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FedRAMP Simplified: 6 Essential Steps to Fast-Track Your ATO Success

October 29, 2024

If you’ve been tasked with leading a FedRAMP authorization and aren’t familiar with the process, it can feel daunting. But don’t worry—you’re in the right place! Below, we’ll walk you through six essential steps, designed to guide you from planning to success with a clear roadmap for achieving FedRAMP authorization.

First thing first let’s cover the basics, FedRAMP, or the Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program, provides a standardized approach to security assessment, authorization, and continuous monitoring for cloud products and services used by U.S. federal agencies. Designed to secure government data in the cloud, FedRAMP authorization is essential if you’re aiming to offer cloud services to federal clients.

1. Gather Key Information and Confirm Your Sponsorship

Start by understanding the foundational elements. Begin with these essential questions:

  • Do you have a sponsoring federal agency? Or is this an internal goal for expanding into the federal market?
    • If you have a sponsoring agency, you’ll be on a tighter timeline, as this agency likely needs your services soon.
    • If you don’t yet have a sponsor, your company may be pursuing FedRAMP to enhance marketability to government agencies. This gives you more flexibility in your timeline and planning.

Identify your sponsor’s FedRAMP Point of Contact (POC) as soon as possible. Establishing this relationship will help you understand what documents or risk assessments they’ll need to initiate the FedRAMP process and get you listed on the FedRAMP Marketplace as “In Process.” Early visibility is key to attracting interest from additional agencies.

2.  Set Your Budget

Your budget will be your guide for the resources and timelines you can commit to.

Consider these points when setting your budget:

  • Do you have the resources for an internal team, or will you need outside experts? Knowing your financial and human resources up front will shape your strategy.
  • A budget is difficult to determine precisely without a gap analysis, but expect costs associated with compliance assessments, potential system redesigns, new tools, and additional security controls.

Often, companies discover they need to invest in encryption upgrades or tools for logging and monitoring. This can lead to a high initial cost but is essential to meeting FedRAMP’s stringent requirements. If budget constraints are a concern, ensure you complete a preliminary assessment to prioritize necessary actions.

3. Build a Skilled Team

Assembling the right team is essential for FedRAMP success. With your budget and goals in mind, it’s time to determine the expertise needed.

Ask yourself:

  • Does your in-house team have experience with FedRAMP or similar compliance frameworks?
  • Are there gaps in expertise that might slow down progress or lead to missed requirements?

If your team has limited FedRAMP experience, bringing in third-party experts can save valuable time and help you avoid common pitfalls. FedRAMP is highly technical and resource-intensive, often requiring specialized knowledge to interpret and implement its requirements. Companies that bring in seasoned FedRAMP advisors can often cut down the authorization time from years to months.

4. Determine Your System Impact Level

Impact level is a fundamental part of FedRAMP, as it defines the security controls you’ll need to implement.

Here’s how to assess it:

  • Use NIST SP 800-60 to map the types of information your system handles against confidentiality, integrity, and availability (CIA) levels.
  • Each type of information has a unique CIA value, and FedRAMP uses the “high watermark” method to determine the overall impact level.

For example, if any of the information types your system handles require high confidentiality, your entire system might be classified as high-impact. This classification will dictate whether you need to follow FedRAMP’s low, moderate, or high baseline security controls, with higher levels requiring stricter controls and additional documentation.

5. Define Your Authorization Boundary

Authorization boundary is one of the trickiest parts of FedRAMP—and it’s essential to get it right.

The authorization boundary outlines what parts of your system fall under FedRAMP’s security controls. Here’s how to approach it:

  • Focus on data flow. Determine where customer data and metadata travel through your system.
  • Include all components that process, store, or transmit customer data. Consider shared responsibilities between your system and any external providers, like corporate services or third-party tools.

Defining your boundary helps avoid assessment delays and ensures you don’t end up with unexpected requirements mid-process. Work closely with FedRAMP experts if necessary, as a well-defined boundary streamlines the assessment and helps clarify which parts of your environment need FedRAMP compliance.

6. Conduct a Gap Analysis

A gap analysis is your opportunity to understand how close—or far—your current setup is from FedRAMP’s requirements.

Follow these steps:

  • Review your authorization boundary and assess how well each component aligns with FedRAMP’s baseline security controls.
  • Identify gaps and determine the actions necessary to bring each control into compliance.

This is the point where consulting with a FedRAMP advisor can be invaluable. Not only can they help identify gaps more efficiently, but they can also recommend steps to prioritize and address issues within your budget and timeline. Note that at this stage, you don’t necessarily need a 3PAO (third-party assessment organization); rather, a FedRAMP consultant can offer guidance without the full cost of a formal audit.

Ready to Take the Next Step?

With these six steps, you can break down the FedRAMP process into manageable actions and build a clear roadmap toward authorization. Whether your goal is to enter the federal market or meet the immediate needs of a sponsoring agency, a methodical approach with the right expertise can streamline your journey. By gathering information, setting a budget, assembling a team, determining your impact level, defining your boundary, and conducting a gap analysis, you’re well on your way to FedRAMP success.

 

How KyberStorm can help?

With a team of experienced FedRAMP professionals, we bring specialized expertise to guide you through each stage—whether you’re defining your system boundary, conducting a gap analysis, or aligning your team with FedRAMP requirements. Here’s how we can help:

  • Gap Analysis and Assessment: Our team will help assess your current security posture, identify gaps, and deliver actionable recommendations to align with FedRAMP requirements, ensuring you’re not only compliant but also secure.
  • Authorization Boundary Assistance: Defining a clear authorization boundary can be challenging. KyberStorm’s experts will help you establish this boundary while balancing operational needs and regulatory requirements.
  • Customized Compliance Strategies: From selecting the appropriate impact level to building security controls, we work with you to create a tailored compliance roadmap that supports both FedRAMP objectives and your business goals.
  • Documentation and Ongoing Compliance Support: We assist with the creation and review of essential FedRAMP documentation, providing continuous support to keep your authorization status in good standing post-approval.

Whether you’re in the early planning stages or looking to optimize your FedRAMP strategy, KyberStorm is ready to support you on your journey to authorization.

 

Need help with FedRAMP? Reach out to our team today to start building a path to secure and successful authorization!