What is NIST 800-171?

NIST SP 800-171 (Protecting Controlled Unclassified Information in Nonfederal Systems and Organizations) is a set of 110 security requirements across 14 control families that DoD contractors must implement to protect CUI. It is the foundation of CMMC Level 2. Compliance with NIST 800-171 is required under DFARS 252.204-7012 for any contractor that processes, stores, or transmits CUI.

How many controls are in NIST 800-171?

NIST SP 800-171 rev 2 contains 110 security requirements organized across 14 control families: Access Control (22), Awareness and Training (3), Audit and Accountability (9), Configuration Management (9), Identification and Authentication (11), Incident Response (3), Maintenance (6), Media Protection (9), Personnel Security (2), Physical Protection (6), Risk Assessment (3), Security Assessment (4), System and Communications Protection (16), and System and Information Integrity (7).

What is the difference between NIST 800-171 and CMMC?

NIST 800-171 is the set of 110 security requirements that defines what controls must be implemented. CMMC (Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification) is the DoD's verification mechanism — the process by which a C3PAO (third-party assessment organization) confirms that a contractor has actually implemented those controls. NIST 800-171 defines the 'what'; CMMC defines the 'how it gets verified.'

What is a System Security Plan (SSP)?

A System Security Plan (SSP) is a document that describes how each of the 110 NIST 800-171 requirements is implemented in your environment — or planned to be implemented via a Plan of Action and Milestones (POA&M). The SSP is a required artifact for CMMC Level 2 assessment. It must accurately describe your CUI boundary, system components, and control implementations with supporting evidence.

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"110 controls. Each one implemented, not just documented."

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All 110 NIST 800-171 Controls — Implemented via Infrastructure as Code

NIST SP 800-171 contains 110 security requirements across 14 control families. VIS LLC implements each control using Terraform, Azure Policy, and Ansible — so your compliance posture is enforced by configuration, not maintained by procedure. Every new system deployment inherits the compliant baseline automatically.

Configuration drift is the #1 reason DoD contractors fail or delay CMMC assessments. When controls are enforced in code, drift is impossible — Azure Policy or Terraform catches deviations before they become audit findings.

Key Features

All 110 NIST 800-171 controls implemented

Every control across all 14 control families is implemented in your environment — not just documented in an SSP.

IaC-based control enforcement

Controls are enforced via Terraform, Azure Policy, and Ansible — configuration drift triggers automatic detection and remediation.

CUI protection architecture

We design and implement the technical architecture required to protect CUI throughout its lifecycle in your environment.

System Security Plan (SSP) development

We develop an SSP that accurately reflects your implemented controls, aligned to the format C3PAO assessors expect.

SPRS score improvement

By implementing controls that were previously unmet, we improve your NIST 800-171 self-assessment score and reduce FCA exposure.

Ongoing compliance monitoring

We configure monitoring to detect configuration drift and alert your team before deviations become assessment findings.

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