NIST SP 800-171
Control 3.8.8
Prohibit Portable Storage When No Identifiable Owner
CMMC-RP Certified Team
24+ Years Experience
2,500+ Clients Served
Official Requirement
Prohibit the use of portable storage devices when such devices have no identifiable owner.
What This Means in Plain English
Unknown USB drives or storage devices should never be plugged into your systems. If a device cannot be traced to a specific authorized owner, it must not be used, as it could contain malware.
How Petronella Implements This Control
Petronella Technology Group implements this control through:
- All approved portable storage devices registered in asset inventory with assigned owners
- Sophos XDR device control blocking devices not in the approved whitelist
- Security awareness training covering the dangers of unknown USB devices
- Found USB devices reported to security team for analysis (never plugged into production systems)
- ComplianceArmor portable storage registry linking each device to an identified owner
Assessment Guidance
Assessors will verify that portable storage devices are registered with owners, test that unregistered devices are blocked, review the device registry, and check that training covers unknown device risks.
Common Implementation Gaps
- No registry of portable storage devices
- No technical controls blocking unregistered devices
- Employees using personal or unregistered USB drives
- Found USB devices plugged in without security review
- No training on risks of unknown portable storage
Cross-Framework Mapping
| Framework | Mapped Controls |
|---|---|
| NIST SP 800-53 | MP-7(1) |
Need Help Implementing 3.8.8?
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