NIST 800-171 with ARRTECH
Records for the audit requirements in a system security plan.
Audit records for the systems that hold CUI
Protecting controlled unclassified information requires an operating record the contractor can examine. Logging, integrity checks and incident history support the audit and accountability work in the system security plan.
Requirements
| Clause | What it asks | Security support |
|---|---|---|
| 800-171 3.3.1 | Create and retain audit logs for monitoring and investigation. | Events in common categories. → |
| 800-171 3.3.4 | Alert when audit logging fails. | Alerts on a silent source. → |
| 800-171 3.3.5 | Correlate audit review, analysis and reporting. | Correlation across sources. → |
| 800-171 3.3.8 | Protect audit information from unauthorized change. | A signature chain that breaks on change. → |
| 800-171 3.6.1 | An incident-handling capability. | Cases and playbook run history. → |
| 800-171 3.8.7 | Control removable media. | Device rules per user or computer. → |
| 800-171 3.14.6 | Monitor for attacks and indicators of attack. | Events tagged with MITRE ATT&CK. → |
Logging
Common event categories in a SIEM let reviewers search across different source formats. Keep the original records available and use relevant MITRE ATT&CK context to help explain a finding.
Integrity
An assessor can use a signed SIEM export and independent verification material to check whether the record changed. The source events and collection history explain what the evidence supports.
Completeness
Collection-health monitoring in a SIEM identifies sources that have stopped reporting. Retain the interruption and recovery history so reviews account for the period with incomplete evidence.
Response
An incident record brings together ownership, evidence, decisions and actions. Response workflows in a SOAR can carry out approved procedures and preserve the result of each step, including failures and requests for human approval.
Media
DLP device policies can limit removable media by device, user or computer. Content controls and recorded exceptions help support legitimate transfers while preserving the reason they were permitted.
Limits
The following responsibilities belong to the organization’s wider security and governance program. Their owners maintain the evidence needed for review.
800-171 3.3.7
Clocks synchronized to an authoritative source. The record comes from the time servers’ configuration.
By rule
Use these references to connect the requirement with relevant operating evidence. The organization defines the scope and implementation being assessed.
800-171 3.3.1
Create and retain system audit logs and records. A SIEM can retain the relevant sources for the required period and make the history available for review.
800-171 3.3.4
Alert in the event of an audit logging process failure. Collection-health monitoring in a SIEM shows when a source stops reporting and helps the team investigate the gap.
800-171 3.3.5
Correlate audit record review, analysis and reporting processes. Scheduled SIEM reports organize the relevant records; review findings and follow-up show how the information was used.
800-171 3.3.8
Protect audit information and audit logging tools from unauthorized access, modification and deletion. Restricted access, signed records and administrative history support protection and review of the audit trail.
800-171 3.6.1
Establish an operational incident-handling capability. A SOAR incident workflow retains ownership, evidence, approvals and actions so reviewers can follow the response.
800-171 3.8.7
Control the use of removable media on system components. DLP device policies restrict supported removable media, with approved exceptions and activity retained for review.
800-171 3.14.6
Monitor organizational systems to detect attacks and indicators of potential attacks. Monitoring in a SIEM connects source events with relevant MITRE ATT&CK context for investigation.
Questions
Does ARRTECH make us 800-171 compliant?
Compliance depends on the contractor’s implementation of the applicable requirements. Security tools support specific controls and evidence, which are assessed as part of the complete environment.
Does the SIEM come into scope?
Its security function, connections and handling of CUI determine how it fits the applicable scope, including CMMC asset classification where relevant. Describe those roles in the assessment and system documentation.
Can our assessor check the logs without ARRTECH?
Yes. A signed SIEM export includes the verification material and a standalone verifier, allowing an independent check of record integrity.
Is there a ready 800-171 report?
No. Any saved query can run as a scheduled report, by email or as a PDF.
Guide
What is NIST 800-171?
A NIST publication that sets the security requirements for protecting controlled unclassified information in contractor systems.
What is CUI?
Controlled unclassified information: government information that needs protection but is not classified.
Why Rev. 2 and not Rev. 3?
The contract and applicable assessment program determine which revision is required. This mapping uses Rev. 2; use the specified revision when selecting controls and preparing evidence.
How ARRTECH takes care of NIST 800-171 audit requirements
Connects security activity into a signed record, giving incident decisions and board reporting evidence that can be independently verified.
Protects intellectual property and customer trust, with content-aware controls that let organizations adopt AI on their own terms.
Expands response capacity through automation, with defined human authority and a record of who approved what.
Finds changes in behavior that predefined rules miss, connecting the signs of an attack so teams can understand what warrants action.
Investigates alerts, tests explanations and prepares the evidence, giving analysts more capacity while people retain authority over the response.
