CMMC Blog | CMMC

What is NIST 800-171? A Guide for Defense Contractors

Reviewed by Corey Garretson NIST Special Publication 800-171 is the foundational cybersecurity standard for defense cont …

9 min read

Apr 17, 2026 1:49:42 PM

Published by NIST, SP 800-171 was first released in 2015 and has been updated since. It defines the security requirements that non-federal organizations must meet when handling CUI, which is information that isn't classified but is still sensitive enough to require protection.

CMMC