fedramp

FedRAMP Certification Skill

A comprehensive guide for helping users navigate FedRAMP authorization — from initial readiness through ATO and ongoing continuous monitoring.

Quick Reference: What Does the User Need?

Identify the user's goal and jump to the appropriate section:

User Goal	Go To
"Are we ready for FedRAMP?" / gap assessment	→ Readiness & Gap Assessment
Writing SSP, POA&M, SAR, SAP, or other docs	→ ATO Documentation
"Which controls apply to us?" / control mapping	→ NIST 800-53 Control Mapping
Cloud architecture / AWS/Azure/GCP config	→ Architecture Guidance
Already authorized, ongoing compliance	→ Continuous Monitoring

---

Current FedRAMP State (as of 2025–2026)

• Baseline: NIST SP 800-53 Rev 5 (approved May 2023, fully in effect)
• Control counts (Rev 5): Low = ~156, Moderate = 323, High = 410
• OSCAL mandate: RFC-0024 requires all CSPs to transition to machine-readable OSCAL packages by September 2026
• Security Inbox: As of January 5, 2026, all authorized CSPs must maintain a dedicated Security Inbox for urgent vulnerability directives (no CAPTCHAs or barriers)
• FedRAMP 20x: A modernization initiative in progress; introduces continuous authorization and modular/API-driven submissions. Traditional SSP/SAP/SAR templates remain required for non-20x paths.
• Key templates updated: SSP, SAR, SAP, POA&M, CIS/CRM, IIW, ISCP — all updated to align with Rev 5 (Dec 2024 releases)

---

1. Readiness & Gap Assessment

Approach

1. Clarify scope — Ask the user: What is the CSO (Cloud Service Offering)? IaaS/PaaS/SaaS? Target impact level?
2. Identify authorization path — Agency Authorization (sponsor needed) vs. JAB (Joint Authorization Board, now limited) vs. FedRAMP 20x pilot
3. Run through the readiness checklist — See references/readiness-checklist.md
4. Surface gaps — Map current state to required controls; flag missing documentation, unimplemented controls, and architectural deficiencies
5. Prioritize — Group gaps by: (a) blockers for readiness review, (b) items addressable before 3PAO assessment, (c) POA&M candidates

Key Readiness Questions to Ask the User

• What cloud platform (AWS GovCloud, Azure Government, GCP, on-prem hybrid)?
• Are you leveraging any existing FedRAMP-authorized IaaS/PaaS (e.g., AWS GovCloud FedRAMP High)?
• Do you have FIPS 140-2/3 validated encryption in place?
• Is your authorization boundary defined and documented?
• Do you have a vulnerability scanning program (OS, DB, web app, container)?
• Are security policies and procedures documented?
• Do you have an Incident Response Plan (IRP) and Contingency Plan (CP) that have been tested?

Output Format

• Produce a gap table: Control Family | Current State | Gap | Priority | Owner
• Summarize top 5–10 high-priority gaps as prose
• Recommend whether to pursue Readiness Assessment Report (RAR) first

---

2. ATO Documentation

The core FedRAMP authorization package consists of:

Authorization Package
├── System Security Plan (SSP) + Appendices A–Q
├── Security Assessment Plan (SAP) + Appendices A–D  [3PAO-prepared]
├── Security Assessment Report (SAR) + Appendices A–F  [3PAO-prepared]
└── Plan of Action & Milestones (POA&M)  [SSP Appendix O]

Important: CSPs must use official FedRAMP PMO templates. Reviewers are trained on standardized formats; non-standard submissions risk rejection or delays. Templates: https://www.fedramp.gov/rev5/documents-templates/

Document Guidance

For detailed guidance on each document type, read the appropriate reference file:

• SSP → references/ssp-guide.md
• POA&M → references/poam-guide.md
• SAP / SAR → references/sap-sar-guide.md
• Supporting appendices → references/appendices-guide.md

General Writing Principles for All ATO Docs

1. Describe only what is implemented — Do not document planned or aspirational controls; these trigger findings and must go in POA&M instead
2. Be specific — Reference exact tools, filenames, section numbers, policy names; vague language causes findings
3. Mind the verbs — Each control requirement uses specific verbs (track, document, enforce, test). Address each verb explicitly
4. Shared responsibility — For any customer-configurable or shared control, create a clear "Customer Responsibility" section
5. Keep it consistent — Architecture diagrams, data flows, inventory, and control statements must all be internally consistent

---

3. NIST 800-53 Control Mapping

Control Families (Rev 5)

ID	Family	Notes
AC	Access Control	IAM, RBAC, least privilege, remote access
AT	Awareness & Training	Security + privacy training (new in Rev 5)
AU	Audit & Accountability	Log retention, SIEM, audit review
CA	Assessment, Authorization & Monitoring	ConMon, 3PAO, ATO
CM	Configuration Management	Baselines, change control, CMDB
CP	Contingency Planning	BCP/DR, tested annually
IA	Identification & Authentication	MFA, PIV, FIPS 140-2/3 crypto
IR	Incident Response	IRP, tested annually, reporting SLAs
MA	Maintenance	Remote maintenance controls
MP	Media Protection	Data at rest, media sanitization
PE	Physical & Environmental	Datacenters; often inherited from IaaS
PL	Planning	SSP, rules of behavior
PM	Program Management	Enterprise-level security program
PS	Personnel Security	Screening, termination procedures
PT	PII Processing & Transparency	New family in Rev 5 — privacy controls
RA	Risk Assessment	Vulnerability scanning, MITRE ATT&CK scoring
SA	System & Services Acquisition	SDLC, supply chain
SC	System & Communications Protection	Encryption in transit, network segmentation
SI	System & Information Integrity	Patching, malware, integrity monitoring
SR	Supply Chain Risk Management	New family in Rev 5 — SCRM

Impact Level Mapping

When the user describes their system, recommend the impact level:

• LI-SaaS (Low-Impact SaaS): No PII, no sensitive federal data, limited scope — uses a simplified template combining SSP + assessment
• Low: Federal information where loss of CIA has limited adverse effect
• Moderate: Most common — federal information where loss has serious adverse effect; covers the majority of CSPs handling non-classified government data
• High: Federal information where loss has severe or catastrophic effect (e.g., law enforcement, financial, health data)

Mapping Workflow

1. Ask: What types of federal data will the system process/store/transmit?
2. Run FIPS 199 categorization (Confidentiality / Integrity / Availability × Impact)
3. Select baseline (Low/Moderate/High) based on high-water mark
4. Cross-reference with FedRAMP parameter requirements (FedRAMP often sets stricter parameters than base NIST)
5. For inherited controls, identify which are fully/partially inherited from leveraged FedRAMP IaaS/PaaS and document in CIS/CRM workbook

Rev 4 → Rev 5 Key Changes to Highlight

• New control families: PT (Privacy), SR (Supply Chain)
• Password controls revised: No more forced rotation schedules; now requires compromised-password lists and password strength meters (NIST 800-63b alignment)
• Privacy integrated: AT-3 now mandates privacy training; many families have privacy-specific enhancements
• Threat-based methodology: MITRE ATT&CK framework now informs control prioritization
• Moved/merged controls: Some Rev 4 controls were merged — don't assume 1:1 mapping

---

4. Architecture Guidance

Authorization Boundary

The boundary defines what is IN scope for FedRAMP. This is one of the most common sources of findings and delays.

Key principles:

• Everything that processes, stores, or transmits federal data must be inside the boundary
• External services connected to in-scope systems must be FedRAMP-authorized OR documented with compensating controls
• Boundary must be depicted in a clear network/data flow diagram (required in SSP)

Cloud Platform Considerations

AWS GovCloud (US)

• AWS GovCloud is FedRAMP High authorized — most PE and some SC controls are fully inherited
• Use AWS Config, CloudTrail, GuardDuty, Security Hub to satisfy AU, RA, SI controls
• Ensure use of GovCloud region endpoints (not standard commercial) to stay in boundary
• FIPS endpoints available for IA controls

Azure Government

• Azure Government is FedRAMP High authorized
• Azure Policy + Defender for Cloud maps well to CM, RA, SI
• Use Azure Blueprints / Policy Initiatives aligned to FedRAMP Moderate/High

Google Cloud (FedRAMP-authorized regions)

• Assured Workloads for FedRAMP compliance
• Chronicle SIEM for AU controls

Architecture Patterns That Support FedRAMP

• Zero Trust — aligns directly with AC, IA, SC control families
• Immutable infrastructure — simplifies CM (configuration drift is a common finding)
• Centralized logging — SIEM/log aggregation addresses AU family comprehensively
• Automated vulnerability scanning — Required; must cover OS, DB, web app, and containers (if used)
• Container security — FedRAMP has specific container scanning guidance; image signing and runtime protection are expected

Common Architecture Findings

• Undocumented external connections leaving the boundary
• FIPS-non-compliant encryption algorithms in transit or at rest
• Overly broad IAM roles / lack of least privilege
• Missing MFA on privileged accounts
• Vulnerability scans not covering all boundary components
• Logging gaps (not all components sending logs to centralized SIEM)

---

5. Continuous Monitoring

Once authorized, CSPs must maintain compliance through ConMon activities:

Monthly Requirements

• Vulnerability scan results submitted to agency AOs
• POA&M updates (open findings, remediation progress)
• Inventory updates (new/removed assets)
• ConMon Monthly Executive Summary (template updated Nov 2024)

Annual Requirements

• Full security assessment by 3PAO using Annual Assessment Controls Selection Worksheet
• Updated SSP and appendices
• Tested IRP and CP
• SAR and updated POA&M

POA&M Management

• All open findings must have: risk level, owner, milestone dates, remediation plan
• Vendor Dependencies (VDs): when a finding depends on a third-party fix — document and track
• Deviation Requests (DRs): false positives and risk adjustments require AO approval
• SLA for remediation: Critical = 30 days, High = 90 days, Moderate = 180 days, Low = 365 days (FedRAMP standard)

---

Output Formatting Guide

Match output format to request type:

Request Type	Preferred Format
Gap assessment	Table + prose summary
SSP control narrative	Prose paragraphs (one per control/enhancement)
POA&M entry	Structured table row with all required fields
Architecture review	Bullet findings + recommended remediations
Control mapping question	Table: Control ID | Requirement | How to Implement
Readiness overview	Executive summary prose + priority action list

When generating document content, always note: "Use official FedRAMP templates from fedramp.gov — this content should be inserted into the appropriate template section."

---

Reference Files

Load these when more depth is needed:

• references/readiness-checklist.md — Full readiness checklist (75+ items)
• references/ssp-guide.md — SSP section-by-section writing guide
• references/poam-guide.md — POA&M structure, field definitions, SLA table
• references/sap-sar-guide.md — SAP/SAR overview and review tips for CSPs
• references/appendices-guide.md — Guide to all SSP appendices (A–Q)
• references/control-families.md — Deep-dive on each of the 20 control families