FAR 40.000—Scope of part.
Plain-English Summary
FAR 40.000 explains the scope of FAR part 40 and tells readers what kinds of security issues this part covers in federal acquisitions. It focuses on broad security requirements for acquiring products and services, including policies and procedures for managing information security and supply chain security, with express coverage of acquisitions involving information and communications technology (ICT) but not limited to ICT. The section also points readers to related FAR parts that handle adjacent or overlapping issues: part 39 for security-related policies and procedures that apply only to ICT, parts 4, 24, and 46 for additional information-security and supply-chain-security procedures, and other FAR parts for nonsecurity policy areas that may affect supply chains or information handling. In practice, this section matters because it helps contracting personnel and contractors identify which security rules belong in part 40, which are found elsewhere in the FAR, and which issues are outside the security framework altogether. That prevents gaps, duplication, and misapplication of requirements when drafting solicitations, evaluating offers, and administering contracts involving sensitive products, services, or supply chains.
Key Rules
Broad security coverage
Part 40 applies to acquisitions of products and services and addresses broad security requirements. Its focus is on managing information security and supply chain security across federal buying activities.
Includes ICT but is not limited
The part expressly includes acquisitions involving information and communications technology, but its scope is broader than ICT alone. Agencies must therefore consider part 40 whenever security risks arise in product or service acquisitions, even outside pure ICT buys.
Part 39 handles ICT-specific rules
Security-related policies and procedures that apply only to ICT are addressed in FAR part 39. Users should look there for ICT-only requirements rather than assuming part 40 is the exclusive source.
Related FAR parts supplement security
Parts 4, 24, and 46 contain additional policies and procedures related to information security and supply chain security. Part 40 should be read together with those parts when implementing security controls, documentation, or oversight.
Nonsecurity issues live elsewhere
Information and supply chain policies that are not security-related are covered in other FAR parts, such as part 22 for labor and human trafficking risks and part 23 for climate-related risks. This section draws a boundary so users do not misclassify nonsecurity compliance topics as part 40 issues.
Responsibilities
Contracting Officers
Identify when acquisitions involve information security or supply chain security concerns, determine whether the requirement is governed by part 40 or another FAR part, and ensure the solicitation and contract incorporate the correct security-related policies and procedures.
Agencies
Develop and apply acquisition policies and procedures that manage information security and supply chain security consistently across covered buys, and coordinate part 40 requirements with related FAR parts to avoid conflicting or incomplete requirements.
Contractors
Understand which security requirements apply to the products or services being offered or performed, comply with the applicable information-security and supply-chain-security obligations, and distinguish those obligations from nonsecurity requirements imposed under other FAR parts.
Acquisition and Security Personnel
Work together to classify risks, determine whether ICT-specific rules, broader security rules, or nonsecurity policy requirements apply, and ensure the right controls and clauses are used in the procurement.
Practical Implications
This section is mainly a roadmap: it tells you where to look for the right security rules, not the full set of requirements itself.
A common pitfall is assuming all ICT-related security requirements are in part 40; some are specifically in part 39, so cross-checking is essential.
Another frequent mistake is treating nonsecurity supply-chain issues, such as labor or climate-related concerns, as if they were part 40 security requirements; those belong in other FAR parts.
Contracting teams should use this section early in acquisition planning to decide whether the procurement raises information-security or supply-chain-security issues and which FAR parts must be consulted.
For contractors, the practical takeaway is to map compliance obligations carefully so proposals, subcontracting plans, and performance processes address the correct set of requirements without over- or under-responding.
Official Regulatory Text
(a) This part addresses broad security requirements that apply to acquisitions of products and services. It prescribes policies and procedures for managing information security and supply chain security when acquiring products and services that include, but are not limited to, information and communications technology (ICT). (b) See part 39 for security-related policies and procedures that only apply to ICT. (c) See parts 4 , 24 , and 46 for additional policies and procedures related to managing information security and supply chain security. (d) Information and supply chain policies and procedures that are unrelated to security are covered in other parts of the FAR ( e.g. , part 22 for labor and human trafficking risks and part 23 for climate-related risks).