FedRRAMP is important when talking about cloud security, especially if you work with federal agencies.
But what is it, and how is it relevant to document management platforms?
FedRRAMP compliance is what makes sure cloud-based tools meet the U.S. government’s security standards for protecting sensitive data. This is relevant to organizations that handle contracts, proposals, and regulated documents, so understanding the FedRAMP requirements is crucial.
In this article, we’ll cover the basics of FedRAMP, including the difference between compliance and certification. Plus, we’ll talk about how document management platforms like PandaDoc can support security best practices that align with government expectations.
Ready? Let’s get into it.
What is FedRAMP?
FedRAMP stands for the Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program. This program is used across the U.S. government, standardizing how cloud service providers (CSPs) assess, authorize, and continuously monitor security.
In simple terms, FedRAMP evaluates whether cloud services protect federal information in an adequate way. So, instead of each agency within the government creating its own security requirements, FedRAMP has a set of controls that are based on NIST standards that all authorized cloud products have to meet.
The goal of FedRAMP is to reduce risk, increase transparency, and improve security across all federal cloud services.
What is FedRAMP certification?
FedRAMP certification, or FedRAMP authorization, essentially means that U.S. federal agencies have assessed and approved a cloud service.
To become FedRAMP authorized, a cloud service needs to:
- Implement required security controls
- Undergo an independent security assessment
- Receive authorization from a federal agency or the FedRAMP Joint Authorization Board (JAB)
- Maintain continuous monitoring and regular reporting
Who needs FedRAMP certification?
Any cloud service provider that wants to sell their services to U.S. federal agencies, or that process federal data on their behalf, needs to have FedRAMP certification. So, that would mean SaaS, PaaS, and IaaS providers that host government workloads.
If you don’t sell your solutions directly to federal agencies, you might not need FedRAMP certification. But it’s common for them to work with vendors or platforms that follow similar security standards.
Benefits of FedRAMP certification
FedRAMP certification can offer you some advantages like:
- Better security approvals across agencies
- More trust with federal customers
- Clear, standardized security expectations
- Improved risk management and documentation
FedRAMP authorization indicates a strong commitment to security with its strict requirements, so that automatically builds a higher level of trust.
FedRAMP compliance vs. certification
These are two different things. FedRAMP certification/authorization is a formal approval that cloud service providers can get if they meet all the requirements of FedRAMP, and if they complete the full assessment and authorization process.
FedRAMP compliance is typically speaking to an alignment with FedRAMP security principles and controls, even if a product isn’t actually formally authorized via the process described above.
A lot of companies opt for FedRAMP-aligned practices so they have stronger security, more regulated customers, and so they can prepare for future authorization.
It’s also not true that every tool used by a federal contract has to be FedRAMP certified. Certification is mostly required for systems that host or process federal data. Other platforms can support compliance with strong security controls and integrations.
What are the FedRAMP requirements?
The FedRAMP requirements are based on the NIST SP 800-53 security and privacy controls framework. These controls cover a lot of safeguards, whether technical, operational, or administrative. Here are some examples:
- Access control and identity management
- Data encryption in transit and at rest
- Incident response and breach reporting
- Continuous monitoring and auditing
- Risk assessment and documentation
- Configuration management and change control
The whole intention of FedRAMP compliance is to have a strong, ongoing security posture over time.
FedRAMP levels
Based on the sensitivity of the data being handled, FedRAMP defines three different impact levels:
- Low impact: For systems where a security breach would have limited adverse effects.
- Moderate impact: For systems handling sensitive but unclassified data, such as most federal business systems.
- High impact: For systems where a breach could have severe or catastrophic consequences, including law enforcement or emergency services data.
Each of these levels have a different amount of required security controls, with the higher levels needing more rigorous protections.
Why FedRAMP matters for document management
A lot of highly sensitive information like contracts, proposals, legal agreements, and personally identifiable information are often stored and processed with document management platforms. That means security is essential for federal agencies and their partners.
FedRAMP provides a trusted baseline for protecting documents in the cloud. So, even if you don’t technically need FedRAMP certification, working with platforms that have strong security controls in place will help you reduce risk and support compliance with government and industry regulations.
Plus, having secure document workflows will help make sure there’s document integrity, access control, auditability, and accountability. These are all key expectations for federal environments.
How PandaDoc supports security and compliance
PandaDoc always has security and compliance top-of-mind by supporting companies that work in regulated industries or with government-adjacent customers.
Here are some key security and compliance capabilities you’ll find with our software:
- Encryption of data in transit and at rest
- Role-based access controls and user permissions
- Audit trails and document activity tracking
- Secure authentication and identity management
- Compliance with widely recognized frameworks such as SOC 2 Type II and GDPR
PandaDoc always puts security first so that you can build compliant document workflows and work with partners that have strict security requirements.
How to prepare for FedRAMP
If you’re planning to get FedRAMP certification, or if you simply want to be more compliant with their strict requirements, here are some best practices to help you:
- Centralize document storage in a secure platform
- Enforce access controls and least-privilege permissions
- Maintain clear audit trails and version history
- Document security policies and procedures
- Regularly review and update risk assessments
- Work with vendors that prioritize security and compliance
Taking these steps will make it easier to meet FedRAMP requirements in the future if needed. Plus, they are a good idea to follow for higher levels of security!
Building trust through security
FedRAMP compliance is important for protecting federal data and establishing trust in cloud-based services. That’s why it’s important to choose tools that support the necessary level of security when handling sensitive documents.
Is your team looking for a secure and compliant way to manage proposals, contracts, and approvals? PandaDoc can help you out with secure and transparent document workflows that will make your life a whole lot easier.
