Tanium
by Tanium
Covered
12
controls
Partial
2
controls
Gaps
3
controls
Overview
Tanium by Tanium is an endpoint security solution that covers 12 NIST 800-171 controls (11% total coverage). It addresses key requirements in the endpoint security domain for defense contractors pursuing CMMC compliance.
Controls Covered (12)
Implementation Notes
Deploy Tanium with FIPS-validated configurations. Integrate with your SIEM for centralized audit logging. Review partial controls quarterly to identify supplementary tooling needs.
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Implementation Guidance for Tanium
Configure Tanium to maximize NIST 800-171 compliance across key control families. For System and Information Integrity (SI), deploy Tanium Threat Response to continuously monitor endpoint configurations and detect unauthorized changes, satisfying SI-4 monitoring requirements. Configure real-time alerts for configuration drift and malware detection. For Access Control (AC), implement Tanium Asset to maintain dynamic hardware/software inventories supporting AC-2 account management. Configure automated discovery scans every 15 minutes to track system components and installed software. For Configuration Management (CM), use Tanium Comply to enforce security baselines and automate CM-6 configuration settings. Deploy compliance checks against DISA STIGs and CIS benchmarks relevant to your environment. For Incident Response (IR), integrate Tanium Connect with your SIEM to generate assessment evidence through automated log forwarding and correlation. Generate compliance reports using Tanium Reporting showing asset inventory, vulnerability status, and configuration compliance metrics. Integrate with existing security tools through APIs - connect to vulnerability scanners like Nessus for patch management workflows, and integrate with SIEM platforms like Splunk for centralized logging. Common misconfigurations include insufficient sensor deployment (deploy to 100% of endpoints), inadequate baseline definitions (align with NIST SP 800-53 controls), and poor alert tuning leading to false positives. Ensure proper agent configuration for offline endpoint synchronization and maintain current threat intelligence feeds to avoid C3PAO findings during assessments.
Gap Analysis & Compensating Controls
Tanium's 3 uncovered NIST controls primarily fall within Physical and Environmental Protection (PE) and Personnel Security (PS) families, representing significant compliance gaps for defense contractors. The PE control family gap requires implementing physical access controls, environmental monitoring, and media protection that endpoint agents cannot address. Compensate with physical security systems like Genetec Security Center for facility access control and environmental monitoring solutions. Document these gaps in your System Security Plan (SSP) under architectural limitations and create POA&M entries with target remediation dates. For PS controls covering personnel screening and access agreements, implement identity management solutions like CyberArk or Okta to handle privileged access management and user lifecycle processes. The missing Audit and Accountability (AU) controls require centralized logging capabilities beyond Tanium's endpoint focus. Deploy dedicated SIEM solutions like Splunk or QRadar to capture network-level audit events and maintain required log retention periods. Priority order for gap closure: 1) Physical security controls (highest CMMC assessment weight), 2) Personnel security processes (moderate weight but foundational), 3) Enhanced audit logging (supports multiple control families). Document compensating controls clearly in your SSP, explaining how the combination of tools provides equivalent protection. Establish clear integration points between Tanium and gap-filling solutions to demonstrate defense-in-depth architecture to C3PAOs during CMMC assessments.
Compliance Cost Estimate
Tanium licensing costs range from $15-25 per endpoint per year for core platform capabilities, with additional modules (Threat Response, Comply, Asset) adding $5-10 per endpoint annually. Implementation costs typically range $50,000-150,000 including professional services for deployment, configuration, and integration with existing security infrastructure. Ongoing maintenance requires 0.5-1 FTE security analyst for monitoring, tuning, and compliance reporting activities, approximately $75,000-125,000 annually. Compared to competitors like CrowdStrike ($20-30/endpoint) or Microsoft Defender ($3-8/endpoint), Tanium offers superior visibility and control capabilities justifying premium pricing. Total three-year cost of ownership averages $300,000-500,000 for 1,000-endpoint environment. ROI realized through reduced manual compliance activities, faster incident response, and consolidated tool requirements offsetting higher upfront investment costs.
Compliance Cross-References
Tanium directly supports DFARS 252.204-7012 requirements for covered defense information protection through continuous monitoring and incident response capabilities. Maps to CMMC Level 2 domains including Asset Management (AM.L2-3.4.1, AM.L2-3.4.2) through dynamic inventory capabilities, System and Information Integrity (SI.L2-3.14.1 through SI.L2-3.14.7) via real-time monitoring and malware protection, and portions of Incident Response (IR.L2-3.6.1, IR.L2-3.6.2) through automated detection and response workflows. For FedRAMP controls, Tanium satisfies CA-7 continuous monitoring, CM-8 information system component inventory, and SI-4 information system monitoring requirements. CMMC assessment objectives fully satisfied include asset discovery and inventory maintenance, malware protection deployment, and security event monitoring. Requires supplementary tools for authentication management (IA domain), encryption implementation (SC domain), and audit log management (AU domain) to achieve complete CMMC Level 2 compliance. Integration with CMMC-compliant cloud services and identity providers essential for comprehensive coverage.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many NIST 800-171 controls does Tanium cover?
Tanium covers 12 of 110 NIST 800-171 controls (11%), with 2 partially covered and 3 gaps.
Can Tanium alone satisfy CMMC Level 2?
No single tool covers all 110 NIST 800-171 controls. Tanium covers 11% and should be part of a layered security stack addressing the remaining controls.
What controls does Tanium not cover?
Tanium does not cover controls mp-3-8-1, ia-3-5-1, pe-3-10-1. These require supplementary solutions such as physical security controls, additional access management, or media protection tools.
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