NIST SP 800-171 Rev 2 · Self-Assessment

Know Your Real SPRS Score

Answer all 110 requirements once — get an auto-filled System Security Plan, your SPRS score, and a gap list, not a blank template to fill in by hand.

This generates a drafting aid from your own answers — not a certified compliance determination. Review the result (and have your own counsel review it before relying on it) before submitting anything to SPRS.

System Identification

3.1 Access Control 22 requirements
3.1.1 Restrict system access to approved users
3.1.2 Restrict users to only the actions and functions they're permitted to perform
3.1.3 Control where CUI is allowed to flow within and out of the system
3.1.4 Separate the duties of individuals to reduce the risk of malicious activity without collusion
3.1.5 Employ the principle of least privilege, including for specific security functions
3.1.6 Use non-privileged accounts when accessing non-security functions
3.1.7 Prevent non-privileged users from executing privileged functions and log any attempts
3.1.8 Limit unsuccessful logon attempts
3.1.9 Provide privacy and security notices consistent with applicable rules
3.1.10 Use session lock with a pattern-hiding display to prevent access/viewing after a period of inactivity
3.1.11 Terminate a user session automatically after a defined period of inactivity
3.1.12 Monitor and control remote access sessions
3.1.13 Employ cryptographic mechanisms to protect the confidentiality of remote access sessions
3.1.14 Route remote access via managed access control points
3.1.15 Authorize remote execution of privileged commands and remote access to security-relevant information
3.1.16 Authorize wireless access prior to allowing such connections
3.1.17 Protect wireless access using authentication and encryption
3.1.18 Control connection of mobile devices
3.1.19 Encrypt CUI on mobile devices and mobile computing platforms
3.1.20 Verify and control/limit connections to and use of external systems
3.1.21 Limit use of portable storage devices on external systems
3.1.22 Control CUI posted or processed on publicly accessible systems
3.2 Awareness and Training 3 requirements
3.2.1 Ensure managers, system administrators, and users are made aware of security risks and applicable policies
3.2.2 Ensure personnel are trained to carry out their assigned security-related duties and responsibilities
3.2.3 Provide security awareness training on recognizing and reporting potential insider threat indicators
3.3 Audit and Accountability 9 requirements
3.3.1 Create and retain system audit logs/records to enable monitoring, analysis, investigation, and reporting of unlawful or unauthorized activity
3.3.2 Ensure actions of individual users can be uniquely traced, to hold them accountable
3.3.3 Review and update logged events periodically
3.3.4 Alert in the event of an audit logging process failure
3.3.5 Correlate audit record review, analysis, and reporting for investigation and response to unlawful activity
3.3.6 Provide audit record reduction and report generation to support analysis and investigations
3.3.7 Use internal system clocks to generate timestamps and synchronize them for audit records
3.3.8 Protect audit information and tools from unauthorized access, modification, and deletion
3.3.9 Limit management of audit logging functionality to a subset of privileged users
3.4 Configuration Management 9 requirements
3.4.1 Establish and maintain baseline configurations and inventories of systems throughout their lifecycle
3.4.2 Establish and enforce security configuration settings for IT products
3.4.3 Track, review, approve/disapprove, and log changes to systems
3.4.4 Analyze the security impact of changes prior to implementation
3.4.5 Define, document, approve, and enforce physical and logical access restrictions for changes
3.4.6 Employ the principle of least functionality by restricting systems to essential capabilities
3.4.7 Restrict, disable, or prevent use of nonessential programs, functions, ports, protocols, and services
3.4.8 Apply a deny-by-exception (blacklist) policy to prevent unauthorized software, or permit-by-exception (whitelist) for authorized software
3.4.9 Control and monitor user-installed software
3.5 Identification and Authentication 11 requirements
3.5.1 Identify system users, processes acting on behalf of users, and devices
3.5.2 Authenticate (or verify) the identities of users, processes, and devices before allowing access
3.5.3 Use multifactor authentication for local and network access to privileged accounts and for network access to non-privileged accounts
3.5.4 Employ replay-resistant authentication mechanisms for network access to privileged and non-privileged accounts
3.5.5 Prevent reuse of identifiers for a defined period
3.5.6 Disable identifiers after a defined period of inactivity
3.5.7 Enforce a minimum password complexity and change of characters when new passwords are created
3.5.8 Prohibit password reuse for a specified number of generations
3.5.9 Allow temporary password use for system logons with an immediate change to a permanent password
3.5.10 Store and transmit only cryptographically-protected passwords
3.5.11 Obscure feedback of authentication information
3.6 Incident Response 3 requirements
3.6.1 Establish an operational incident-handling capability (preparation, detection, analysis, containment, recovery, user response)
3.6.2 Track, document, and report incidents to designated officials and/or authorities internally and externally
3.6.3 Test the organizational incident response capability periodically
3.7 Maintenance 6 requirements
3.7.1 Perform maintenance on organizational systems
3.7.2 Provide controls on the tools, techniques, mechanisms, and personnel used for system maintenance
3.7.3 Ensure equipment removed for off-site maintenance is sanitized of any CUI
3.7.4 Check media containing diagnostic and test programs for malicious code before use
3.7.5 Require multifactor authentication for nonlocal maintenance sessions and terminate connections when complete
3.7.6 Supervise maintenance activities of personnel without required access authorization
3.8 Media Protection 9 requirements
3.8.1 Protect (physically control and securely store) system media containing CUI, both paper and digital
3.8.2 Limit access to CUI on system media to authorized users
3.8.3 Sanitize or destroy system media containing CUI before disposal, release, or reuse
3.8.4 Mark media with necessary CUI markings and distribution limitations
3.8.5 Control access to media containing CUI and maintain accountability during transport
3.8.6 Implement cryptographic mechanisms to protect the confidentiality of CUI on digital media during transport
3.8.7 Control the use of removable media on system components
3.8.8 Prohibit the use of portable storage devices when such devices have no identifiable owner
3.8.9 Protect the confidentiality of backup CUI at storage locations
3.9 Personnel Security 2 requirements
3.9.1 Screen individuals prior to authorizing access to systems containing CUI
3.9.2 Ensure CUI and systems containing CUI are protected during and after personnel actions (transfers, terminations)
3.10 Physical Protection 6 requirements
3.10.1 Limit physical access to systems, equipment, and operating environments to authorized individuals
3.10.2 Protect and monitor the physical facility and support infrastructure for organizational systems
3.10.3 Escort visitors and monitor visitor activity
3.10.4 Maintain audit logs of physical access
3.10.5 Control and manage physical access devices
3.10.6 Enforce safeguarding measures for CUI at alternate work sites
3.11 Risk Assessment 3 requirements
3.11.1 Periodically assess the risk to operations, assets, and individuals from operating the system
3.11.2 Scan for vulnerabilities in systems and applications periodically and when new vulnerabilities are identified
3.11.3 Remediate vulnerabilities in accordance with assessments of risk
3.12 Security Assessment 4 requirements
3.12.1 Periodically assess the security controls in organizational systems to determine if they're effective
3.12.2 Develop and implement plans of action (a POA&M) to correct deficiencies and reduce or eliminate vulnerabilities
3.12.3 Monitor security controls on an ongoing basis to ensure continued effectiveness
3.12.4 Develop, document, and periodically update System Security Plans (SSPs) describing system boundaries, environments, and how requirements are implemented
3.13 System and Communications Protection 16 requirements
3.13.1 Monitor, control, and protect communications at external boundaries and key internal boundaries
3.13.2 Employ architectural designs, software development techniques, and systems engineering principles that promote effective security
3.13.3 Separate user functionality from system management functionality
3.13.4 Prevent unauthorized and unintended information transfer via shared system resources
3.13.5 Implement subnetworks for publicly accessible system components that are physically or logically separated from internal networks
3.13.6 Deny network communications traffic by default and allow it only by exception
3.13.7 Prevent remote devices from simultaneously establishing non-remote connections and communicating via some other network (split tunneling)
3.13.8 Implement cryptographic mechanisms to prevent unauthorized disclosure of CUI during transmission unless otherwise protected
3.13.9 Terminate network connections associated with communications sessions at the end of the session or after a period of inactivity
3.13.10 Establish and manage cryptographic keys for cryptography employed in the system
3.13.11 Employ FIPS-validated cryptography when used to protect the confidentiality of CUI
3.13.12 Prohibit remote activation of collaborative computing devices and provide an indication of devices in use
3.13.13 Control and monitor the use of mobile code
3.13.14 Control and monitor the use of Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technologies
3.13.15 Protect the authenticity of communications sessions
3.13.16 Protect the confidentiality of CUI at rest
3.14 System and Information Integrity 7 requirements
3.14.1 Identify, report, and correct system flaws in a timely manner
3.14.2 Provide protection from malicious code at designated locations within organizational systems
3.14.3 Monitor system security alerts and advisories and take action in response
3.14.4 Update malicious code protection mechanisms when new releases are available
3.14.5 Perform periodic scans of systems and real-time scans of files from external sources as they're downloaded, opened, or executed
3.14.6 Monitor systems, including inbound and outbound communications traffic, to detect attacks and indicators of potential attacks
3.14.7 Identify unauthorized use of organizational systems