Services

FedRAMP

FedRAMP is the standardized process U.S. federal agencies require before they can use a cloud service: a defined set of security controls (based on NIST SP 800-53, tailored for cloud), independent assessment by an accredited third-party assessment organization, and ongoing continuous monitoring once you're authorized. Without it, a cloud offering generally can't be sold to federal agencies, which is why it ends up on the roadmap for a lot of cloud providers chasing government business.

The honest thing to say up front: FedRAMP authorization is a significant undertaking, not a quick certification. It typically takes many months to over a year depending on your impact level (Low, Moderate, or High) and whether you're pursuing an agency-sponsored authorization or the FedRAMP Joint Authorization Board path, and it requires real engineering investment, not just documentation.

Where this actually goes wrong

The most common failure mode is underestimating the gap between "we have good security" and "we have security controls precisely mapped and evidenced against the specific NIST 800-53 control catalog FedRAMP requires." Those are different exercises, and organizations that start the documentation process before actually closing control gaps tend to stall out expensively partway through.

How I'd work with you

I'd start with an honest readiness assessment against your target impact level — what controls genuinely exist today versus what's assumed to exist — before you commit to a sponsor or an assessor. From there it's a prioritized plan to close real gaps, build the System Security Plan and supporting documentation around your actual architecture, and prepare for the assessment in a way that doesn't fall apart under an assessor's questions.

If FedRAMP is on your roadmap and you want a realistic picture of what it actually takes from where you stand today, get in touch.