# NIST SP 800-171 Rev. 3 3.13.8 — Transmission and Storage Confidentiality - Source: https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/nist-sp-800-171-rev-3/3-13-8-transmission-and-storage-confidentiality - Section: [Compliance](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance) › [NIST SP 800-171 Rev. 3 Requirements](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/nist-sp-800-171-rev-3) › System and Communications Protection — §3.13 - Last updated: 2026-06-05 - Publisher: iCompaas, Inc. (https://www.icompaas.com) **NIST SP 800-171 Rev. 3**·Requirement `3.13.8`·critical·Component: **Situational Awareness** ## What this control requires > This control requires implementing cryptographic mechanisms to protect the confidentiality of Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) during transmission and while in storage. It ensures that CUI is safeguarded from unauthorized disclosure using encryption methods like TLS for transmission and storage encryption for data at rest. This control supports the Cryptographic Protection capability within the Situational Awareness (3.13) family. > > — NIST SP 800-171 Rev. 3, Requirement 3.13.8 ### In plain English This control requires implementing cryptographic mechanisms to protect the confidentiality of Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) during transmission and while in storage. In practice, this means you can prove you information management-level controls on a defined cadence. ## Why it matters DoD contractors and their subcontractors must implement all 100 SP 800-171 requirements to keep CUI handling contracts. Gaps are scored against the SPRS scoring methodology; below a 110-point starting score, each unmet requirement deducts points and a below-threshold score can disqualify a bid. This control is rated **critical** in the source catalogue. Treat gaps here as production incidents in the risk register, not housekeeping. ## What an auditor looks for A C3PAO conducting a CMMC Level 2 assessment uses NIST SP 800-171A objectives. They expect a System Security Plan (SSP), Plan of Action & Milestones (POA&M) for any gaps, and objective evidence (configurations, ticket records, training records) for every requirement. Within **Situational Awareness**, the assessor will trace your implementation back to the catalogue reference (Requirement 3.13.8) and look for objective evidence on the latest two assessment cycles. ## How to implement #### Cloud Posture **CSPM.** Run Wiz / Prisma / Defender for Cloud / Security Command Center over every account; auto-ticket findings above your accepted-risk threshold. #### Configuration Management **Policy-as-code.** Codify the control as Service Control Policies (AWS), Azure Policy initiatives, or Organisation Policy (GCP) so the platform enforces what the document promises. **IaC.** Gate Terraform / Pulumi / CloudFormation changes with Checkov / tfsec / OPA so misconfigurations never reach production. **Drift.** Run a CSPM (Wiz / Prisma / Defender for Cloud / Security Command Center) over every account and route findings to a single risk register. #### Network Security **AWS.** VPC Flow Logs to S3, default-deny security groups, AWS Network Firewall for north-south, and Transit Gateway for hub-and-spoke segmentation. **Azure.** NSGs with deny-by-default, Azure Firewall Premium with TLS inspection, Private Endpoints for PaaS, and Microsoft Defender for Cloud's secure score for drift. **GCP.** VPC Service Controls perimeters around sensitive APIs, Cloud NGFW Enterprise for L7 inspection, Private Service Connect for managed services. ### Operational checklist - **Information.** Document the trigger, the owner and the cadence. - **Protection.** Document the trigger, the owner and the cadence. - **Configuration.** Document the trigger, the owner and the cadence. - **Security.** Document the trigger, the owner and the cadence. - **Network.** Document the trigger, the owner and the cadence. - **Scope:** management, cui, configuration, security, storage, - cryptographic protection, encryption, transmission. ## Evidence to collect - **Infra Scan.** Continuous infrastructure-posture telemetry — AWS Config, Azure Policy compliance, GCP Organisation Policy, Wiz / Prisma findings. Infrastructure posture tooling (AWS Config, Azure Policy, Nessus) verifies platform hardening. Focus: Transmission and Storage Confidentiality. ## Common pitfalls - Treating CSPM findings as a backlog instead of a hot queue: findings older than the policy SLA accumulate until the auditor asks why. - Manual cloud-console changes that never make it back to Terraform — drift accumulates until the next outage forces a reconciliation. - Default-allow egress rules; East-West traffic with no segmentation; jump hosts on the public internet with password auth. ## How it maps to other frameworks Computed from shared tags, control component and key-operation subjects — handy when you are reconciling controls across an audit. - [**NIST SP 800-53 Rev. 5 CP-9(3)** — Separate Storage For Critical Information](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/nist-sp-800-53-rev-5/cp-9-3-separate-storage-for-critical-information) - [**BSI C5:2020 OPS-14** — Logging and Monitoring - Storage of the Logging Data](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/bsi-c5-2020/ops-14-logging-and-monitoring-storage-of-the-logging-data) - [**ISO/IEC 27001:2022 A.5.34** — Privacy and protection of personal identifiable information (PII)](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/iso-27001-2022/a-5-34-privacy-and-protection-of-personal-identifiable-information-pii) ## Related controls in NIST SP 800-171 Rev. 3 - [**Requirement 3.8.9** — System Backup - Cryptographic Protection](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/nist-sp-800-171-rev-3/3-8-9-system-backup-cryptographic-protection) - [**Requirement 3.14.8** — Information Management and Retention](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/nist-sp-800-171-rev-3/3-14-8-information-management-and-retention) - [**Requirement 3.13.6** — Network Communications - Deny by Default - Allow by Exception](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/nist-sp-800-171-rev-3/3-13-6-network-communications-deny-by-default-allow-by-exception) - [**Requirement 3.13.9** — Network Disconnect](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/nist-sp-800-171-rev-3/3-13-9-network-disconnect) - [**Requirement 3.4.12** — System and Component Configuration for High-Risk Areas](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/nist-sp-800-171-rev-3/3-4-12-system-and-component-configuration-for-high-risk-areas) - [**Requirement 3.4.6** — Least Functionality](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/nist-sp-800-171-rev-3/3-4-6-least-functionality) ## References - [NIST Computer Security Resource Center — NIST SP 800-171 Rev. 3](https://csrc.nist.gov/pubs/sp/800/171/r3/final) - Catalogue identifier: `Requirement 3.13.8` Topics: data protectioncloud postureencryption in transitconfiguration managementnetwork security ## Related compliance guidance - [NIST SP 800-171 and CMMC: a practical guide to protecting CUI in the cloud](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/nist-sp-800-171-rev-3): Start with the full NIST SP 800-171 implementation guide — scope, roadmap, evidence and how the assessment runs. - [NIST SP 800-53 Rev. 5: a practical implementation guide for cloud teams](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/nist-sp-800-53-rev-5): The catalogue 800-171 is tailored from, and the basis of the FedRAMP Moderate baseline your cloud providers must meet for CUI. - [ISO/IEC 27001:2022 compliance: a practical implementation guide](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/iso-27001-2022): If commercial customers ask for a certificate as well, most 800-171 controls can be evidenced once and mapped to Annex A.