FedRAMP

FedRAMP (Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program) is a US government program that provides a standardized approach to security assessment for cloud products and services used by federal agencies.

FedRAMP establishes security requirements for cloud service providers (CSPs) serving US federal government agencies. It's based on NIST SP 800-53 controls.

Authorization levels: - FedRAMP Low: 125 controls for low-impact data - FedRAMP Moderate: 325 controls for moderate-impact data - FedRAMP High: 421 controls for high-impact data

Authorization paths: - Agency Authorization: Single agency sponsors the CSP - JAB Authorization: Joint Authorization Board reviews (DoD, DHS, GSA)

Key FedRAMP components: - Initial authorization (12-18 months typical) - Continuous monitoring requirements - Annual assessments by 3PAO - POA&M management for remediation

Why It Matters

FedRAMP authorization opens the door to the US federal government market—a $100+ billion annual cloud spend. Without it, cloud service providers are locked out of government contracts. The authorization process is rigorous and time-intensive, but the "do once, use many" approach means a single FedRAMP authorization can be reused across multiple agencies, making the investment worthwhile for companies targeting the public sector.

Key Points

Required for cloud providers serving federal agencies

Based on NIST SP 800-53 controls

Three impact levels: Low, Moderate, High

Requires third-party assessment (3PAO)

Continuous monitoring after authorization

Applicable Compliance Frameworks

NIST CSF

Related Terms

NIST 800-53

NIST SP 800-53 is a catalog of security and privacy controls for federal information systems, serving as the foundation for many compliance frameworks.

CMMC

CMMC (Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification) is a DoD requirement for defense contractors that combines cybersecurity standards and third-party assessment to protect Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI).

Cloud Security

Cloud security encompasses the technologies, policies, and controls used to protect data, applications, and infrastructure in cloud computing environments.