3.8.4Mark media
Media carrying CUI is marked with any distribution limits.
The requirement, verbatim
NIST SP 800-171 Rev. 2 · 3.8.4Mark media with necessary CUI markings and distribution limitations.
NIST's discussion
The term security marking refers to the application or use of human-readable security attributes. System media includes digital and non-digital media. Marking of system media reflects applicable federal laws, Executive Orders, directives, policies, and regulations.
NIST SP 800-171 Rev. 2, discussion under 3.8.4. Whitespace normalised; wording unchanged.
Assessment objectives
An assessor decides each of these separately. The requirement is met only when every objective is.
- [a] media containing CUI is marked with applicable CUI markings
- [b] media containing CUI is marked with distribution limitations
NIST SP 800-171A, determination statements for 3.8.4.
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 marking
- physical and environmental protection policy and procedures
- system security plan
- list of system media marking security attributes
- designated controlled areas
- other relevant documents or records
Interview
- Personnel with system media protection and marking responsibilities
- personnel with information security responsibilities
Test
- Organizational processes for marking information media
- mechanisms supporting or implementing media marking
NIST SP 800-171A, potential assessment methods and objects for 3.8.4.
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 1 point. Not meeting this requirement subtracts 1 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: 03.08.04 Media Marking.
See the Rev. 2 and Rev. 3 wording word by word, or start with the status page.
Related requirements
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)