What is the primary purpose of DoDI 5200.48?

• A. Establishes DoD policy, responsibilities, and procedures for CUI throughout DoD; also establishes the official DoD CUI Registry.
• B. Defines classification levels for sensitive information.
• C. Sets the budget for the DoD Information Security program.
• D. Establishes requirements for physical plant security.

Answer: (A)

The main idea this instruction communicates is to establish a single, DoD-wide framework for controlling and handling CUI. It sets the policy, assigns responsibilities, and prescribes the procedures for identifying, marking, safeguarding, disseminating, and decontrolling CUI across all DoD components. By creating the official DoD CUI Registry, it provides a central, authoritative source for how CUI is defined and managed, ensuring consistent practices throughout the department.

This is why it’s the best choice: it directly codifies how CUI should be treated across the entire DoD and houses the registry that standardizes the handling rules. The other options describe activities outside this scope—defining classification levels, setting budgets, or governing physical security—none of which are the primary purpose of this instruction.