Security Engineering Principles (03.16.01) Security Engineering Principles
High-Level Description
Family: System and Services Acquisition Framework: NIST SP 800-171 Rev 3 Applicability: Systems processing, storing, or transmitting CUI
Security Engineering Principles
What to Check
- Verify Security Engineering Principles (03.16.01) Security Engineering Principles is implemented for CUI systems
- Review SSP documentation for Security Engineering Principles (03.16.01)
- Validate CMMC Level 2 assessment objective for Security Engineering Principles (03.16.01)
- Confirm POA&M addresses any gaps for Security Engineering Principles (03.16.01)
How to Test
Step 1: Review System Security Plan
Examine the SSP for Security Engineering Principles (03.16.01) implementation description and responsible parties.
Step 2: Assess Implementation
# Verify security controls protecting CUI
# Check access controls, encryption, monitoring as applicable
# For Linux systems:
ls -la /etc/security/ 2>/dev/null
grep -r "CUI\|controlled" /etc/security/ 2>/dev/null
# For cloud:
# Use cloud-audit-mcp tools to assess posture
Step 3: CMMC Assessment Validation
Verify this requirement passes CMMC Level 2 assessment methodology per SP 800-171A Rev 3.
Tools
| Tool | Purpose | Usage |
|---|---|---|
| cloud-audit-mcp | Assess cloud CUI environment | cloud_audit_* tools |
| Manual Review | SSP and POA&M review | Documentation analysis |
Remediation Guide
Requirement Statement
Implement Security Engineering Principles per NIST SP 800-171 Rev 3.
Supplemental Guidance
Organizations apply systems security engineering principles to new development systems. For legacy systems, organizations apply systems security engineering principles to system modifications to the extent feasible, given the current state of hardware, software, and firmware components. The application of systems security engineering principles helps to develop trustworthy, secure, and resilient systems and reduce the susceptibility of organizations to disruptions, hazards, and threats. Examples include developing layered protections; establishing security policies, architectures, and controls as the foundation for system design; incorporating security requirements into the system development life cycle; delineating physical and logical security boundaries; ensuring that developers are trained on how to build trustworthy secure software; and performing threat modeling to identify use cases, threat agents, attack vectors and patterns, design patterns, and compensating controls needed to mitigate risk. Organizations that apply security engineering principles can facilitate the development of trustworthy, secure systems, system components, and system services; reduce risks to acceptable levels; and make informed risk-management decisions.
Risk Assessment
| Finding | Severity | Impact |
|---|---|---|
| Security Engineering Principles (03.16.01) Security Engineering Principles not implemented | Medium | CUI Protection - System and Services Acquisition |
| Security Engineering Principles (03.16.01) partially implemented (POA&M) | Low | CMMC certification risk |
CWE Categories
| CWE ID | Title |
|---|---|
| N/A | No direct CWE mapping |
References
Checklist
- SSP documents Security Engineering Principles (03.16.01) implementation
- Evidence of operating effectiveness collected
- POA&M addresses any gaps
- CMMC assessment objective met
- Continuous monitoring active