3.12.1Assess your own controls periodically in Rev. 3
No significant change: 03.12.01 Security Assessment. Gains organization-defined parameters.
Status as of 2026-09-08
Rev. 2 is what a contract requires today. DFARS 252.204-7012 and the CMMC rule at 32 CFR 170 point at NIST SP 800-171 Rev. 2, and a standing DoD class deviation keeps it there. NIST has published Rev. 3, but publishing a revision does not change an obligation. A move to Rev. 3 would arrive through the Department's reform process and formal rulemaking, a change to that deviation or an amendment to the rule, not through publication. The Department has published its organization-defined parameter values for Rev. 3 in preparation; that is groundwork, not adoption.
Side by side
Rev. 2 · in force 3.12.1 Security Control Assessment
Assessment objectives · 800-171A
- [a] security controls in organizational systems are assessed periodically to determine if the controls are effective in their application
Rev. 3 · not adopted 03.12.01 Security Assessment
Assess the security requirements for the system and its environment of operation [Assignment: organization-defined frequency] to determine if the requirements have been satisfied.
Determination statements · 800-171A Rev. 3
- 03.12.01 the security requirements for the system and its environment of operation are assessed <A.03.12.01.ODP[01]: frequency> to determine if the requirements have been satisfied.
Organization-defined parameters
- A.03.12.01.ODP[01] the frequency at which to assess the security requirements for the system and its environment of operation is defined.
Draws on Rev. 2 3.12.1.
Left: NIST SP 800-171 Rev. 2 and 800-171A, verbatim. Right: NIST SP 800-171 Rev. 3 and 800-171A Rev. 3, verbatim, with organization-defined blanks highlighted.
Word by word
The Rev. 2 requirement compared with its Rev. 3 successor. A mechanical comparison of the two verbatim texts, not an interpretation.
removed in Rev. 3 added in Rev. 3
Rev. 2 3.12.1 → Rev. 3 03.12.01 Security Assessment
7 words kept, 11 removed, 16 added. Rev. 3 statement labels omitted for the comparison.
What NIST says changed
- New security requirement title
- Aligned with SP 800-53, Rev 5
- Added new ODP: frequency to determine if requirements have been satisfied
NIST, SP 800-171 Rev. 2 to Rev. 3 change analysis, class “No significant change”. At adoption, Bedrock files this under “Carries as-is”.
NIST's Rev. 3 discussion for 03.12.01
By assessing the security requirements, organizations determine whether the necessary safeguards and countermeasures are implemented correctly, operating as intended, and producing the desired outcome. Security assessments identify weaknesses in the system and provide the essential information needed to make risk-based decisions. Security assessment reports document assessment results in sufficient detail as deemed necessary by the organization to determine the accuracy and completeness of the reports. Security assessment results are provided to the individuals or roles appropriate for the types of assessments being conducted.
What this means for you now
Nothing changes in what you are assessed against until a class deviation or a published rule adopts Rev. 3. Keep meeting 3.12.1 as written in Rev. 2, and if you already choose a value for the parameters above in practice, write it down where your system security plan can find it.
Bedrock CMMC shows this same comparison against your own package, with your current status on the Rev. 2 side, so the day adoption lands the migration is a review, not a rewrite.
Where this page's facts come from
- Rev. 2 text and objectives
- bedrock-cmmc-api@89b8e8e:migrations/004_reference_requirements.sql#Requirement.basicRequirement@rev2; bedrock-cmmc-api@89b8e8e:migrations/005_reference_objectives.sql#AssessmentObjective.description@rev2
- Mapping and change class
- bedrock-cmmc-api@89b8e8e:docs/reference/nist-800-171-rev3/normalized/r2_r3_transition_map.json#r2_to_r3
- Rev. 3 03.12.01
- bedrock-cmmc-api@89b8e8e:docs/reference/nist-800-171-rev3/normalized/rev3.json#requirements[]