Federal Contract Information
FCI is nonpublic information provided by or generated for the government under a contract to develop or deliver a product or service. Public government information and simple transactional information necessary to process payments are excluded from the FAR definition. The fact that a document relates to a federal contract does not, on its own, settle its handling requirements.
Controlled Unclassified Information
CUI is government-created or possessed information, or information created or possessed for or on behalf of the government, for which law, regulation, or governmentwide policy requires or permits safeguarding or dissemination controls. Use the official CUI Registry, contract instructions, markings, and authorized clarification from the government or prime contractor to understand the information involved.
Map the full journey
Track receipt, email, file sharing, engineering work, printing, storage, backup, support access, and disposal. A drawing received through a controlled portal can spread into email attachments and general-purpose file storage. That movement can change which assets and service providers need attention. A label on a folder is not a complete data-flow analysis.
Resolve ambiguity before sending information
If a file appears inconsistently marked or the contract instructions are unclear, seek clarification through the appropriate contracting channel. Keep that decision with the scoping record. Discuss classifications and processes using sanitized examples; a public contact form or general AI chat is not an appropriate place to upload controlled information.