FAR and DFARS › DFARS Part 239: Acquisition of Information Technology › Subpart 239.73
DFARS 239.7301 Definitions.
The codified text (eCFR, as of 2026-10-02). Under the Revolutionary FAR Overhaul ↗, agencies follow class deviations with new text for many parts while the formal rules go through the Federal Register: check the solicitation and your contract's clauses, which rule.
In plain English
This section defines key terms used in DFARS subpart 239.73, including covered item of supply, covered system, information technology, and supply chain risk. It matters to contractors because these definitions determine which systems and items fall under the supply chain risk rules in that subpart.
Applies to: Contractors and agencies dealing with national security systems and information technology under DFARS subpart 239.73
Key terms: covered item of supply · covered system · information technology · supply chain risk · national security system
Written by AI from this section's text. A guide, not legal advice: the text below rules.
The text
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).
Sections that refer to it
- 204.7601 Definitions.
- 208.405 Ordering procedures for Federal Supply Schedules.
- 208.7402 General.
- 212.301 Solicitation provisions and contract clauses for the acquisition of commercial products and commercial services.
- 213.106-1 Soliciting competition.
- 214.201-5 Part IV—Representations and instructions.
- 214.503-1 Step one.
- 215.304 Evaluation factors and significant subfactors.
- 239.7306 Solicitation provision and contract clause.
- 244.201-1 Consent requirements.
- 252.204-7024 Notice on the Use of the Supplier Performance Risk System.
← 239.7300 Scope of subpart. · 239.7302 Applicability. →
Rule changes for DFARS Part 239
- Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement: Disclosure of Information Regarding Foreign Obligations (DFARS Case 2018-D064) ↗ · proposed 2024-11-15 · comments due 2025-01-14
Source: eCFR, 48 CFR chapters 1 and 2 (GPO GovInfo bulk data) ↗. Plain words for the terms: glossary.