Benefits:

Confidentiality: Encryption scrambles CUI, making it unreadable to unauthorized individuals who might intercept the data during transport, like on a lost laptop or unsecured network.

Compliance: Implementing encryption demonstrates adherence to NIST 800-171, a critical requirement for government contractors and organizations handling CUI.

Reduced Risk: Encryption minimizes the impact of data breaches, protecting sensitive information and potentially avoiding costly consequences.

Accountability:

Senior Management: Set the security tone and allocate resources. They ensure policies are in place for encryption use, user training, and incident response if breaches occur related to CUI transport.

IT Security Team: Implement and manage encryption solutions. This includes choosing FIPS-compliant algorithms, providing user training on encryption tools, and monitoring for unauthorized access attempts.

System Owners: Responsible for the specific systems where CUI resides. They cooperate with the IT security team to ensure CUI is identified and encrypted before transfer.

Individual Users: Are the last line of defense. They must be trained on proper encryption usage, understand their role in protecting CUI, and report any suspicious activity during transport.

Implementation:

Encryption Software: Encrypt digital media containing CUI using FIPS-compliant encryption algorithms. Popular options include BitLocker for Windows and FileVault for macOS.

Secure File Transfer: Utilize secure file transfer protocols like SFTP or FTPS that encrypt data in transit.

Physical Safeguards: When encryption isn't feasible, rely on strong physical controls. This could involve locked, tamper-evident containers for transporting devices with CUI.