NIST SP 800-171 Rev 2 · 3.3 Audit & Accountability
3.3.8 Protect audit information
Protect audit information and audit logging tools from unauthorized access, modification, and deletion.
- SPRS weight
- 1
- 1 point deducted from 110 when not implemented.
- CMMC level
- L2
- Level 2 only; not among the 17 Level 1 practices.
- Assessment objectives
- 6
- From NIST SP 800-171A, each one a “determine if” an assessor answers.
What an assessor checks
NIST SP 800-171A breaks 3.3.8 into 6 objectives. Every one has to be met for the requirement to be met; a partial answer scores as not implemented.
- [a]Determine if audit information is protected from unauthorized access.
- [b]Determine if audit information is protected from unauthorized modification.
- [c]Determine if audit information is protected from unauthorized deletion.
- [d]Determine if audit logging tools are protected from unauthorized access.
- [e]Determine if audit logging tools are protected from unauthorized modification.
- [f]Determine if audit logging tools are protected from unauthorized deletion.
- Examine
- [SELECT FROM: Audit and accountability policy; access control policy and procedures; procedures addressing protection of audit information; security plan; system design documentation; system configuration settings and associated documentation, system audit logs and records; audit logging tools; other relevant documents or records].
- Interview
- [SELECT FROM: Personnel with audit and accountability responsibilities; personnel with information security responsibilities; system or network administrators; system developers].
- Test
- [SELECT FROM: Mechanisms implementing audit information protection].
If it is open: POA&M eligibility
May be carried on a Level 2 POA&M · 1 point deducted
A 1-point requirement outside the six named exclusions - eligible to carry, and NOT MET until a closeout assessment confirms it.
A POA&M is only permitted at a score of 88 or above, and closes in one 180-day window. Check a full gap list or compute your score.
Where 3.3.8 maps
NIST SP 800-53 Rev 5
- AU-9 Protection of Audit Information
NIST CSF 2.0
- Audit log records are implemented
SOC 2
No direct mapping.
Query it from your own tools
This page and the MacTech CMMC MCP server render the same dataset. Ask your assistant and it will answer from the methodology, not from memory.
lookup_control 3.3.8 get_assessment_objectives 3.3.8 generate_poam_entries ["3.3.8"]
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