What is an information system?

Official Definition: The term “information system” means a discrete set of information resources organized for the collection, processing, maintenance, use, sharing, dissemination, or disposition of information. (44 U.S. Code § 3502)

• Your company’s computer network and the systems that make it up.
• Another organization's computer network and computer systems (known as an external information system).

Below are a few components that may make up an information system.

• Network devices such as routers, switches, and firewalls.
• Output devices such as printers, scanners, and fax machines.
• Devices such as laptops, desktops, and servers.
• Applications/services such as your website.
• Non-digital media such as paper documents.
• Digital media such as USB thumb drives, hard drives, CDs, DVDs, floppy disks, and backup drives.
• Software such as Microsoft Office, web browsers, and antivirus software. Hardware such as monitors, keyboards, and mice.
• VOIP and PBX telephone systems.
• Environmental control systems such as the HVAC system in a server room.

A company’s information system is what will process, store, and transmit federal contract information (FCI) or controlled unclassified information (CUI). As a result, CMMC practices and processes are meant to protect an information system from cyber threats with the strategic objective of protecting FCI and CUI. As shown above, an information system has many components. When implementing CMMC requirements, companies need to make sure that they are being applied to the various components making up their information system. For example, only implementing password requirements for user accounts on a computer that processes, stores, and transmits FCI or CUI isn’t enough. You need to apply these requirements to the entire information system supporting the storage, transmission, and processing of CUI and FCI.