Mapped to NIST 800-171 Requirement: 3.4.9
CMMC Assessment Objective: CM.L2-3.4.9[d]
What This Objective Means
At this stage, the focus is on formalization and documentation of your approach. You must not only protect your system information but also define and document how you do it.
System integrity refers to the accuracy, consistency, and trustworthiness of data and system components. To meet this objective, you need to demonstrate:
• What measures are in place to protect system integrity
• Where those measures are documented
• How they are implemented and enforced across the environment
This is about turning technical enforcement into a repeatable, auditable process.
Why It Matters
Without documented integrity protections:
• Systems are vulnerable to unauthorized changes or corruption
• There is no consistency in how integrity is enforced
• It’s difficult to investigate incidents or prove compliance
• Auditors will flag the lack of clear policy and implementation
Documented integrity protections are key to sustaining security—especially in regulated environments.
How to Implement It
1. Define What “Integrity Protection” Means in Your Environment
• Identify which systems and data require integrity controls (e.g., OS files, CUI, configuration files).
• Outline risks to integrity and potential sources of unauthorized changes.
2. Document the Controls Used
• File integrity monitoring (FIM)
• Application control and whitelisting
• Cryptographic checksums or digital signatures
• Patch management and software validation
3. Implement Technical and Procedural Safeguards
• Ensure integrity validation tools are installed and monitored
• Enforce access restrictions to prevent unauthorized changes
• Monitor logs and alerts tied to integrity failures
4. Include in Core Documentation
• System Security Plan (SSP)
• Configuration Management Plan
• Incident Response Plan (if integrity violations are detected)
Evidence the Assessor Will Look For
• Written documentation that describes how system integrity is protected
• System Security Plan entries mapping integrity protections to CUI systems
• Configuration settings or tool reports validating enforcement
• Policies or procedures covering integrity verification and remediation steps
• Records showing integrity controls were implemented and tested
Common Gaps
• Integrity protections exist but aren’t documented
• Controls are ad hoc or inconsistently applied
• Documentation references tools but not specific use cases or enforcement
• No defined process for responding to integrity violations
How Cuick Trac Helps
Cuick Trac supports this control by:
• Providing a documented and repeatable configuration baseline across all systems
• Integrating file integrity monitoring and access controls into the secure enclave
• Restricting system changes to approved administrators and processes
• Supporting audit-ready documentation for CMMC and NIST compliance
• Helping organizations define and enforce integrity protections as part of a hardened, managed environment
Cuick Trac helps you go beyond “best effort” and enforce integrity at every layer.
Final CTA
Integrity shouldn’t be assumed—it should be defined, documented, and enforced.
Schedule a Cuick Trac demo to see how we help protect and prove the trustworthiness of your system data.