Executive Order 13556
Also known as: EO 13556, Controlled Unclassified Information Executive Order
Executive Order 13556, signed in November 2010, established the government-wide Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) program and designated the National Archives (NARA) as Executive Agent. It is the legal origin of the entire CUI regime and, indirectly, of NIST SP 800-171 and CMMC.
Related terms
- Controlled Unclassified Information
Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) is unclassified information that requires safeguarding or dissemination controls under law, regulation, or government-wide policy. It is explicitly marked CUI by the originating agency and triggers NIST SP 800-171 protections — and at the contractual level, CMMC Level 2.
- NARA CUI Registry
The NARA CUI Registry is the official, public list of every category and subcategory of information that qualifies as Controlled Unclassified Information across the federal government. It is the authoritative source for determining whether a given type of information is CUI.