03.03.02 — (a) Include the following content in audit records: (b) Provide additional information for audit records as needed.

What this control requires

(a) Include the following content in audit records: (b) Provide additional information for audit records as needed.

Source: NIST SP 800-171 R3 §03.03.02 (official control text).

Why this matters

Audit records are only useful if they contain enough detail to reconstruct what happened, who did it, and whether it succeeded. Without proper content—timestamps, user identities, source/destination addresses, and event outcomes—security teams cannot investigate incidents, prove compliance, or detect malicious activity. Attackers exploit gaps in logging to hide their tracks; incomplete records mean breaches go unnoticed or uninvestigated. This control ensures that every logged event captures the forensic details needed to answer the fundamental questions: who, what, when, where, and whether the action succeeded or failed. Rich audit content transforms logs from checkbox artifacts into actionable intelligence.

What evidence assessors expect

Assessors typically look for: configuration export, screenshot, PDF, log file. FORCE coaches you through the exact implementation steps and captures each artifact in-platform.

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