What this requirement asks
Separate user functionality from system management functionality.
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 (3)
- 3.13.3[a] — user functionality is identified
- 3.13.3[b] — system management functionality is identified
- 3.13.3[c] — user functionality is separated from system management functionality
What an assessor examines
Examine:
- System and communications protection policy
- procedures addressing application partitioning
- system design documentation
- system configuration settings and associated documentation
- system security plan
- system audit logs and records
- other relevant documents or records
Interview:
- System or network administrators
- personnel with information security responsibilities
- system developer
Test:
- Separation of user functionality from system management functionality
Evidence that defends it
Show admin network separation/jump hosts
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.