Mapped to NIST 800-171 Requirement: 3.12.1
CMMC Assessment Objective: CA.L2-3.12.1[a]
What This Control Means
This control requires your organization to plan ahead for evaluating your security controls. That means deciding:
• What will be assessed (e.g., systems, control families, specific risks)
• When assessments will occur (e.g., annually, after major changes)
• Who will conduct them (e.g., internal team or third-party assessors)
• How results will be used (e.g., to update the POA&M, SSP, or mitigation efforts)
These assessments ensure your systems are functioning as expected and protecting CUI effectively.
Why It Matters
If you’re not assessing your controls regularly:
• You may never detect control failures or implementation gaps
• You can’t demonstrate that your systems stay secure over time
• You’ll fall behind on your CMMC compliance lifecycle
• You risk audit failure due to lack of proactive testing and oversight
This control builds the foundation for continuous improvement and compliance confidence.
How to Implement It
1. Define Your Assessment Types
• Self-assessments (based on NIST 800-171A)
• Internal audits (periodic or pre-assessment readiness checks)
• Third-party assessments (e.g., for CMMC certification or customer assurance)
• Targeted reviews (e.g., for new tools, vendors, or security incidents)
2. Define Assessment Frequency
• Annual for most full assessments
• Quarterly or ad hoc for targeted reviews
• Post-system change or control updates as needed
3. Assign Responsibilities
• Identify the internal or external teams who will conduct each assessment
• Determine if separation of duties is required (e.g., assessor ≠ implementer)
4. Document in Security Policy or Plan
• Include the assessment program in your System Security Plan (SSP)
• Maintain an annual calendar or checklist of planned evaluations
Evidence the Assessor Will Look For
• Documentation showing the assessments planned or required
• Risk-based rationale for assessment frequency or scope
• Assessment schedule or calendar
• Assignment of roles for conducting evaluations
• Internal policies defining the assessment program
Common Gaps
• No defined assessment plan or schedule
• Only informal or ad hoc reviews conducted
• No criteria for what triggers assessments
• Unclear responsibility for who conducts assessments or reports findings
How Cuick Trac Helps
Cuick Trac supports this requirement by:
• Helping define required assessments across systems and controls
• Maintaining a dynamic, role-based assessment calendar
• Assigning responsibility and due dates for internal and external evaluations
• Linking assessments to your POA&M and SSP for traceability
• Providing templates and workflows aligned with NIST 800-171A and CMMC Level 2
With Cuick Trac, your assessment program is clear, scheduled, and part of your continuous improvement cycle.
Final CTA
Security can’t be trusted blindly—it must be tested.
Schedule a Cuick Trac demo to define and manage your assessment strategy with confidence and compliance.