Does a File Cabinet Containing Paper FCI Fall Within CMMC Scope?CMMConly applies to digital systems and assetsthatprocess, store, or transmitFederal Contract Information (FCI)andControlled Unclassified Information (CUI).Physical storage (such as paper documents) is not included in CMMC scoping.
Step-by-Step Breakdown:✅1. CMMC Scope Covers Only Digital Systems and Assets
According to theCMMC Scoping Guide (Level 1),only digital assetsthat handleFCIarein scopefor aLevel 1 Self-Assessment.
Afile cabinetisnot a digital system; therefore, it isnot in scopefor CMMC compliance.
✅2. Why the Other Answer Choices Are Incorrect:
(A) In scope, because it is an asset that stores FCI❌
Incorrect:While the file cabinetdoes store FCI,CMMC only applies to digital systems.
(B) In scope, because it is part of the same physical location❌
Incorrect:CMMCdoes notconsiderphysical proximitywhen determining scope—only digital data handling matters.
(D) Out of scope, because it does not process or transmit FCI❌
Partially correct, but incomplete: Themain reasonit is out of scope is that itcontains only paper documents, not that it doesn’t process/transmit data.
TheCMMC Level 1 Scoping Guideexplicitly states thatpaper-based storage of FCI does not fall within scope.
Final Validation from CMMC Documentation:Thus, the correct answer is:
✅C. Out of scope, because they are all only paper documents.
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