Cyber AB CMMC-CCP Online Access

Understanding the Media Protection (MP) Domain

TheMedia Protection (MP) domaininCMMC 2.0focuses on the security requirements needed to handlephysical or digital mediacontainingControlled Unclassified Information (CUI).

This domain includes controls for:

Protecting digital and physical mediathat store CUI.

Sanitizing and destroying mediabefore disposal or reuse.

Restricting access to CUI mediato authorized personnel only.

Why the Correct Answer is "A. Media Protection (MP)"?

TheMP domaindirectly addresses the requirements for handlingCUI media, includingencryption, access control, storage, and disposal.

CMMC 2.0Level 2aligns withNIST SP 800-171, which includesMP controlsfor managing media containing CUI.

Why Not the Other Options?

B. Physical Protection (PE)→Incorrect

PEfocuses onphysical security(e.g., facility access, visitor logs, physical barriers),not the handling of CUI on media.

C. System and Information Integrity (SI)→Incorrect

SIdeals withsystem monitoring, vulnerability management, and incident response, not media protection.

D. System and Communications Protection (SC)→Incorrect

SCcoversnetwork security, encryption, and secure communications, but does not specifically focus on media handling.

Relevant CMMC 2.0 References:

CMMC Level 2 Practice MP.3.125– Protects CUI by ensuring proper handling ofmedia containing CUI.

NIST SP 800-171 (MP Family)– Establishes security requirements for handlingdigital and physical mediacontaining CUI.

CMMC Scoping Guide (Nov 2021)– ConfirmsMP controls apply to all media that store, process, or transmit CUI.

Final Justification:

SinceMedia Protection (MP) directly addresses the handling of assets containing CUI, the correct answer isA. Media Protection (MP).

Step 1: Understand the Definitions of Evidence Evaluation Criteria

TheCMMC Assessment Process (CAP)introduces two key criteria for evaluating evidence:

Adequacy– Does the evidencealign with the practice?

Sufficiency– Is the evidencecomprehensive enoughin terms ofcoverage across systems, users, and scope?

CAP v1.0 – Section 3.5.4:

“Evidence must be evaluated for bothadequacy(is it the right evidence?) andsufficiency(is there enough of it across all in-scope assets and areas?) to score a practice as MET.”

✅Step 2: Applying to the Scenario

In the question, the Lead Assessor is asking the team toverify that evidence is sufficient across:

Domains

Practices

Host Units

Supporting Organizations

Enclaves

➡️This is adirect reference to sufficiency, which evaluates whether thebreadth and depthof evidence is enough to make an informed judgment that the control is truly implemented across theentire assessed environment.

❌Why the Other Options Are Incorrect

A. Adequacy

✘Adequacy refers to therelevanceof the evidence to the specific practice — not itscoverageacross scope.

B. Capability

✘Not a term used in evidence validation within CMMC CAP documentation.

D. Objectivity

✘While objectivity is important, it refers to theunbiased nature of assessment activities, not to theextent of evidence coverage.

When an assessor evaluates whether the evidence is broad enough across all necessary systems, units, and enclaves to score a practice as MET, they are evaluatingsufficiency— one of the two core criteria for evidence validity in a CMMC assessment.

Understanding DFARS Clause 252.204-7012

TheDefense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) clause 252.204-7012is a mandatory cybersecurity clause required inall DoD contracts and solicitationsthat involveControlled Unclassified Information (CUI).

Key Requirements of DFARS 252.204-7012

✅Implements NIST SP 800-171security controls for contractors handlingCUI.

✅Requirescyber incident reportingto theDoD Cyber Crime Center (DC3)within72 hours.

✅Mandatesadequate security measuresto protectDoD information systems.

✅Applies toall DoD contracts, except for those exclusively acquiring COTS items.

Why "All DoD Solicitations and Contracts" is Correct?

Option A (Correct):DFARS 252.204-7012must be included in all DoD contracts and solicitationswhen CUI is involved.

Option B (Incorrect):FAR Part 12 procedures apply tocommercial item acquisitions, but DFARS 7012 appliesregardless of procurement procedures.

Option C (Incorrect):Contractssolely for COTS (Commercial Off-the-Shelf) productsare exemptfrom DFARS 7012.

Option D (Incorrect):COTS itemssold without modificationsarenot requiredto include DFARS 7012.

Official References from DoD and DFARS Documentation

DFARS Clause 252.204-7012 (Safeguarding Covered Defense Information and Cyber Incident Reporting)

NIST SP 800-171– The required cybersecurity standard for contractors under DFARS 7012.

Final Verification and Conclusion

According to the CMMC Scoping Guidance, Level 1, the scope of an assessment includes all assets that process, store, or transmit Federal Contract Information (FCI). CMMC is "information-centric," meaning the security requirements apply to the information itself, regardless of the media it resides on (digital or physical).

Asset Identification: In a Level 1 assessment, assets are categorized as either FCI Assets or Out-of-Scope Assets. Since the file cabinet is explicitly identified as containing paper FCI, it meets the definition of an asset that stores the protected information.

Basic Safeguarding (FAR 52.204-21): The 17 practices of CMMC Level 1 are derived from the FAR clause for the "Basic Safeguarding of Covered Contractor Information Systems." However, the physical protection requirements within that set (such as PE.L1-3.10.1, which requires limiting physical access to organizational information systems and equipment) extend to the physical storage locations of that data.

Media Neutrality: CMMC documentation emphasizes that "information systems" include the physical components and the information processed by them. If FCI is printed and stored in a cabinet, that cabinet becomes a physical storage asset within the assessment boundary.

Why other options are incorrect:

Option B: Physical location alone does not bring an asset into scope. For example, a coffee machine in the same room as an FCI computer remains out of scope because it doesn't handle FCI. Thecontent(FCI) makes the cabinet in-scope, not its proximity.

Option C: CMMC and the underlying FAR clause do not exempt paper-based information. Protected data must be secured whether it is on a hard drive or a printed sheet.

Option D: While a file cabinet may not "process" or "transmit" data like a computer does, it absolutely stores it. The definition of the scope includes all three functions (process, store, or transmit).

Reference Documents:

CMMC Scoping Guidance, Level 1: Section 2.0 (CMMC Level 1 Asset Categories), which defines FCI Assets as those that process, store, or transmit FCI.

CMMC Assessment Guide, Level 1: Discussion on Physical Protection (PE) practices and their application to physical media.

32 CFR Part 170 (CMMC Program Rule): Definitions of FCI and the requirements for contractor self-assessments.