Mapped to NIST 800-171 Requirement: 3.6.1
CMMC Assessment Objective: IR.L2-3.6.1[b]
What This Objective Means
This control checks that you’ve turned your incident response strategy into actual, usable documentation—not just notes or general intentions. That documentation must:
• Define the types of incidents covered
• Describe the full lifecycle of response actions (from detection to recovery)
• Assign responsibilities
• Include contact lists and communication plans
• Address escalation and external notification requirements
The plan should be accessible, reviewed, and tailored to your environment.
Why It Matters
If your response procedures aren’t documented:
• Response activities may be inconsistent or incomplete
• Employees may not know what to do or who to contact
• Incident response may rely too heavily on tribal knowledge
• Compliance and audit readiness are compromised
• You risk delays in responding to threats—especially those involving CUI
Documentation turns good intentions into repeatable actions.
How to Implement It
1. Create a Written Incident Response Plan
• Use NIST SP 800-61 Rev. 2 as a guide
• Include process steps, definitions, escalation paths, and response expectations
2. Include the Following in Your Documentation:
• Roles and responsibilities (e.g., incident response team lead, comms lead)
• Incident severity levels and classification
• Step-by-step procedures for:
◦ Detection
◦ Reporting
◦ Containment
◦ Eradication
◦ Recovery
◦ Lessons learned
• Communication and escalation workflows
• Regulatory reporting triggers (e.g., CUI compromise, DFARS)
3. Store It Accessibly
• Make sure staff know where to find it
• Control edit permissions but allow read access for relevant users
4. Review and Update Periodically
• At least annually, or after a major incident
• Include version history and approval signatures
Evidence the Assessor Will Look For
• The incident response plan (IRP) document
• Table of contents showing full coverage of process steps
• Defined roles, workflows, and communication protocols
• Documentation that ties the IRP to systems processing CUI
• Evidence that the IRP is reviewed and maintained
Common Gaps
• Plan exists but is outdated or not aligned to your environment
• Only partial documentation (e.g., detection but no recovery steps)
• No escalation or communication procedures defined
• Employees don’t know where the IRP is stored or who owns it
How Cuick Trac Helps
Cuick Trac supports this control by:
• Providing pre-built, customizable incident response templates aligned with NIST and CMMC
• Helping organizations define and document incident types, roles, and workflows
• Centralizing the storage of IR documentation for easy access
• Tying incident response procedures to CUI-specific environments
• Offering revision control and review schedules to ensure documentation stays current
With Cuick Trac, your incident response plan is always written, ready, and aligned with compliance.
Final CTA
If it’s not written down, it doesn’t exist.
Schedule a Cuick Trac demo and get your incident response process documented, accessible, and audit-ready.