United States (federal) · federal standard
DoW IL5 / IL6: what it requires, and the records to keep
IL5 covers higher-sensitivity CUI and unclassified National Security Systems data whose disclosure could seriously harm operations; IL6 covers classified information up to SECRET. Both build on the FedRAMP High baseline with DoD FedRAMP+ controls, and IL6 adds the CNSSI 1253 Classified Information Overlay and dedicated classified infrastructure.
01 / What it requires
What DoW IL5 / IL6 requires
Cloud service providers hosting higher-sensitivity DoD data, and DoD mission owners using them.
- 01IL5: implement FedRAMP High controls, DISA parameters and SRG FedRAMP+ controls, plus NSS controls where applicable.
- 02IL5: separate DoD/federal tenants from non-federal tenants and restrict CSP personnel per the SRG.
- 03IL4/IL5: route traffic through a DoD-approved Boundary Cloud Access Point, not directly to the internet.
- 04IL6: apply the CNSSI 1253 Classified Information Overlay on dedicated infrastructure that processes classified data.
- 05IL6: use cleared personnel and classified network connectivity (SIPRNet).
- 06Obtain a DISA Provisional Authorization and a mission owner ATO; maintain continuous monitoring.
02 / AI work
Where it touches AI work
Applies to AI systems as to any system: AI services processing NSS or mission-critical CUI need IL5, and AI on classified data needs IL6 or an accredited classified environment.
03 / Dates
The dates that matter
CSP SRG Version 1, Release 1 issued, aligned to NIST SP 800-53 Rev. 5
DISA publishes DoD Cloud Authorization Process
CSP SRG Version 1, Release 2 dated (per third-party copy)
EO 14347 adds 'Department of War' as secondary name
04 / Enforcement
Who enforces it
DISA Authorizing Official and DoD component authorizing officials; contract remedies; mishandling classified information also falls under security and criminal law. No SRG fines.
05 / Records
Records an organisation keeps
What an auditor or an inquiry usually asks to see. Your obligations depend on your role and your facts.
- 01DoD Provisional Authorization at IL5 or IL6
- 02Tenant separation and personnel screening documentation
- 03BCAP or SIPRNet connection approval
- 04Continuous monitoring and annual assessment reports
Optional evidence · where Planisphere fits
Keep a record anyone can check
When your team meets a duty, Planisphere can seal the event it reports as a receipt.
A disclosure shown, a review signed, a model change approved: the event your system reports.
The event becomes a sealed receipt, dated and attributed to whoever is signed in.
Paste the receipt into Verify. No account or key.
A record supports your compliance evidence process. It is not a legal finding or a certification. Systems that call Planisphere's gate API can also hold or refuse an action before it runs.
QUESTIONS
The questions that come next
Which DoD Impact Level do I need — IL4, IL5, or IL6 — for my AI workload?+
The Impact Level follows the data the AI workload handles, not the model. Under the DoD Cloud Computing SRG, IL4 covers Controlled Unclassified Information; IL5 covers higher-sensitivity CUI, mission-critical information and unclassified National Security Systems; and IL6 covers classified information up to SECRET. The contract or the mission owner's data categorization sets the level. A commercial service then needs a DISA Provisional Authorization at that level, plus the mission owner's ATO. IL4 and IL5 services also connect through a DoD Boundary Cloud Access Point. Read the full answer
SOURCES
Go back to the source
DISA / DoD Cyber Exchange
Federal Register
CHANGE LOG
What changed, and when
Rebuilt from primary sources; facts checked on this date.
Related: DoW IL5 / IL6 for defense AI workflows · NIST AI RMF · OMB M-25-21/22 · DoW RAI S&IP · EO 14179 · FIPS 140-3 · SHA-256 / FIPS 180-4