What is FedRamp

FedRAMP, or the Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program, is a government-wide program in the U.S. that provides a standardized approach to security assessment, authorization, and continuous monitoring for cloud products and services. In short, if a cloud service provider (CSP) wants to be able to conduct business with any U.S. federal agency and host government data, they must be FedRAMP authorized.

Consider FedRAMP as the "gold standard" of security clearance for cloud services in the federal space. It provides reassurance that any cloud solution that is used in the government (for example, cloud email service, cloud data storage, or cloud platforms) meets a high bar in security to protect sensitive federal information from cybersecurity threats. Simply meaning, it also facilitates a process for security reviews where agencies don't have to perform their own (often subjective or supplemental) security assessments of the same cloud product.

Key Aspects and Implications of FedRAMP

FedRAMP provides a structured framework to help ensure consistency and better security:

• NIST Baselines: FedRAMP leverages security controls promulgated by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), specifically NIST SP 800-53. NIST security controls are divided into 3 impact levels, "Low", "Moderate", or "High" depending on the sensitivity of data being processed.

• Joint Authorization Board (JAB): The JAB is composed of the CIOs of the Department of Defense (DoD), Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and the General Services Administration (GSA). The JAB issues provisional Authorizations to Operate (pATOs) for cloud services that can be shared among different agencies.

• Agency Authorization to Operate (ATO): Each federal agency can issue their own ATO for cloud services, typically utilizing a CSP's existing FedRAMP authorization (either a pATO or another agency's ATO). This "P-ATO to ATO" process, for example to utilize another agency's ATO, allows agencies to significantly cut the time and expense of adopting cloud services.

• Continuous Monitoring: FedRAMP is not a one-time certification. It requires CSPs to continuously monitor their security controls and report their security posture to FedRAMP to ensure continuing compliance and risk management. This could include regular vulnerability scanning, penetration testing, and incident reporting.

• Third-Party Assessment Organizations (3PAOs): FedRAMP 3PAOs are independent, accredited organizations who perform the initial security assessment of the CSP, to ensure objectivity and rigor in the audit.

Why FedRAMP Compliance is Important for Cloud Service Providers and Government Agencies

If a Cloud Service Provider wants to provide service in the U.S. federal market, FedRAMP is the most important step in. It provides government agencies with assurance to increase their adoption of cloud technology securely.

Here is why obtaining and maintaining FedRAMP authorization is essential:

• Required for Federal Contracts: In simple terms, a CSP cannot host a Federal government system without FedRAMP authorization, nor can they host federal government data or offer cloud services to federal agencies. It's a mandatory entry ticket to a huge market.

• Ensures High Security Standards: With FedRAMP built on top of strict NIST controls, FedRAMP allows authorized Cloud Service Providers to meet a very high bar for cybersecurity to protect sensitive government information from increasingly sophisticated threats.

• Builds Trust and Credibility: Obtaining FedRAMP authorization means a CSP has made a really serious commitment to security and compliance. This builds trust with their government clients and credibility with commercial customers who recognize the breadth of the process.

• Streamlines Cloud Adoption for Agencies: The FedRAMP "do once, use many times" model for security assessments prevents unnecessary duplication, speeding up procurement and the safe onboarding of secure cloud services across government.

• Drives Continuous Improvement: Continuous monitoring requirements drive CSPs to maintain and improve their security posture and to always be responsive to new threats, vulnerabilities, and recommended practices.

• Reduces Risk for Government Data: FedRAMP's consistent approach to security assessments and continuous monitoring enables federal agencies to more effectively manage the risks associated with using cloud services as it creates a well-defined and trusted environment for government-related activity.

• Supports National Security: In an era of increased cyber threats, FedRAMP is absolutely critical in securing the cloud infrastructure and services that underpin critical elements of government function and protects sensitive data.

ReShield’s identity security platform directly assists Cloud Service Providers to obtain and maintain FedRAMP authorization – which can be particularly challenging for the strict requirements within NIST SP 800-53 controls. ReShield's advanced Identity and Access Management (IAM), Privileged Access Management (PAM), Identity Governance and Administration (IGA), and Identity Security Posture Management (ISPM) capabilities are essential for achieving FedRAMP compliance to security baselines associated with access control, authentication, authorization, auditing, and configuration management. With its solutions for secure Least Privilege Access (LPA), managing access lifecycles for human and machine identities, enforcing Separation of Duties (SoD), providing detailed audit trails, and ongoing visibility of who has access to what federal data, ReShield enables Cloud Service Providers to comply with the requirements of FedRAMP authorization, and keep on their path to serve government agencies.