FedRAMP Certification¶

Providers MUST follow and persistently address the FedRAMP Certification Data Sharing (CDS) rules, based on the applicability and effective date(s) in those rules.

Related SP 800-53 Controls: AC-3, AC-4, AU-2, AU-3, AU-6, CA-2, IR-4, RA-5, SC-8

Reference: FedRAMP Certification Data Sharing

Terms: Certification Data, Persistently

Providers MUST follow and persistently address the Collaborative Continuous Monitoring (CCM) rules, based on the applicability and effective date(s) in those rules.

Reference: Collaborative Continuous Monitoring

Terms: Persistently

Providers MUST follow and persistently address the FedRAMP Security Inbox (FSI) rules, based on the applicability and effective date(s) in those rules.

Reference: FedRAMP Security Inbox

Terms: FedRAMP Security Inbox, Persistently

Providers MUST follow and persistently address the FedRAMP Incident Communications Procedures (ICP) rules, based on the applicability and effective date(s) in those rules.

Reference: Incident Communications Procedures

Terms: Incident, Persistently

Providers MUST follow and persistently address the FedRAMP Minimum Assessment Scope (MAS) rules, based on the applicability and effective date(s) in those rules.

Related SP 800-53 Controls: AC-1, AC-21, AT-1, AU-1, CA-1, CM-1, CP-1, CP-2.1, CP-2.8, CP-4.1, IA-1, IR-1, MA-1, MP-1, PE-1, PL-1, PL-2, PL-4, PL-4.1, PS-1, RA-1, RA-9, SA-1, SC-1, SI-1, SR-1, SR-2, SR-3, SR-11

Reference: Minimum Assessment Scope

Terms: Persistently

Providers MUST follow and persistently address the FedRAMP Secure Configuration Guide (SCG) rules, based on the applicability and effective date(s) in those rules.

Reference: Secure Configuration Guide

Terms: Persistently

Providers MUST follow and persistently address the FedRAMP Significant Change Notifications (SCN) rules, based on the applicability and effective date(s) in those rules.

Related SP 800-53 Controls: CA-7.4, CM-3.4, CM-4, CM-7.1, AU-5, CA-5, CA-7, RA-5, RA-5.2, SA-22, SI-2, SI-2.2, SI-3, SI-5, SI-7.7, SI-10, SI-11

Reference: Significant Change Notifications

Terms: Persistently, Significant Change

Providers MUST follow and persistently address the FedRAMP Using Cryptographic Modules (UCM) rules, based on the applicability and effective date(s) in those rules.

Reference: Using Cryptographic Modules

Terms: Persistently

Providers MUST follow and persistently address the FedRAMP Vulnerability Detection and Response (VDR) rules, based on the applicability and effective date(s) in those rules.

Related SP 800-53 Controls: CA-2, CA-7, CA-7.6, IR-1, IR-4, IR-4.1, IR-5, IR-5.1, IR-6, IR-6.1, IR-6.2, PM-3, PM-5, PM-31, RA-2, RA-2.1, RA-3, RA-3.3, RA-5, RA-5.2, RA-5.3, RA-5.4, RA-5.5, RA-5.6, RA-5.7, RA-5.11, RA-9, RA-10, SI-2, SI-2.1, SI-2.2, SI-2.4, SI-2.5, SI-3, SI-3.1, SI-3.2, SI-4, SI-4.2, SI-4.3, SI-4.7, CA-7.4, RA-7

Reference: Vulnerability Detection and Response

Terms: Persistently, Vulnerability, Vulnerability Detection, Vulnerability Response

Providers MUST NOT seek both FedRAMP Rev5 Program Certification and FedRAMP 20x Program Certification for the same cloud service offering; pick one type.

Note: This rule does not prevent a provider from seeking and maintaining a FedRAMP Rev5 Agency Certification and a FedRAMP 20x Program Certification for the same cloud service offering, however, doing so is strongly discouraged due to the increased complexity and risk of confusion for all parties.

Terms: Cloud Service Offering

Providers MUST persistently verify and validate that their information resources are operating as intended; this process is called Persistent Verification and Validation (PVV) and is part of vulnerability detection.

Terms: Information Resource, Persistently, Validation, Verification, Vulnerability, Vulnerability Detection

Providers MUST treat problems detected during persistent verification and validation as vulnerabilities, including failures of the verification and validation process it; FedRAMP Vulnerability Detection and Response rules MUST be followed for such findings.

Terms: Persistently, Validation, Verification, Vulnerability, Vulnerability Detection, Vulnerability Response

Providers MUST verify and validate the status of non-machine-based information resources at least once every 3 months.

Terms: Information Resource, Machine-Based (Information Resources), Validation, Verification

Notes:

• The first such completed assessment is typically called an "initial assessment" while following assessments are called "annual assessments."
• The specific requirements for independent verification and validation assessments are documented by the FedRAMP Certification Class and Type.
• The option for assessment by FedRAMP directly is limited to cloud services that are explicitly prioritized by FedRAMP, in consultation with the FedRAMP Board and the federal Chief Information Officers Council.
• FedRAMP Recognized independent assessors are listed on the FedRAMP Marketplace.

Terms: Certification Data, Persistently, Validation, Verification

Providers SHOULD supply all necessary accessors with technical explanations, demonstrations, and other relevant supporting information about the technical capabilities they employ to address FedRAMP rules; this SHOULD be supplied as necessary to ensure the assessor can effectively complete verification and validation.

Terms: Validation, Verification

Providers MAY ask for and accept advice from their assessor during assessment regarding techniques and procedures that will improve their security posture or the effectiveness, clarity, and accuracy of their verification, validation and reporting procedures, UNLESS doing so is likely to compromise the objectivity and integrity of the assessment.

Terms: Likely, Validation, Verification

Providers seeking a FedRAMP Class A Certification MUST have completed a certification or equivalent process, including an independent assessment, from one of the following alternative security frameworks:

1. FedRAMP Ready
2. SOC 2 Type II
3. GovRAMP

Providers seeking a FedRAMP Class A Certification MUST supply the full materials from the alternative security assessment to all necessary parties as part of the FedRAMP Certification Package.

Terms: All Necessary Parties, Certification Package

Providers seeking a FedRAMP Certification Class A by leveraging an alternative security framework MUST address the following FedRAMP rules and supply the appropriate artifacts or information mapping in the FedRAMP Certification Package:

1. FRC-CSO-POP
2. MAS-CSO-IIR
3. CDS-CSO-PUB
4. CDS-CSO-UTC
5. CDS-UTC-PGD
6. CDS-UTC-AAD
7. FSI-CSO-INB
8. FSI-CSO-RCV
9. FSI-CSO-CRA
10. ICP-CSO-PAR
11. ICP-CSO-EFR
12. ICP-CSO-AAP
13. VDR-CSO-DET
14. CCM-OCR-AVL
15. CCM-OCR-NRD

Note: If the alternative security framework has existing rules that align with these FedRAMP rules then a mapping to the alternative security framework content may be supplied instead of generating new artifacts.

Terms: Artifacts, Certification Package, FedRAMP Security Inbox, Initial Incident Report (IIR), Ongoing Certification Report (OCR)

Providers seeking a FedRAMP Class A Certification MAY have the FedRAMP Certification Package independently verified and validated by a FedRAMP Recognized assessor before submission to FedRAMP.

Terms: Certification Package, FedRAMP Recognized Assessor, Validation, Verification

Providers seeking a FedRAMP Rev5 Class A Certification by leveraging an alternative security framework that is based on the SP 800-53 Revision 5 MUST supply all Security Decision Record materials required for FedRAMP Rev5 Class B Certification.

Notes:

• The only approved alternative security frameworks based on the SP 800-53 Revision 5 are FedRAMP Ready and GovRAMP.
• An independent assessment is not required for FedRAMP Rev5 Class A Certification.

Providers MUST be listed in the FedRAMP Marketplace before applying for FedRAMP Certification.

Note: See FedRAMP's Marketplace Listing rules for information about being listed in the Marketplace in the Preparation Phase prior to receiving a formal FedRAMP Certification.

Providers MUST complete the FedRAMP Certification Application Form at https://fedramp.gov/forms/provider-listing-request/ in full to request an initial assessment by FedRAMP.

Reference: FedRAMP Certification Application Form

Providers MUST supply a fresh initial FedRAMP Certification Package that shows the current status of the cloud service offering as verified and validated by the provider within the previous 7 days.

Terms: Certification Package, Cloud Service Offering, Validation, Verification

Providers MUST supply a fresh initial independent verification and validation assessment that was completed by a FedRAMP Recognized Independent Assessment Service within the previous 3 months.

Terms: Validation, Verification

Providers seeking a FedRAMP Rev5 Agency Certification MUST have completed the Authorization to Operate (ATO) process with their agency sponsor for the cloud service offering, concluding with a formal signed ATO letter that the agency has sent over official government channels to FedRAMP.

Terms: Cloud Service Offering

Providers seeking a FedRAMP Rev5 Class D Certification MUST use the FedRAMP Agency Certification path.

Note: FedRAMP will not perform FedRAMP Rev5 Class D Program Certifications.

Terms: Information Resource, Machine-Based (Information Resources), Validation, Verification

Providers with FedRAMP Rev5 Ready status MUST convert to a FedRAMP Certification before the furthest date of the expiration of their most recently yearly assessment or November 17, 2026; the legacy FedRAMP Ready status will be entirely removed on December 31, 2027.

Note: Cloud services that do not wish to convert or do not meet conversion criteria will be renamed Legacy FedRAMP Ready and otherwise retired from FedRAMP Ready.