CISO Plus | FedRAMP - Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program

FedRAMP - Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program

What is the Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP)?

FedRAMP (Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program) is a U.S. government-wide initiative that provides a standardized framework for assessing, authorizing, and continuously monitoring the security of cloud services used by federal agencies. Launched in 2011 by the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA), FedRAMP ensures that cloud services meet stringent security standards, based on NIST 800-53 guidelines, to protect federal data in the cloud.

FedRAMP ensures that federal cloud services are secure, scalable, and meet rigorous compliance standards across government agencies.

Key Components of FedRAMP

System Categorization: Cloud Service Providers (CSPs) must categorize their services based on the potential impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability of federal data:

Low Impact: Minimal impact if compromised.
Moderate Impact: Serious adverse effects on operations or individuals.
High Impact: Severe or catastrophic consequences, such as national security data breaches.

FedRAMP Authorization Process

Pre-Authorization (Preparation and Documentation): CSPs prepare for security assessments by categorizing their system and developing a System Security Plan (SSP) and other supporting documents, outlining how they meet FedRAMP’s requirements.

Authorization (Security Assessment and Review): A Third-Party Assessment Organization (3PAO) conducts an independent audit, including vulnerability testing and a security control assessment. The results are reviewed by either the Joint Authorization Board (JAB) or the sponsoring federal agency. There are two paths to authorization:

JAB Provisional Authorization (P-ATO): Granted by the JAB, which includes representatives from DoD, DHS, and GSA.
Agency Authorization (ATO): A federal agency sponsors the CSP and grants the authorization.

Post-Authorization (Continuous Monitoring): Once authorized, CSPs must continuously monitor their environment through regular vulnerability scans, audits, and incident reporting to ensure ongoing security compliance.

FedRAMP Impact Levels

Low Impact: Applies to systems with minimal potential harm from exposure.
Moderate Impact: Covers most federal cloud systems, where data breaches could have significant consequences.
High Impact: Reserved for systems handling highly sensitive information, such as national security data, with the highest security requirements.

FedRAMP Marketplace

Once a cloud service obtains FedRAMP authorization, it is listed in the FedRAMP Marketplace, where federal agencies can find services that meet security standards. The marketplace designates cloud services as either:

FedRAMP Ready: Services meeting baseline requirements but not yet fully authorized.
FedRAMP Authorized: Fully authorized services vetted by a federal agency or the JAB.