Enhanced Security Requirements for Protecting Controlled Unclassified Information: A Supplement to NIST Special Publication 800-171

Published

February 9, 2021

Author(s)

Ronald S. Ross, Victoria Pillitteri, Gary Guissanie, Ryan Wagner, Richard Graubart, Deborah Bodeau

Abstract

The protection of Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) resident in nonfederal systems and organizations is of paramount importance to federal agencies and can directly impact the ability of the Federal Government to successfully conduct its essential missions and functions. This publication provides federal agencies with recommended enhanced security requirements for protecting the confidentiality of CUI: (1) when the information is resident in nonfederal systems and organizations; (2) when the nonfederal organization is not collecting or maintaining information on behalf of a federal agency or using or operating a system on behalf of an agency; and (3) where there are no specific safeguarding requirements for protecting the confidentiality of CUI prescribed by the authorizing law, regulation, or government-wide policy for the CUI category listed in the CUI Registry. The enhanced requirements apply only to components of nonfederal systems that process, store, or transmit CUI or that provide security protection for such components when the designated CUI is associated with a critical program or high value asset. The enhanced requirements supplement the basic and derived security requirements in NIST Special Publication 800-171 and are intended for use by federal agencies in contractual vehicles or other agreements established between those agencies and nonfederal organizations.

Citation

Special Publication (NIST SP) - 800-172

Report Number

800-172

NIST Pub Series

Special Publication (NIST SP)

Pub Type

NIST Pubs

Download Paper

https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.SP.800-172

Local Download

Keywords

Advanced Persistent Threat, Basic Security Requirement, Contractor Systems, Controlled Unclassified Information, CUI Registry, Derived Security Requirement, Enhanced Security Requirement, Executive Order 13556, FIPS Publication 199, FIPS Publication 200, FISMA, NIST Special Publication 800-53, Nonfederal Organizations, Nonfederal Systems, Security Assessment, Security Control, Security Requirement

Citation

Ross, R. , Pillitteri, V. , Guissanie, G. , Wagner, R. , Graubart, R. and Bodeau, D. (2021), Enhanced Security Requirements for Protecting Controlled Unclassified Information: A Supplement to NIST Special Publication 800-171, Special Publication (NIST SP), National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD, [online], https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.SP.800-172 (Accessed October 20, 2025)