NIST Special Publication 800-171 defines the security requirements for protecting Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) in non-federal systems and organizations. For contractors working with the U.S. Department of Defense and other federal agencies, compliance with NIST 800-171 is not optional. It is a contractual requirement that directly affects eligibility for government contracts, and it serves as the foundation for the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) program.

NIST 800-171 Overview

The framework organizes 110 security requirements across 14 control families, including access control, awareness and training, audit and accountability, configuration management, identification and authentication, incident response, maintenance, media protection, personnel security, physical protection, risk assessment, security assessment, system and communications protection, and system and information integrity.

Each requirement specifies a security capability that organizations must implement to protect CUI. Unlike some frameworks that offer broad guidance, NIST 800-171 is prescriptive enough to provide clear expectations while flexible enough to allow organizations to implement controls in ways that fit their environment.

Understanding the Scoring Methodology

The DoD Assessment Methodology assigns a numerical score to each requirement based on implementation status. Organizations start with a perfect score of 110 and lose points for each requirement that is not fully implemented. The scoring categories are:

  • Implemented: The requirement is fully in place. No points are deducted.
  • Not Implemented (with a Plan of Action and Milestones): The requirement is not met, but the organization has a documented POA&M with specific timelines. Points are deducted based on the severity weight of the control.
  • Not Implemented (without a POA&M): The requirement is not met and there is no documented plan. Full points are deducted.

Severity weights vary by requirement, meaning that some gaps affect your score more than others. Understanding these weights is critical for prioritizing remediation efforts.

The Relationship to CMMC

CMMC builds on NIST 800-171 by introducing third-party assessment requirements and additional maturity practices. CMMC Level 2 maps directly to the 110 requirements of NIST 800-171. Organizations that achieve full compliance with 800-171 are well positioned for CMMC Level 2 certification.

The key difference is accountability. Under the previous self-assessment regime, organizations attested to their own compliance. CMMC requires independent validation by certified third-party assessors, raising the bar for evidence quality and implementation rigor.

How SCF Connect Simplifies Compliance

SCF Connect maps the full NIST 800-171 control set within its broader framework, allowing organizations to manage their compliance posture alongside other regulatory requirements without maintaining separate tracking systems. Key capabilities include:

  • Automated control mapping: SCF Connect maps NIST 800-171 requirements to corresponding controls across other frameworks like NIST CSF, ISO 27001, and SOC 2. This eliminates duplicated effort for organizations subject to multiple mandates.
  • Assessment workflows: Built-in tools guide assessors through each requirement with contextual criteria, evidence attachment, and scoring logic.
  • Gap analysis and scoring: Real-time dashboards display your current score, highlight gaps ranked by severity weight, and show the impact of planned remediation on your projected score.
  • POA&M management: Track plans of action and milestones directly within the platform, with automated reminders and progress tracking.

Steps to Achieve Compliance

  1. Scope your environment. Identify all systems, processes, and people that handle CUI.
  2. Conduct a baseline assessment. Use SCF Connect to evaluate your current state against all 110 requirements.
  3. Prioritize by severity. Focus remediation on high-weight requirements that have the largest impact on your score.
  4. Document everything. Maintain evidence of implementation for each control, including policies, configurations, and process documentation.
  5. Prepare for assessment. Use SCF Connect’s reporting tools to generate the documentation package that assessors will need.

Achieving and maintaining NIST 800-171 compliance is an ongoing process, not a one-time project. SCF Connect provides the infrastructure to make that process manageable, measurable, and audit-ready.

Related resources: