Clear Path step · Business · Your industry's rules and risks
Know whether you hold FCI or CUI, and draw the boundary
Why it matters: Your obligations, and your assessment cost, depend on what data you hold and how far it spreads. A tight boundary is the cheapest compliance decision you'll make.
On your path if you picked “Government contractor” for “What's your industry?”.
Do it
- Review each contract for DFARS 7012, 7019, 7020 and 7021 clauses and CUI markings.
- Map where FCI and CUI are received, stored, processed and sent.
- Keep CUI in one enclave of people, devices and cloud services rather than everywhere.
- Write the boundary into your system security plan.
Check it worked: You know which contracts involve Federal Contract Information or Controlled Unclassified Information, where that data lives, and which people, devices and services are inside the CMMC boundary.
Simply put
It's like keeping the valuables in one locked room instead of spread around the house. A tight boundary around federal contract information and controlled unclassified information (CUI) means fewer people, devices and services to protect, and a cheaper assessment.
In detail
Every system CUI touches joins the assessment, so letting it reach general email and personal devices makes compliance bigger and costlier; shrinking the boundary is worth more than any single tool.
If this is new to you: Not sure what you hold? Your contracts tell you: look for DFARS clauses and CUI markings. Write down what you find, even if the answer is 'none yet'.
Points toward the Long View: a boundary small enough to protect well and assess affordably.