NIST 800-171
Protecting Controlled Unclassified Information in Nonfederal Systems
NIST guidelines for protecting Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) in nonfederal systems.
What is NIST 800-171?
NIST Special Publication 800-171 provides recommended security requirements for protecting the confidentiality of Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) when it resides in nonfederal systems and organizations. CUI is information that requires safeguarding but isn't classified.
For defense contractors, compliance with NIST 800-171 is required under DFARS clause 252.204-7012. The publication contains 110 security requirements organized into 14 families, derived from NIST SP 800-53. NIST 800-171 serves as the foundation for CMMC Level 2.
Who Needs NIST 800-171?
- Defense contractors and subcontractors
- Federal contractors handling CUI
- Research institutions with federal grants
- Universities with defense research
- Organizations in defense supply chain
Key Requirements
Core compliance areas for NIST 800-171
14 Security Families
Implement controls across 14 families: access control, awareness training, audit, configuration management, identification, incident response, maintenance, media protection, personnel security, physical protection, risk assessment, security assessment, system protection, and communications protection.
110 Security Requirements
Address all 110 security requirements with implemented controls or documented POA&Ms.
System Security Plan
Document system boundaries, environment, security requirements implementation, and relationships.
Plan of Action & Milestones
Track and remediate any security requirements not yet fully implemented.
Assessment
Conduct periodic assessments of security requirement implementation.
Benefits of NIST 800-171 Compliance
- Required for defense contracts
- Foundation for CMMC certification
- Protection of sensitive federal information
- Competitive advantage in government contracting
- Structured security framework
- Reduced risk of data breaches
How PartnerAlly Helps with NIST 800-171
Streamline your path to NIST 800-171 compliance with our AI-powered platform.
Official Resources
Related Frameworks
CMMC
DoD framework ensuring defense contractors protect sensitive defense information.
NIST 800-53
Comprehensive catalog of security and privacy controls for federal information systems.
FedRAMP
Standardized approach to security assessment for cloud products used by federal agencies.