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An air-gapped computer is physically separated or isolated from other computers or networks. The phrase describes how a system is connected—not a special kind of computer—and the label alone does not prove that every connection is absent or that the system cannot be compromised.
What “air-gapped” means
The NICCS cybersecurity glossary defines air-gapping as physically separating or isolating a system from other systems or networks. The term can describe the act of isolating a system or the state of physical separation. NICCS’s glossary attributes the definition to security references including CNSSI 4009, FIPS 200, and NIST publications.
In ordinary use, an air-gapped computer is one intentionally kept off connected networks. To understand what that means for a particular machine, look at its actual boundary: whether it has wired or wireless network connections, whether it is ever connected temporarily, and how files enter or leave. The name by itself does not establish those details.
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An air gap means physical separation or isolation from other systems or networks. Network segmentation divides a network into portions and uses boundaries and controls to limit traffic between them; approved communications may still cross those boundaries. The terms are related security approaches, but they are not interchangeable. CISA says air-gapping and segmentation can limit, but not eliminate, exposure to compromise. CISA’s election infrastructure security guidance discusses both approaches.
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Does an air-gapped computer connect to the internet?
By design, an air-gapped computer is isolated from connected networks, so it is not ordinarily connected to the internet. But the phrase should not be treated as proof that no route exists. CISA reported in 2023 that assessment teams had reached operational technology (OT) networks described as fully air-gapped after discovering special-purpose, forgotten, or accidental network connections. This is a reason to verify the system’s connections, not evidence that every air-gapped system is routinely breached. CISA’s advisory on common cybersecurity misconfigurations describes the findings.
How files and updates cross the boundary
A system that needs files or updates must receive them through some transfer method. That transfer creates a deliberate crossing of the isolation boundary, so the method and the controls around it matter. CISA recommends accounting for all forms of transfer and identifies write-once, use-once external media as one possible control. Whether a specific medium is suitable depends on the computer’s hardware, the organization’s policy, inspection procedures, and operational needs. CISA’s guidance addresses transfer practices.
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- Use only approved media and software, with procedures suited to the system and its policy.
- Control what is allowed to cross the boundary; CISA identifies blocking non-approved media or software as a possible measure.
- Account for every transfer route, including devices that users might connect across otherwise separated environments.
Removable storage is therefore part of the security boundary, not a harmless exception to it. CISA warns that user error—such as connecting removable storage or another device across network segments—can undermine segmentation. The same practical lesson applies when maintaining an isolated system: an uncontrolled transfer can defeat the intended separation. CISA’s recommended practices for industrial control systems cover this risk.
What an air gap does—and does not—guarantee
Isolation can reduce a system’s exposure to network paths, but it does not make compromise impossible. CISA’s wording is explicit: air-gapping and segmentation can limit, but not eliminate, exposure. The protection depends on the separation actually being maintained, including how connections are inventoried and how data transfers are controlled.
So, when someone calls a computer “air-gapped,” the useful follow-up is not simply whether it is offline. Ask what systems it is separated from, whether any temporary or special-purpose links exist, and how authorized files and updates are transferred.
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