FedRAMP and Cloud Security: Key Basics to Setup Your Startup for Success

FedRAMP and Cloud Security – For companies wishing to do business with the federal government by offering cloud services, obtaining FedRAMP authorization can be a critical step. It demonstrates that your services meet the strict security requirements necessary to work with federal data.

In an effort to not run the assumption that you already know all about FedRAMP and its requirements, here are some basic details about what it is, as well as some helpful info about how you can set your cloud security startup up for success in meeting the requirements. 

FedRAMP, or the Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program, is a U.S. government-wide program that standardizes the security assessment, authorization, and continuous monitoring processes for cloud products and services used by federal agencies. It ensures that cloud services and products have adequate information security measures in place, meeting consistent requirements across all federal agencies.

Here are some key points about FedRAMP:

Standardization: Instead of each federal agency conducting its own assessment of a cloud service provider (CSP), FedRAMP provides a standardized approach to security assessment, authorization, and monitoring.

Joint Authorization Board (JAB): This board is responsible for granting Provisional Authorizations (P-ATOs) to cloud service offerings. It comprises chief information officers (CIOs) from the Department of Defense (DoD), the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and the General Services Administration (GSA).

Packages: CSPs submit a security package to the JAB, detailing how they meet the FedRAMP requirements. Once reviewed and approved, this package can be used by other federal agencies to grant an Authority to Operate (ATO), saving time and effort.

Continuous Monitoring: Achieving FedRAMP authorization isn’t a one-time event. CSPs must continuously monitor and report on their security to maintain their authorization status.

Cost-Efficient: By centralizing and standardizing cloud security evaluations, the federal government aims to save time, money, and effort, reducing redundant efforts across agencies.

Security Levels: FedRAMP categorizes cloud services based on their security levels – Low, Moderate, and High. These levels correspond to the potential impact of an information system if its confidentiality, integrity, or availability were compromised.

Here is a quick overview (seriously, less than 2 minutes) on the basics of what FedRAMP is:

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