---
title: "NIST 800-171 3.7.1 (MA.L2-3.7.1): System Maintenance"
description: "NIST SP 800-171 3.7.1 System Maintenance: 3 SPRS points, not allowed on a CMMC POA&M. The text, what assessors check and the evidence."
url: https://policycortex.com/nist-800-171/maintenance/3.7.1
sealed: 2026-11-11
amended: 2026-11-11
register: nist-800-171/maintenance/3.7.1
records: 7
digest: sha3:9ce087ff9058e9a6229f3dc1e6681a85feb4a2a8dc6611e807c03a8b8c410e1c
---

# NIST 800-171 3.7.1 (MA.L2-3.7.1): System Maintenance

NIST 800-171 / Maintenance / 3.7.1

"Perform maintenance on organizational systems." ([NIST SP 800-171 Rev. 2, requirement 3.7.1](https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.SP.800-171r2))

CMMC Level 2 practice MA.L2-3.7.1.

## What 3.7.1 means in practice

Systems are maintained on purpose and on schedule: patches, firmware updates, hardware repairs and replacements. Keep a maintenance schedule and a record of what was done, by whom and when, for hardware and software alike.

## SPRS points and the CMMC POA&M

- **CMMC Level 2 practice**: MA.L2-3.7.1
- **SPRS points**: 3 points. When it is not met, the DoD Assessment Methodology subtracts 3 from the score of 110.
- **CMMC POA&M**: Not allowed. It is worth 3 points, and 32 CFR 170.21(a)(2)(ii) admits only requirements worth 1 point, with one exception: 3.13.11 when encryption is used but not FIPS validated.

Sources: [NIST SP 800-171 DoD Assessment Methodology, version 1.2.1 (June 24, 2020), Annex A](https://www.acq.osd.mil/asda/dpc/cp/cyber/docs/safeguarding/NIST-SP-800-171-Assessment-Methodology-Version-1.2.1-6.24.2020.pdf); [32 CFR 170.21, Plan of Action and Milestones requirements](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-32/section-170.21).

## What an assessor checks for 3.7.1

NIST SP 800-171A gives one determination statement for 3.7.1.

- Determine if system maintenance is performed.

[NIST SP 800-171A (June 2018), assessment objectives for 3.7.1](https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.SP.800-171A)

## Evidence that shows 3.7.1 is met

- The maintenance schedule or patch cycle.
- Maintenance records or tickets with dates and the people who did the work.
- Update management configuration for servers and endpoints.

## How PolicyCortex gathers the evidence

PolicyCortex reads this evidence with the collectors below, read only, and grades 3.7.1 from it. Each line says what the product checks.

- **Azure Update Manager: Maintenance configurations.** Reads Azure Update Manager maintenance configurations and checks that system maintenance is scheduled.

## Related pages

- **Calculator**: [SPRS score calculator: mark 3.7.1 and the other 109 requirements and see the score.](https://policycortex.com/sprs-score-calculator#family-MA)
- **Sample package**: [Sample package: an SSP, a POA&M and an evidence chain the product generated from demonstration data.](https://policycortex.com/sample-package)
- **Family**: [All 6 Maintenance requirements (3.7).](https://policycortex.com/nist-800-171/maintenance)
- **Previous**: [3.6.3: Incident Response Testing](https://policycortex.com/nist-800-171/incident-response/3.6.3)
- **Next**: [3.7.2: Maintenance Tools](https://policycortex.com/nist-800-171/maintenance/3.7.2)
- **All requirements**: [All 110 NIST SP 800-171 requirements, by family.](https://policycortex.com/nist-800-171)

Meet the requirement once. Keep the evidence current. [Request Access](https://app.policycortex.com/auth?mode=request-access) · [Book a call](https://policycortex.com/book)

## Register colophon

| Seq | Label | SHA3-256 | Prev |
|---|---|---|---|
| REC 0000 | REQUIREMENT | 82d56e5c1d27 | 14dbd0b15f70 |
| REC 0001 | MEANING | 4c2089bf3be2 | 82d56e5c1d27 |
| REC 0002 | POINTS AND POA&M | 0db27f00d98e | 4c2089bf3be2 |
| REC 0003 | ASSESSMENT OBJECTIVES | cfaac220f8e7 | 0db27f00d98e |
| REC 0004 | EVIDENCE | fb3df6d7fb70 | cfaac220f8e7 |
| REC 0005 | COLLECTORS | 8f2e696177ec | fb3df6d7fb70 |
| REC 0006 | RELATED | 9ce087ff9058 | 8f2e696177ec |

Head sha3:9ce087ff9058e9a6229f3dc1e6681a85feb4a2a8dc6611e807c03a8b8c410e1c. Each digest is SHA3-256 over the previous digest, the register key, the record label, and the record copy; a second party can recompute it from this document.