CMMC Navigatorby Foxx Cyber Bedrock CMMC

↑↓ to move, Enter to open, Esc to close. Try 3.5.3, AC.L2-3.1.1, MFA or unmarked.

3.2.1Make sure people know the risks

Everyone who touches CUI understands what can go wrong and what the rules are.

The requirement, verbatim

NIST SP 800-171 Rev. 2 · 3.2.1

Ensure that managers, systems administrators, and users of organizational systems are made aware of the security risks associated with their activities and of the applicable policies, standards, and procedures related to the security of those systems.

Requirement 3.2.1, practice name in the CMMC assessment guide: Role-Based Risk Awareness.

NIST's discussion

Organizations determine the content and frequency of security awareness training and security awareness techniques based on the specific organizational requirements and the systems to which personnel have authorized access. The content includes a basic understanding of the need for information security and user actions to maintain security and to respond to suspected security incidents. The content also addresses awareness of the need for operations security. Security awareness techniques include: formal training; offering supplies inscribed with security reminders; generating email advisories or notices from organizational officials; displaying logon screen messages; displaying security awareness posters; and conducting information security awareness events.

NIST SP 800-50 provides guidance on security awareness and training programs.

NIST SP 800-171 Rev. 2, discussion under 3.2.1. Whitespace normalised; wording unchanged.

Assessment objectives

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

  1. [a] security risks associated with organizational activities involving CUI are identified
  2. [b] policies, standards, and procedures related to the security of the system are identified
  3. [c] managers, systems administrators, and users of organizational systems are made aware of the security risks associated with their activities
  4. [d] managers, systems administrators, and users of organizational systems are made aware of the applicable policies, standards, and procedures related to the security of the system

NIST SP 800-171A, determination statements for 3.2.1.

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
  • Security awareness and training policy
  • procedures addressing security awareness training implementation
  • security awareness training curriculum
  • security awareness training materials
  • system security plan
  • training records
  • other relevant documents or records
Interview
  • Personnel with responsibilities for security awareness training
  • personnel with information security responsibilities
  • personnel comprising the general system user community
Test
  • Mechanisms managing security awareness training

NIST SP 800-171A, potential assessment methods and objects for 3.2.1.

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. Not meeting this requirement subtracts 5 from your 110-point SPRS score. These are the requirements with the largest effect on your posture.

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: 03.02.01 Literacy Training and Awareness. 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)