FedRAMP Compliance Guide

The Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP) is a vital cybersecurity framework for any cloud service provider that offers services to the US federal government. To protect data at all levels, FedRAMP standardizes security assessments and continuous monitoring for federal cloud solutions.

This guide will walk through core requirements, baseline levels, and the certification process for FedRAMP while comparing it to frameworks such as NIST 800-53 and ISO 27001.

What is FedRAMP?

FedRAMP was established in 2011 in order to establish a uniform approach toward security for cloud products and services utilized by federal agencies. It’s mandatory for any cloud service provider (CSP) that stores, processes, or transmits federal information.

At its core, FedRAMP is based upon NIST SP 800-53 so many of the elements are directly correlated with NIST's catalog of security controls. What differentiates FedRAMP from other frameworks is the visibility into governance, documentation, and continuous monitoring activities that are unique to federal data handling.

FedRAMP is administered by the FedRAMP Program Management Office (PMO) as part of the US General Services Administration (GSA) and is overseen by the Joint Authorization Board (JAB) which has representatives from the DoD, DHS, and GSA.

FedRAMP Baselines: Low, Moderate, and High

FedRAMP’s control baselines define the level of protection required based on the sensitivity and impact level of the federal data a CSP handles.

A Moderate baseline is usually adopted by the vast majority of CSPs, as it applies to roughly 80 percent of all federal cloud use cases. The High-risk systems will follow more stringent continuous monitoring and incident response expectations.

Certification process

Achieving FedRAMP Authorization is a detailed process designed to verify security rigor and operational maturity.

Preparation & readiness assessment: conduct an internal review or readiness assessment with a Third-Party Assessment Organization (3PAO) to identify control gaps.

System Security Plan (SSP): develop a detailed SSP that documents your system architecture, data flows, controls, and procedures for all applicable FedRAMP requirements.

Security assessment: work with a 3PAO to perform a full audit of implemented controls. This includes vulnerability scanning, penetration testing, and evidence collection.

Authorization process: choose your authorization path:

• Agency Authorization (ATO): Sponsored by a federal agency.
  

• JAB Authorization (P-ATO): Reviewed by the Joint Authorization Board.

‍Continuous monitoring: once authorized, CSPs must perform ongoing vulnerability management, monthly scans, and annual reassessments to maintain compliance.

The process can take anywhere from 6 to 18 months, depending on system complexity, control maturity, and available documentation.

FedRAMP vs NIST 800-53

While FedRAMP is based on NIST SP 800-53, it adds specific requirements for federal cloud environments.

In summary, FedRAMP implements NIST's library of controls in the context of governance and audit processes for the cloud, assuring trust and consistency across all federal agencies.

Common challenges

1. Documentation volume: a complete FedRAMP SSP can exceed 400 pages, with extensive evidence needed for every control.

2. Resource strain: smaller providers often struggle to maintain full-time compliance staff and continuous monitoring.

3. Control overlap: while FedRAMP maps to NIST 800-53, ISO 27001, and SOC 2, managing alignment across all can be complex without automation.

4. Continuous monitoring burden: monthly vulnerability scans and POA&M submissions can overwhelm manual teams.

5. Change management: any modification to infrastructure, code, or vendor relationships must be documented, reviewed, and re-approved.

Complyance helps automate this process by mapping controls, validating evidence, and monitoring compliance health in real time.

FedRAMP is more than just a checklist; it is a program focused on managing risk, trust, and accountability within the federal cloud space. Authorization can be a hard road, but by using automation and visibility CSPs can reduce the effort in the process with strong security controls. 

Complyance offers a cloud provider governance model to align with FedRAMP controls while automating your evidence collection and facilitating ongoing continuous monitoring. In other words, Complyance reduces the amount of work to be done manually, and speeds up the time to authorization.

FAQs

Who must comply with FedRAMP? Any CSP that hosts federal data or wants to sell cloud services to U.S. government agencies.

How long does it take to achieve FedRAMP authorization? Typically between 6 and 18 months, depending on scope and documentation readiness.

Does FedRAMP replace NIST 800-53 compliance? No. FedRAMP builds upon NIST 800-53 by tailoring controls for cloud environments and adding specific reporting expectations.

‍Is FedRAMP equivalent to ISO 27001? Not directly. ISO 27001 focuses on information security management; FedRAMP applies those principles in a U.S. federal context with stricter governance and continuous monitoring.