As the cyber threat landscape becomes increasingly dominated by state-sponsored actors and advanced persistent threats, the DoD has taken critical steps to evolve its cybersecurity requirements for defense contractors.

For contractors handling Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) and seeking to achieve CMMC Level 3, the NIST SP 800-172 Enhanced Security Requirements represent the most stringent technical and procedural benchmarks currently required in the Department of Defense (DOD) Industrial Base (DIB).

This article examines the practical application of NIST 800-172 controls, focusing on the advanced security capabilities, resilience engineering, and operational maturity required for high-trust environments.