03.04.09 —

What this control requires

Source: NIST SP 800-171 R3 §03.04.09 (official control text).

Why this matters

This control requires organizations to maintain accurate asset inventories — tracking every device, system, and component that stores, processes, or transmits sensitive information. Without knowing what you have and where it is, you cannot properly secure it, patch it, or ensure it leaves the network when decommissioned. Attackers exploit forgotten systems, orphaned databases, and unlabeled hardware. A current inventory enables rapid incident response, prevents shadow IT sprawl, and ensures nothing falls through the cracks during security updates or compliance audits.

What evidence assessors expect

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

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