Assessing Enhanced Security Requirements for Controlled Unclassified Information

Published

May 13, 2026

Author(s)

Victoria Pillitteri, Ron Ross

Abstract

The protection of controlled unclassified information (CUI) resident in nonfederal systems and organizations is of paramount importance to federal agencies and can directly impact the ability of the Federal Government to successfully conduct its essential missions and functions. This publication provides federal agencies with assessment procedures for the enhanced security requirements in NIST SP 800-172. The assessment procedures are flexible and can be tailored to the needs of federal agencies and assessors. Security requirement assessments can be conducted as (1) self-assessments; (2) independent, third-party assessments; or (3) government-sponsored assessments. The assessments can be conducted with varying degrees of rigor based on federal agency-defined depth and coverage attributes. The findings and evidence produced during the assessments can be used to facilitate risk-based decisions by organizations related to the security requirements

Citation

Special Publication (NIST SP) - 800-172Ar3

Report Number

800-172Ar3

NIST Pub Series

Special Publication (NIST SP)

Pub Type

NIST Pubs

Download Paper

https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.SP.800-172Ar3

Local Download

Keywords

assessment, assessment procedure, assurance, enhanced security requirement, enhanced security requirement assessment, controlled unclassified information, Executive Order 13556, nonfederal organization, nonfederal system, security assessment

Citation

Pillitteri, V. and Ross, R. (2026), Assessing Enhanced Security Requirements for Controlled Unclassified Information, Special Publication (NIST SP), National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD, [online], https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.SP.800-172Ar3, https://tsapps.nist.gov/publication/get_pdf.cfm?pub_id=962130 (Accessed May 14, 2026)

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