What this requirement asks
Prohibit password reuse for a specified number of generations.
This is a CMMC Level 2 requirement in the Identification & Authentication 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)
- 3.5.8[a] — the number of generations during which a password cannot be reused is specified
- 3.5.8[b] — reuse of passwords is prohibited during the specified number of generations
What an assessor examines
Examine:
- Identification and authentication policy
- password policy
- procedures addressing authenticator management
- system security plan
- system design documentation
- system configuration settings and associated documentation
- password configurations and associated documentation
- other relevant documents or records
Interview:
- Personnel with authenticator management responsibilities
- personnel with information security responsibilities
- system or network administrators
- system developers
Test:
- Mechanisms supporting or implementing password-based authenticator management capability
Evidence that defends it
Show history/enforcement values
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.