DFARS 239.7301 Definitions

As used in this subpart—

“Covered item of supply” means an item of information technology that is purchased for inclusion in a covered system, and the loss of integrity of which could result in a supply chain risk for a covered system (see 10 U.S.C. 3252).

“Covered system” means a national security system, as that term is defined at 44 U.S.C. 3552(b) (see 10 U.S.C. 3252). It is any information system, including any telecommunications system, used or operated by an agency or by a contractor of an agency, or other organization on behalf of an agency—

(1) The function, operation, or use of which—

(i) Involves intelligence activities;

(ii) Involves cryptologic activities related to national security;

(iii) Involves command and control of military forces;

(iv) Involves equipment that is an integral part of a weapon or weapons system; or

(v) Is critical to the direct fulfillment of military or intelligence missions, but this does not include a system that is to be used for routine administrative and business applications, including payroll, finance, logistics, and personnel management applications; or

(2) Is protected at all times by procedures established for information that have been specifically authorized under criteria established by an Executive order or an Act of Congress to be kept classified in the interest of national defense or foreign policy.

“Information technology” (see 40 U.S.C 11101(6)) means, in lieu of the definition at FAR 2.1, any equipment, or interconnected system(s) or subsystem(s) of equipment, that is used in the automatic acquisition, storage, analysis, evaluation, manipulation, management, movement, control, display, switching, interchange, transmission, or reception of data or information by the agency.

(1) For purposes of this definition, equipment is used by an agency if the equipment is used by the agency directly or is used by a contractor under a contract with the agency that requires—

(i) Its use; or

(ii) To a significant extent, its use in the performance of a service or the furnishing of a product.

(2) The term “information technology” includes computers, ancillary equipment (including imaging peripherals, input, output, and storage devices necessary for security and surveillance), peripheral equipment designed to be controlled by the central processing unit of a computer, software, firmware and similar procedures, services (including support services), and related resources.

(3) The term “information technology” does not include any equipment acquired by a contractor incidental to a contract.

“Supply chain risk” means the risk that an adversary may sabotage, maliciously introduce unwanted function, or otherwise subvert the design, integrity, manufacturing, production, distribution, installation, operation, or maintenance of a covered system so as to surveil, deny, disrupt, or otherwise degrade the function, use, or operation of such system (see 10 U.S.C. 3252).