What this requirement asks
Terminate network connections associated with communications sessions at the end of the sessions or after a defined period of inactivity.
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)
- 3.13.9[a] — a period of inactivity to terminate network connections associated with communications sessions is defined
- 3.13.9[b] — network connections associated with communications sessions are terminated at the end of the sessions
- 3.13.9[c] — network connections associated with communications sessions are terminated after the defined period of inactivity
What an assessor examines
Examine:
- System and communications protection policy
- procedures addressing network disconnect
- system design documentation
- system security plan
- 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
- system developer
Test:
- Mechanisms supporting or implementing network disconnect capability
Evidence that defends it
Show timeout 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.