Frequently asked questions

Any cloud service (SaaS, PaaS, or IaaS) that will store, process, or transmit federal data for an executive-branch agency generally needs a FedRAMP authorization. If you're a vendor selling cloud software to the federal government, this almost certainly applies to you.

FedRAMP isn't a separate standard — it's a program built on top of NIST's work. NIST SP 800-53 provides the control catalog and SP 800-37 provides the Risk Management Framework. FedRAMP standardizes how those are applied specifically to cloud services, adds cloud-specific requirements, and creates the shared marketplace that lets agencies reuse each other's authorizations.

It varies widely — from several months to well over a year — depending on the service's complexity, how prepared the provider is, and how engaged the sponsoring agency is. Strong documentation, a mature security posture, and an active agency sponsor are the biggest accelerators.

There's no fixed government fee, but real costs include hiring an accredited 3PAO for the independent assessment, engineering work to implement and document controls, and ongoing continuous monitoring. Costs scale with impact level — a High baseline is substantially more effort than Low.

Yes — that's the point of "do once, use many times." Your completed security package is available in the FedRAMP Marketplace, and other agencies can review it and issue their own ATO without commissioning a brand-new assessment.

No. The Department of Defense adds its own requirements (Impact Levels 4, 5, and 6 under its Cloud Computing Security Requirements Guide) on top of FedRAMP. A FedRAMP authorization is often a prerequisite for DoD use, but it isn't sufficient on its own for higher DoD impact levels.

Continuous monitoring (ConMon) is the ongoing work to keep an authorization valid after it's granted: monthly vulnerability scans, keeping the POA&M up to date, reporting security incidents, and an annual assessment. It ensures the service stays secure over time, not just on the day it was authorized.