Mapped to NIST 800-171 Requirement: 3.14.1
CMMC Assessment Objective: SI.L2-3.14.1[a]
What This Control Means
You must actively monitor your systems for:
• Intrusion attempts
• Malware infections
• Abnormal behaviors
• Indicators of compromise (IoCs)
Monitoring must be deliberate, ongoing, and cover all CUI-related systems.
Why It Matters
Without monitoring:
• Attacks can occur and succeed unnoticed
• Early warning signs of breaches may be missed
• Malware infections can escalate from one system to your entire environment
• You will fail critical audit requirements for CMMC, DFARS, and NIST 800-171
Monitoring is your early detection and defense layer.
How to Implement It
1. Identify Monitoring Mechanisms in Use Examples:
• Intrusion Detection/Prevention Systems (IDS/IPS)
• Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) tools
• SIEM (Security Information and Event Management) systems
• Cloud-native monitoring (e.g., AWS GuardDuty, Azure Defender)
• Antivirus and antimalware solutions with alerting
2. Define Monitoring Scope
• Cover:
◦ Servers, workstations, and mobile devices handling CUI
◦ Network boundary points
◦ Cloud platforms and storage locations
3. Document What’s Monitored
• Logins and access attempts
• File changes and sensitive data movements
• Unusual system behaviors or alerts from antivirus tools
• Unauthorized network traffic
4. Assign Responsibility
• Identify personnel or vendors responsible for monitoring, reviewing alerts, and escalating issues
Evidence the Assessor Will Look For
• SSP entries describing monitoring mechanisms and coverage
• Network and endpoint security diagrams showing monitoring tools
• Product documentation or configuration records for IDS/IPS, SIEM, or EDR deployments
• Security policies requiring system monitoring for CUI environments
• Logs or alert summaries showing monitoring activities are active
Common Gaps
• Monitoring only at network perimeter, not endpoints or cloud platforms
• Antivirus installed but no alerting or log review processes
• SIEM deployed but no formal incident response workflow
• No documentation connecting monitoring activities to CUI systems
How Cuick Trac Helps
Cuick Trac supports this requirement by:
• Mapping monitoring mechanisms across CUI-related systems
• Documenting active security tools and monitoring coverage areas
• Assigning monitoring responsibilities to security teams or service providers
• Logging monitoring activities and linking them to incident response workflows
• Providing audit-ready documentation showing continuous monitoring for attacks
With Cuick Trac, your monitoring isn’t just active—it’s documented, targeted, and defensible.
Final CTA
Defense starts with visibility.
Schedule a Cuick Trac demo to identify, document, and strengthen your system monitoring to protect your CUI against attacks.