Level 2 · System and Communications Protection
SC.L2-3.13.1
Boundary Protection
Boundary protection depends on knowing where communications enter, leave, and cross important internal divisions.
Official reference
The requirement
Monitor, control, and protect communications (i.e., information transmitted or received by organizational systems) at the external boundaries and key internal boundaries of organizational systems.
DoD CMMC Assessment Guide, Level 2, version 2.13. SC.L2-3.13.1; requirement and objectives, printed page 211 ↗
Assessment objectives
What must be established
Determine if each applicable objective is satisfied. The labels below follow the cited DoD assessment guide.
- [a]
the external system boundary is defined;
- [b]
key internal system boundaries are defined;
- [c]
communications are monitored at the external system boundary;
- [d]
communications are monitored at key internal boundaries;
- [e]
communications are controlled at the external system boundary;
- [f]
communications are controlled at key internal boundaries;
- [g]
communications are protected at the external system boundary; and
- [h]
communications are protected at key internal boundaries.
MET requires evidence that all applicable objectives are satisfied. Final, approved evidence is needed. A NOT APPLICABLE determination needs a scope-based basis and is equivalent to MET for scoring. Enduring exceptions and temporary deficiencies have specific conditions under 32 CFR 170.24; they are not a general permission to defer implementation.
Included Level 1 coverage · FCI
SC.L1-b.1.x: Boundary Protection
FCI boundary protection requires monitoring, control, and protection at external and key internal boundaries.
Level 2 includes Level 1 safeguarding coverage. This is the FAR-based Level 1 assessment context mapped into the 110-requirement library, not an additional Level 2 requirement.
Monitor, control, and protect organizational communications (i.e., information transmitted or received by organizational information systems) at the external boundaries and key internal boundaries of the information systems.
DoD CMMC Assessment Guide, Level 1: SC.L1-b.1.x; requirement and objectives, printed page 34 ↗
Level 1 assessment objectives and guidance
Determine if:
- [a]
the external system boundary is defined;
- [b]
key internal system boundaries are defined;
- [c]
communications are monitored at the external system boundary;
- [d]
communications are monitored at key internal boundaries;
- [e]
communications are controlled at the external system boundary;
- [f]
communications are controlled at key internal boundaries;
- [g]
communications are protected at the external system boundary; and
- [h]
communications are protected at key internal boundaries.
Identify the boundaries before evaluating the safeguards. Include relevant hosted services and internal divisions rather than assuming the office router is the entire system boundary.
Examine
Inspect architecture diagrams, boundary rules, monitoring arrangements, and representative records.
Interview
Which internal boundaries matter to the FCI system, and how are communications across them governed?
Demonstrate or test
Trace a safe permitted communication and a restricted communication through the relevant boundary controls.
Level 1 evidence gaps
- Only the external firewall is considered.
- A hosted connection or important internal boundary is missing from the diagram.
Level 1 has no weighted deduction. All applicable requirements must be fully implemented; the self-assessment is MET or NOT MET in its entirety.
Level 1 does not permit a POA&M. CAP P.11 addresses Level 2 certification planning, not a mandatory on-site rule for Level 1 self-assessments. Choose evidence and observations adequate to evaluate the actual physical environment and applicable objectives.
- DoD CMMC Assessment Guide, Level 1 ↗SC.L1-b.1.x; requirement and objectives, printed page 34
- 32 CFR 170.24: Assessment findings and scoring ↗170.24(b) and (c)(1)
- 32 CFR 170.21: POA&M eligibility and closeout ↗170.21(a)(1) and (b)
- FAR 52.204-21: Basic safeguarding ↗52.204-21(b)(1)(x)
GAVII Cybersecurity assessment approach
Connect the objective to the evidence
Map monitoring, control, and protection to each relevant boundary. A perimeter firewall does not establish protection of cloud connections or internal boundaries omitted from the diagram.
Assessment focus: objectives [a], [b], [c], [d], [e], [f], [g], [h]. Use the methods together; a single example does not establish every objective.
Examine
Review network and service diagrams, boundary configurations, monitoring records, and protection mechanisms.
Interview
Which internal boundaries matter to the CUI environment, and what observes and controls traffic across them?
Demonstrate or test
Trace a representative permitted flow and a denied flow across the relevant boundary using safe test traffic.
Evidence gaps to look for
- The architecture diagram omits a hosted service.
- A firewall is shown without explaining monitoring or internal segmentation.
GAVII Cybersecurity’s examples illustrate ways to examine, interview, and test. They are not a mandatory artifact list or a guarantee of an assessment result. Combine methods and address every applicable objective in the actual scope.
Assessment constraints
Scoring and POA&M eligibility
Score: 5
If this requirement is NOT MET, deduct 5 points from the Level 2 maximum of 110. The deduction applies to the requirement, not separately to each objective.
Scoring rule ↗POA&M: Not eligible
This requirement has a deduction greater than 1 point and does not qualify for the limited encryption exception. It cannot be deferred on the POA&M used for Conditional Level 2 status.
POA&M rule ↗Conditional Level 2 requires a score of at least 88 out of 110 and satisfaction of every eligibility condition. A 1-point requirement is not automatically eligible. The permitted POA&M must be closed through the appropriate closeout assessment within 180 days of the Conditional CMMC Status Date. An operational remediation plan does not confer Conditional Status.
Assessment planning
Location and observation
Not specifically listed in CAP P.11
This requirement is not specifically listed in CAP P.11. That does not establish that remote assessment is sufficient: the Lead CCA and C3PAO determine an adequate approach for the actual scope and evidence.
CAP §P.11, pages 10–11 ↗Check the source
References and related requirements
- DoD CMMC Assessment Guide, Level 2 ↗SC.L2-3.13.1; requirement and objectives, printed page 211. 2.13, September 2024.
- 32 CFR 170.24: Assessment findings and scoring ↗170.24(b) and (c)(2). Current electronic Code of Federal Regulations.
- 32 CFR 170.21: POA&M eligibility and closeout ↗170.21(a)(2) and (b). Current electronic Code of Federal Regulations.
- NIST SP 800-171 Rev. 2 ↗Requirement 3.13.1. February 2020, updated January 2021.
- NIST SP 800-171A ↗Assessment procedure 3.13.1. June 2018.
- Cyber AB CMMC Assessment Process (CAP) ↗P.11, printed pages 10-11; Level 2 certification assessment-location planning. 2.0, December 2024.
Program timing and contract applicability can change independently of these requirements. Check current DoD program notices and your solicitation or contract before making a compliance decision. Open the official DoD resource hub.