Mapped to NIST 800-171 Requirement: 3.3.3
CMMC Assessment Objective: AU.L2-3.3.3[c]
What This Objective Means
The focus here is on audit log content quality. It’s not enough to collect logs—you need to ensure they include sufficient details to support security analysis, including:
• What happened (event type)
• When it happened (timestamp)
• Who did it (user ID or system)
• Where it happened (source IP, hostname)
• The outcome (success, failure, status)
Assessors want to confirm that your logs are not only generated and reviewed, but that they actually contain useful data for detecting anomalies, investigating incidents, and supporting accountability.
Why It Matters
Without detailed audit logs:
• Suspicious activity can go undetected
• Investigations may stall due to missing context
• You may fail to demonstrate compliance, even if logging is enabled
Logs that lack detail are nearly as bad as having no logs at all.
How to Implement It
• Review the logs from systems identified earlier in your audit strategy
• Check that logs include:
◦ Timestamps (ideally synchronized)
◦ User identification
◦ Event/action description
◦ System identifiers or IP addresses
◦ Result of the action (e.g., failed login)
• Confirm that critical fields are not truncated, redacted, or missing
• Document log field structure for each system as part of your log review process
Evidence the Assessor Will Look For
• Samples of logs from workstations, servers, network devices, and cloud services
• Logs that show sufficient detail to match your required event types
• Documentation or screenshots showing log fields and examples
• Review records showing that logs are analyzed with this level of detail in mind
Common Gaps
• Logs generated but missing key fields (e.g., no user ID, no timestamp)
• Systems log basic data (e.g., “login attempt”) but not outcomes or sources
• Teams review logs manually but can’t investigate incidents due to lack of context
How Cuick Trac Helps
Cuick Trac supports this requirement by:
• Generating audit records with all required fields for review and forensic analysis
• Ensuring time-synchronized logging across all components in the secure enclave
• Providing exportable log samples that demonstrate full record content
• Helping organizations validate and document that logs support meaningful reviews
With Cuick Trac, logs don’t just exist—they work.
Final CTA
Your logs should answer questions—not raise more.
Schedule a Cuick Trac demo and make sure your audit records support real security, not just checkbox compliance.