock-cmmc-api@89b8e8e:migrations/004_reference_requirements.sql#Requirement.basicRequirement@rev2
Discussion: bedrock-cmmc-api@89b8e8e:migrations/004_reference_requirements.sql#Requirement.discussion@rev2
Practice name: bedrock-cmmc-api@89b8e8e:migrations/004_reference_requirements.sql#Requirement.title@rev2 (CMMC Assessment Guide practice name)
Objectives: bedrock-cmmc-api@89b8e8e:migrations/005_reference_objectives.sql#AssessmentObjective.description@rev2
Examine, interview, test: bedrock-cmmc-api@89b8e8e:migrations/005_reference_objectives.sql#AssessmentObjective.description@rev2 ({examineGuidance, interviewGuidance, testGuidance})
Level: bedrock-cmmc-api@89b8e8e:migrations/021_fix_level1_requirements.sql#Requirement.cmmcLevel@rev2
Weight: bedrock-cmmc-api@89b8e8e:internal/cmmc/requirement_values.go#requirementValues (DoD AM v1.2.1 / eMASS L2 template v3.8)
Rev. 3 mapping: bedrock-cmmc-api@89b8e8e:docs/reference/nist-800-171-rev3/normalized/r2_r3_transition_map.json#r2_to_r3
Plain-language title and summary: editorial/CMMC Navigator.dc.html#RAW (Foxx Cyber editorial)