What this requirement asks
Protect audit information and audit logging tools from unauthorized access, modification, and deletion.
This is a CMMC Level 2 requirement in the Audit & Accountability 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 (6)
- 3.3.8[a] — audit information is protected from unauthorized access
- 3.3.8[b] — audit information is protected from unauthorized modification
- 3.3.8[c] — audit information is protected from unauthorized deletion
- 3.3.8[d] — audit logging tools are protected from unauthorized access
- 3.3.8[e] — audit logging tools are protected from unauthorized modification
- 3.3.8[f] — audit logging tools are protected from unauthorized deletion
What an assessor examines
Examine:
- Audit and accountability policy
- access control policy and procedures
- procedures addressing protection of audit information
- system security plan
- system design documentation
- system configuration settings and associated documentation, system audit logs and records
- audit logging tools
- other relevant documents or records
Interview:
- Personnel with audit and accountability responsibilities
- personnel with information security responsibilities
- system or network administrators
- system developers
Test:
- Mechanisms implementing audit information protection
Evidence that defends it
Show restricted access to SIEM/log stores; immutable retention
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.