3.8.1Protect media holding CUI

Paper and digital media containing CUI are physically protected.

The requirement, verbatim

NIST SP 800-171 Rev. 2 · 3.8.1
Protect (i.e., physically control and securely store) system media containing CUI, both paper and digital.

Requirement 3.8.1, practice name in the CMMC assessment guide: Media Protection.

NIST's discussion

System media includes digital and non-digital media. Digital media includes diskettes, magnetic tapes, external and removable hard disk drives, flash drives, compact disks, and digital video disks. Non-digital media includes paper and microfilm. Protecting digital media includes limiting access to design specifications stored on compact disks or flash drives in the media library to the project leader and any individuals on the development team. Physically controlling system media includes conducting inventories, maintaining accountability for stored media, and ensuring procedures are in place to allow individuals to check out and return media to the media library. Secure storage includes a locked drawer, desk, or cabinet, or a controlled media library.

Access to CUI on system media can be limited by physically controlling such media, which includes conducting inventories, ensuring procedures are in place to allow individuals to check out and return media to the media library, and maintaining accountability for all stored media.

NIST SP 800-111 provides guidance on storage encryption technologies for end user devices.

NIST SP 800-171 Rev. 2, discussion under 3.8.1. Whitespace normalised; wording unchanged.

Assessment objectives

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

[a] paper media containing CUI is physically controlled
[b] digital media containing CUI is physically controlled
[c] paper media containing CUI is securely stored
[d] digital media containing CUI is securely stored

NIST SP 800-171A, determination statements for 3.8.1.

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

System media protection policy
procedures addressing media storage
procedures addressing media access restrictions
access control policy and procedures
physical and environmental protection policy and procedures
system security plan
media storage facilities
access control records
other relevant documents or records

Interview

Personnel with system media protection responsibilities
personnel with information security responsibilities
system or network administrators

Test

Organizational processes for restricting information media
mechanisms supporting or implementing media access restrictions

NIST SP 800-171A, potential assessment methods and objects for 3.8.1.

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 3 points. Not meeting this requirement subtracts 3 from your 110-point SPRS score.

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 no significant change: 03.08.01 Media Storage.

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)