# NIST SP 800-171 Rev. 3 3.7.1 — Recategorized as NCO.

- Source: https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/nist-sp-800-171-rev-3/3-7-1-recategorized-as-nco
- 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) › Maintenance — §3.7
- Last updated: 2026-06-05
- Publisher: iCompaas, Inc. (https://www.icompaas.com)

**NIST SP 800-171 Rev. 3**·Requirement `3.7.1`·low·Component: **Maintenance**

## What this control requires

> Document the disposition of legacy Maintenance controls reclassified as Non-Contract Obligations (NCO) and ensure associated procedures remain archived for reference. This control supports the Maintenance Program Governance capability within the Maintenance (3.7) family.
> 
> — NIST SP 800-171 Rev. 3, Requirement 3.7.1

### In plain English

Document the disposition of legacy Maintenance controls reclassified as Non-Contract Obligations (NCO) and ensure associated procedures remain archived for reference. In practice, this means you can prove you maintenance 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.

## 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 **Maintenance**, the assessor will trace your implementation back to the catalogue reference (Requirement 3.7.1) and look for objective evidence on the latest two assessment cycles.

## How to implement

#### Policy Management

**Docs.** Keep each policy in version-controlled Markdown alongside the code that implements it; ship a signed PDF snapshot at each annual review and link the SHA into the SoA.

### Operational checklist

-   **Maintenance.** Document the trigger, the owner and the cadence.
-   **Risk.** Document the trigger, the owner and the cadence.
-   **Policy.** Document the trigger, the owner and the cadence.
-   **Scope:** management, nco., maintenance, procedures.

## Evidence to collect

-   **Policy Document.** A signed and version-controlled policy / standard / procedure document.
-   **Infra Scan.** Continuous infrastructure-posture telemetry — AWS Config, Azure Policy compliance, GCP Organisation Policy, Wiz / Prisma findings.

Signed policy or standard documents the safeguard. Focus: Recategorized as NCO..

## Common pitfalls

-   Policies that no engineer has read; the version in Confluence drifts from the version that's actually being enforced.

## 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 MA-7** — Field Maintenance](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/nist-sp-800-53-rev-5/ma-7-field-maintenance)
-   [**ISO/IEC 27001:2022 A.7.13** — Equipment maintenance](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/iso-27001-2022/a-7-13-equipment-maintenance)
-   [**HIPAA (45 CFR Part 164) 164.308(a)(5)(ii)(B)** — Security Awareness, Training, and Tools - Protection from Malicious Software](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/hipaa/164-308-a-5-ii-b-security-awareness-training-and-tools-protection-from-malicious-software)
-   [**SOC 2 (2017 TSC) CC2.3** — External Communication on Internal Control Matters](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/soc-2-trust-services-criteria/cc2-3-external-communication-on-internal-control-matters)
-   [**BSI C5:2020 SP-01** — Documentation, communication and provision of policies and instructions](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/bsi-c5-2020/sp-01-documentation-communication-and-provision-of-policies-and-instructions)

## Related controls in NIST SP 800-171 Rev. 3

-   [**Requirement 3.7.6** — Maintenance Personnel](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/nist-sp-800-171-rev-3/3-7-6-maintenance-personnel)
-   [**Requirement 3.13.2** — Recategorized as NCO](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/nist-sp-800-171-rev-3/3-13-2-recategorized-as-nco)
-   [**Requirement 3.15.1** — Policy and Procedures](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/nist-sp-800-171-rev-3/3-15-1-policy-and-procedures)
-   [**Requirement 3.4.1** — Baseline Configuration](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/nist-sp-800-171-rev-3/3-4-1-baseline-configuration)
-   [**Requirement 3.13.15** — Session Authenticity](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/nist-sp-800-171-rev-3/3-13-15-session-authenticity)
-   [**Requirement 3.15.3** — Rules of Behavior](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/nist-sp-800-171-rev-3/3-15-3-rules-of-behavior)

## 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 3.7.1`

Topics: governance riskpolicy management

## 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.
