How to Define CUI in Your Environment: A Best Practices Checklist

Maintaining CMMC compliance depends on properly defining, identifying, and managing controlled unclassified information (CUI).

Best practices include: conducting thorough inventories of all data, standardizing marking and labeling protocols like metadata tags and visual indicators, and providing role-based training and certification programs to maintain awareness and accountability. Together, these practices protect sensitive CUI and FCI, personally identifiable and protected health information (PII/PHI), and intellectual property (IP). These practices also safeguard stakeholder trust, and reduce the likelihood of costly regulatory compliance failures.

Following these best practices ensures organizations consistently identify and protect controlled unclassified information, maintain CMMC compliance, and reduce the risk of costly breaches. Clear frameworks, automated tools, and targeted training improve accuracy, efficiency, and accountability.

To learn more best practices for identifying—and ultimately protecting—the CUI in your environment, be sure to check out: How to Define Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) in Your Environment.

And to learn more about Kiteworks for zero trust, check out Achieve CMMC Compliance With Complete Protection of CUI and FCI.