Frameworks
What is FedRAMP?
In short
FedRAMP (the Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program) is a US government program that standardizes how cloud services are security-assessed and authorized for use by federal agencies, using a control baseline drawn from NIST SP 800-53.
Definition
FedRAMP is a US federal program that provides a standardized approach to security assessment, authorization, and continuous monitoring for cloud products and services used by government agencies.
Background
Federal agencies buy a lot of cloud software, and FedRAMP exists so each agency does not have to assess the same cloud service from scratch. A cloud service provider is assessed against a control baseline derived from NIST SP 800-53 by an accredited third-party assessor, and receives an authorization at an impact level (commonly Low, Moderate, or High) reflecting the sensitivity of the data involved. An authorization can be sponsored by a federal agency, and once granted, other agencies can reuse the package. The program was put on a statutory footing by the FedRAMP Authorization Act.
Why it matters
FedRAMP is effectively the entry ticket to sell cloud software to US federal agencies. It is rigorous and resource-intensive, so it matters most to vendors targeting the public sector. For SMBs not selling to government, FedRAMP is usually out of scope, but its NIST 800-53 lineage overlaps heavily with commercial frameworks.
Step by step
- Determine the impact level (Low, Moderate, or High) your service needs based on the data it handles.
- Implement the corresponding NIST SP 800-53 control baseline.
- Engage an accredited third-party assessment organization (3PAO) for the security assessment.
- Obtain an authorization, typically with a federal agency sponsor.
- Maintain continuous monitoring to keep the authorization current.
Examples
- A SaaS vendor pursuing federal customers gets a FedRAMP Moderate authorization sponsored by an agency, then other agencies reuse that package.
- A vendor with only commercial customers holds SOC 2 and ISO 27001 instead, because FedRAMP is not required outside government.
Common mistakes
- Assuming FedRAMP is needed for commercial (non-government) sales; it generally is not.
- Underestimating the time and cost of a 3PAO assessment and continuous monitoring.
- Confusing FedRAMP with a commercial certification; it is a government authorization, not the same as SOC 2 or ISO 27001.
FAQ
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What are the FedRAMP impact levels?
- FedRAMP uses impact levels aligned to the sensitivity of the data a cloud service handles, most commonly Low, Moderate, and High, each mapping to a NIST SP 800-53 control baseline of increasing rigor.
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Do most SMBs need FedRAMP?
- No. FedRAMP applies to cloud services sold to US federal agencies. If you are not selling to the federal government, commercial frameworks like SOC 2 or ISO 27001 are the usual path.
Next step
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