What this requirement asks
Establish and manage cryptographic keys for cryptography employed in organizational systems.
This is a CMMC Level 2 requirement in the System & Communications Protection family, drawn from NIST SP 800-171 Rev. 2. An assessor evaluates it objective by objective — every objective below must be supported by evidence, not just described in a policy.
Assessment objectives (2)
- 3.13.10[a] — cryptographic keys are established whenever cryptography is employed
- 3.13.10[b] — cryptographic keys are managed whenever cryptography is employed
What an assessor examines
Examine:
- System and communications protection policy
- procedures addressing cryptographic key establishment and management
- system security plan
- system design documentation
- cryptographic mechanisms
- system configuration settings and associated documentation
- system audit logs and records
- other relevant documents or records
Interview:
- System or network administrators
- personnel with information security responsibilities
- personnel with responsibilities for cryptographic key establishment and management
Test:
- Mechanisms supporting or implementing cryptographic key establishment and management
Evidence that defends it
List authorized connections, enforce
Check your readiness
Score this requirement against your own environment with the Level 2 self-assessment checklist, or estimate your SPRS score with the free CMMC compliance tool. Self-reported answers are planning signals only — they do not establish a verified or assessor-accepted result.