FedRAMP stands for Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program. It is:
- Designed to make sure that cloud services used by the government and other entities are secure, safe, and reliable
- Mandatory for all organizations that provide cloud services to government entities
- A uniform program that deals with security assessment, authorization, and observation for entities dealing with cloud services
- Designed to save time, funds, and effort that would otherwise be expended on organizing data and information
Businesses who provide cloud products and services must take measures to protect sensitive data, and FedRAMP provides certifications for businesses to prove that their cloud services are secure.
Why Do I Need FedRAMP?
If you are a cloud service provider, you might want to obtain a FedRAMP certification for various reasons.
- It is mandatory for working with government entities.
- It shows a commitment to security.
- It will elevate your business, making you stand out from the competition.
- It limits your own vulnerabilities, making your business less risky.
- It makes it easier to comply with other security regulations and standards.
You need FedRAMP if you intend to offer your services to government entities, but even if you aren’t, obtaining your certification can still be very beneficial to your business.
How Do I Get My FedRAMP Certification?
Obtaining your certification may be time-consuming and complex, but it is worth it. There are a couple of different ways you can get your services authorized:
- A Provisional Authority to Operate (P-ATO) through the Joint Authorization Board
- An Agency Authority to Operate (ATO)
If you are interested in obtaining your certification, there are certain steps you need to follow.
Ready
- Decide which authorization strategy to use (P-ATO or ATO)
- Find an appropriate 3rd Party Assessment Organization (3PAO) to work with
- Allow your 3PAO to assess your cloud services
- Your 3PAO will submit your assessment to the Program Management Office (PMO)
- The PMO will review your assessment
At this stage, if your assessment is favourable you become FedRAMP Ready. This means that you’re all set to pursue the authorization strategy of your choice and your certification moves one step closer to being complete.
In Process
Once you have obtained the FedRAMP Ready designation, you have one year to complete the next step of the process. To complete this second step you must:
- Have your FeadRAMP Ready designation
- Be prioritized by the JAB
- Finalize the cloud’s security plan
- Work with your 3PAO to assess security and provide a written report
- Upload all necessary security materials
- Meet with your 3PAO, the JAB, and the PMO
This final step will determine if your certification can go any further. If so, you will obtain the FedRAMP In Process designation and move on to the final step.
Authorization
After completing this final step, you will receive your certification. The requirements of this step vary depending on which authorization process you decided to use at the beginning of the process.
| P-ATO through JAB | ATO |
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The Importance of FedRAMP
Security and reliability are important to everyone involved in today’s digital world. We hope this article provides a good first step toward understanding FedRAMP and what it means for your business.
