Level 2 · System and Information Integrity
SI.L2-3.14.2
Malicious Code Protection
Malicious-code protection needs defined locations and working coverage at those locations.
Official reference
The requirement
Provide protection from malicious code at designated locations within organizational systems.
DoD CMMC Assessment Guide, Level 2, version 2.13. SI.L2-3.14.2; requirement and objectives, printed page 249 ↗
Assessment objectives
What must be established
Determine if each applicable objective is satisfied. The labels below follow the cited DoD assessment guide.
- [a]
designated locations for malicious code protection are identified; and
- [b]
protection from malicious code at designated locations is provided.
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
SI.L1-b.1.xiii: Malicious Code Protection
Malicious-code protection should cover the locations selected for the FCI system.
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.
Provide protection from malicious code at appropriate locations within organizational information systems.
DoD CMMC Assessment Guide, Level 1: SI.L1-b.1.xiii; requirement and objectives, printed page 42 ↗
Level 1 assessment objectives and guidance
Determine if:
- [a]
designated locations for malicious code protection are identified; and
- [b]
protection from malicious code at designated locations is provided.
Identify the relevant protection points and verify that protection is present and functioning. A subscription or license count does not demonstrate coverage.
Examine
Compare designated locations with deployment records, active protection settings, and health information.
Interview
How is a device with missing or disabled protection discovered?
Demonstrate or test
Inspect representative coverage and use a vendor-approved benign validation method where appropriate.
Level 1 evidence gaps
- Protection is assumed because software was purchased.
- An unmanaged endpoint is missing from coverage.
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 ↗SI.L1-b.1.xiii; requirement and objectives, printed page 42
- 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)(xiii)
GAVII Cybersecurity assessment approach
Connect the objective to the evidence
Identify the relevant endpoints, services, and other selected protection points. Licensing a security product does not show that agents or controls are deployed, active, and appropriate to the selected locations.
Assessment focus: objectives [a], [b]. Use the methods together; a single example does not establish every objective.
Examine
Compare designated protection locations with deployment inventories, policy status, and representative health records.
Interview
How do you discover a system that lacks protection or has a disabled agent?
Demonstrate or test
Inspect coverage for representative assets and use a vendor-approved benign test method where appropriate.
Evidence gaps to look for
- The license count is used as evidence of coverage.
- Unmanaged or unsupported assets are omitted without analysis.
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 ↗SI.L2-3.14.2; requirement and objectives, printed page 249. 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 3.14.2. February 2020, updated January 2021.
- NIST SP 800-171A ↗Assessment procedure 3.14.2. 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.