Basic Safeguarding of Covered Contractor Information Systems
A contract clause under the Federal Acquisition Regulation, placed in Uniform Contract Format Section I (Contract clauses).
When it applies
Required by 4.1903 when the contractor or any subcontractor may have Federal contract information residing in or transiting its information systems — true of nearly every contract except pure COTS buys.
Prescription
The FAR directs use of 52.204-21 at 4.1903 — read the prescribing section on acquisition.gov →.
Official text
The full, authoritative text of 52.204-21 is on acquisition.gov: View FAR 52.204-21 →
Frequently asked questions
When does FAR 52.204-21 apply?
Required by 4.1903 when the contractor or any subcontractor may have Federal contract information residing in or transiting its information systems — true of nearly every contract except pure COTS buys.
Where is FAR 52.204-21 prescribed?
The FAR prescribes 52.204-21 at 4.1903. ArcClause selects it automatically when your acquisition triggers that prescription.
Is FAR 52.204-21 a solicitation provision or a contract clause?
52.204-21, Basic Safeguarding of Covered Contractor Information Systems, is a contract clause under the Federal Acquisition Regulation.
Is FAR 52.204-21 incorporated by reference or set out in full text?
52.204-21 is typically incorporated by reference in the contract.
Where can I read the official text of FAR 52.204-21?
The full, authoritative text of 52.204-21 is published on acquisition.gov.
How do I know which clauses apply to my acquisition?
ArcClause builds a complete FAR/DFARS clause matrix for your acquisition automatically — enter your parameters and it selects every applicable provision and clause, including 52.204-21 when triggered. It is free to use at https://www.aframesolutions.com/arcclause.
Get a free alert when FAR 52.204-21 changes. New or revised text, or a FAR Overhaul deviation — we'll email you when it happens. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Which clauses does your solicitation need?
Answer a short wizard and ArcClause builds your full FAR & agency-supplement matrix — with the prescription behind every row. Get it emailed to you as Word & Excel, and we'll alert you when a clause in it changes during the FAR Overhaul. Free, no login.