what is cui

CUI stands for Controlled Unclassified Information, which is a category of unclassified information within the U.S. Federal government. CUI is information that requires safeguarding or dissemination controls pursuant to and consistent with applicable law, regulations, and government-wide policies but is not classified. The CUI program was created by President Obama’s Executive Order 13556 to create a streamlined method for information sharing and to replace agency-specific labels such as For Official Use Only (FOUO), Sensitive But Unclassified (SBU), and Law Enforcement Sensitive (LES) on new data. Federal contractors who handle CUI will be required to self-assess (or, in some cases, require a government official to review) with the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) under the Cyber AB (Accreditation Board). The purpose of the CUI program is a unified effort between Executive Branch agencies to standardize protections and practices across departments and agencies.