What this requirement asks
Protect the confidentiality of CUI at rest.
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 (1)
- 3.13.16[a] — the confidentiality of CUI at rest is protected
What an assessor examines
Examine:
- System and communications protection policy
- procedures addressing protection of information at rest
- system security plan
- system design documentation
- list of information at rest requiring confidentiality protections
- system configuration settings and associated documentation
- cryptographic mechanisms and associated configuration documentation
- other relevant documents or records
Interview:
- System or network administrators
- personnel with information security responsibilities
- system developer
Test:
- Mechanisms supporting or implementing confidentiality protections for information at rest
Evidence that defends it
Show encryption/config controls
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.