Mapped to NIST 800-171 Requirement: 3.14.2
CMMC Assessment Objective: SI.L2-3.14.2[a]
What This Control Means
You must know and document how you detect:
• Unauthorized logins
• Privilege escalation attempts
• Unusual system usage patterns
• Unauthorized access to CUI data
• Attempts to bypass security controls
The goal is to detect security violations early—before they become breaches.
Why It Matters
If unauthorized system use goes undetected:
• CUI could be stolen, altered, or destroyed
• Insider threats could escalate their access over time
• Attackers could persist in your environment unnoticed
• Compliance failures will occur due to lack of real-time threat detection
Monitoring for unauthorized use is critical for both proactive security and regulatory compliance.
How to Implement It
1. Identify Monitoring Tools in Use Examples:
• SIEM solutions (e.g., Splunk, LogRhythm, SentinelOne)
• Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) agents
• Network monitoring and intrusion detection/prevention systems (IDS/IPS)
• Cloud-native monitoring tools (e.g., AWS CloudTrail, Azure Defender)
2. Define Detection Methods Look for:
• Failed or unusual login attempts
• Access outside of approved hours or geolocations
• Elevated privilege usage without prior approval
• File access anomalies (e.g., mass downloads, deletions)
3. Document What Is Monitored
• User login/logout events
• Administrative account use
• System configuration changes
• Data exfiltration attempts
4. Assign Monitoring Responsibilities
• Clearly define who monitors systems for unauthorized use
• Link monitoring responsibilities to your incident response team
Evidence the Assessor Will Look For
• SSP entries listing tools and techniques for detecting unauthorized system use
• Monitoring dashboards and alerts covering CUI-related systems
• Event logs showing detection of unauthorized activities
• Policies or SOPs requiring monitoring for unauthorized use
• Historical incident reports triggered by monitoring mechanisms
Common Gaps
• General monitoring in place but no focus on detecting unauthorized system use
• Cloud platforms used without security event logging enabled
• No correlation between system logs and user behavior anomalies
• Monitoring agents deployed but alerts not configured or reviewed
How Cuick Trac Helps
Cuick Trac supports this requirement by:
• Documenting how unauthorized system usage is detected across your environment
• Mapping detection mechanisms to CUI systems and user roles
• Monitoring user behavior analytics and access patterns
• Linking detection activities to your incident response playbooks
• Providing audit-ready documentation proving active monitoring for unauthorized use
With Cuick Trac, your system misuse detection is proactive, continuous, and ready for any inspection.
Final CTA
The faster you detect unauthorized use, the faster you protect your CUI.
Schedule a Cuick Trac demo to build and document your monitoring mechanisms for complete system protection.