Resources

The allure of GRC technology lies in the promise of accelerating processes and cutting costs. However, the path to implementation is full of hurdles that can negate these benefits. With insight into these challenges, companies can transform their GRC adoption into a strategic advantage. In today's landscape, where regulatory demands are in constant flux and IT risks are on the rise, a well-defined GRC strategy is essential for effective risk oversight. It's vital to harmonize methodologies, technologies, and processes with the company's core objectives.

Continuous monitoring (ConMon) is a cornerstone of FedRAMP compliance and plays a vital role in maintaining the security and integrity of cloud services used by federal agencies. Its critical nature stems from the role that ConMon plays in managing the dynamic threat landscape, and the need for real-time risk management, in order to deliver the compliance assurance and demonstrated capacity for incident detection and response required by FedRAMP.

After you secure your initial Authority to Operate (ATO), you must complete a FedRAMP annual assessment. This assessment is anchored by your continuous monitoring process. You'll continue working with a Third-Party Assessment Organization (3PAO) and providing reports on your Plan of Action and Milestones (POA&M).

The complexities of FedRAMP can stall organizations in their journey to expand access in federal markets. This can lead to significant delays and missed revenue opportunities.  One key element,  penetration testing, often presents challenges due to the depth of requirements in the FedRAMP process. 

Understanding the FedRAMP process and managing the timeline is vital to meeting business goals and planning for the resources required to secure Authority to Operate as a federal cloud provider. FedRAMP, launched in 2011, focuses on securing cloud services for the US Government. 

Though vulnerability scanning is only one FedRAMP control requirement, it has an outsized impact on the FedRAMP process. In the journey toward receiving authorization to operate (ATO), for many companies, it presents a major challenge. Cloud service providers (CSPs) have to demonstrate a well-developed vulnerability management program. The discovery of high-severity vulnerabilities can detail the ATO recommendation process. Making vulnerability scanning a priority during the pre-assessment phase is the critical path for a smoother ride through FedRAMP requirements.

The federal government's embrace of cloud computing has made FedRAMP compliance crucial for cloud service providers (CSPs) wanting to engage with government agencies. As of October 2023, 318 cloud services providers have made their way into the FedRAMP Marketplace, and more are in the process. However, the journey to FedRAMP authorization is challenging, going beyond checklist completion and automated tools support. It involves getting past the documentation hurdles and resource demands to steer through the FedRAMP authorization process.

Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP) compliance represents a significant milestone for cloud providers. Achieving Authority to Operate (ATO) opens the door to the large Federal market, but often leads to the discovery of extensive technical debt resulting in lost revenue and extended timelines.

FedRAMP authorization stands as a critical goal for cloud service providers that want business with the U.S. federal government It was initiated in 2011 to make secure cloud services easier for federal agencies to adopt. This program brings a uniform methodology for security assessment, authorization, and ongoing monitoring of cloud services.

FedRAMP is overseen by the General Services Administration, and is now the only path for federal agencies to leverage cloud services, making it the critical path for every cloud service provider(CSP) and cloud service organization (CSO). For a provider to gain FedRAMP approval, they must demonstrate rigorous security policies, systems, and monitoring. This process demands a well-conceived and well-resourced approach as it spans from 10 to 18 months, and impacts policy, infrastructure, and security management.