03.10.08 —
What this control requires
Source: NIST SP 800-171 R3 §03.10.08 (official control text).
Why this matters
Physical cables, fiber lines, and network infrastructure are often overlooked attack surfaces. An adversary with brief physical access to an unsecured patch panel, telecommunications closet, or exposed Ethernet jack can install packet sniffers, man-in-the-middle devices, or rogue access points that intercept sensitive data in transit. This control requires organizations to physically secure network transmission media—structured cabling, fiber runs, patch panels, and spare ports—so that unauthorized individuals cannot tamper with, tap, or damage infrastructure that carries unencrypted or sensitive traffic. Protecting these physical pathways reduces the risk of data exfiltration, eavesdropping, and network compromise that bypasses software-based security controls.
What evidence assessors expect
Assessors typically look for: photo, screenshot, PDF. FORCE coaches you through the exact implementation steps and captures each artifact in-platform.
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