Get FedRAMP Authorized Faster
FedRAMP authorization is the gate into U.S. federal cloud contracts. It is also a documentation and evidence problem as much as a security problem. You need a clear boundary, implemented controls, and an authorization package that reviewers can follow.
Neutral Partners helps you scope the right baseline, build the System Security Plan (SSP) and supporting artifacts, and support the Third Party Assessment Organization (3PAO) assessment and Program Management Office (PMO) review. We keep the work practical so your team can keep shipping while readiness moves forward.
At a Glance
- Best for: SaaS, PaaS, and IaaS providers selling cloud services to U.S. federal agencies
- Outcome: A defensible authorization package that supports an Authority to Operate (ATO) and a continuous monitoring program you can run
- What reviewers focus on: authorization boundary clarity, inherited controls, evidence quality, and repeatable monitoring
- What we do: plan the work, build the artifacts, test controls, close gaps, and guide you through review cycles
If you need a plan you can execute, start with a short working session.
Schedule a Discovery SessionWhat Is FedRAMP
The Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP) is the U.S. government program for standardized security assessment, authorization, and continuous monitoring for cloud products and services used by federal agencies. FedRAMP security requirements are based on NIST SP 800‑53 controls, with program specific parameters and documentation expectations.
Teams often underestimate the non‑technical part of the work. FedRAMP requires secure implementation, but it also requires a package that connects architecture, data flows, control implementations, and evidence in a way a reviewer can validate quickly.
FedRAMP Paths and Baselines
FedRAMP uses multiple authorization paths and baselines. Choosing the right path early prevents rework and wasted assessment cycles.
Authorization paths
- Agency ATO: You work with a sponsoring agency Authorizing Official (AO) and pursue authorization for that agency’s use.
- JAB path: Some cloud services pursue a Joint Authorization Board (JAB) Provisional ATO (P‑ATO). This path is selective and can involve more structured governance.
The best path depends on your target customers, timeline, and your ability to commit resources to documentation and continuous monitoring.
Baselines and impact levels
FedRAMP authorizations align to impact levels based on the data types and the mission impact if confidentiality, integrity, or availability is compromised.
- Low baseline: For low impact systems
- Moderate baseline: The most common baseline for federal cloud services
- High baseline: For high impact systems with more stringent requirements
- LI‑SaaS: A baseline intended for Low Impact software‑as‑a‑service use cases
Baseline selection drives scope, control depth, testing expectations, and the monitoring plan.
Who Needs FedRAMP
If you provide a cloud service that stores, processes, or transmits federal information, FedRAMP is often required to sell to federal agencies or to participate in programs that rely on FedRAMP security validation.
Common FedRAMP candidates include:
- SaaS providers: Applications used by federal employees, contractors, or the public
- PaaS providers: Platforms that host government workloads, APIs, or developer environments
- IaaS providers: Infrastructure services for compute, storage, networking, or virtual desktops
- System integrators: Teams delivering cloud‑hosted solutions that require an authorized environment
- Shared services providers: Identity, logging, monitoring, and security services that sit inside the authorization boundary
What FedRAMP Covers
FedRAMP is not a single document or a single audit step. It is a complete security program, validated through assessment evidence and maintained through continuous monitoring.
Typical control areas include:
- System boundaries and inventory: Define the authorization boundary, components, users, and data flows
- Identity and access management: Enforce multi‑factor authentication (MFA), least privilege, and access reviews
- Configuration management: Maintain hardened baselines, control changes, and prove drift detection
- Logging and monitoring: Centralize logs, tune alerts, and retain audit trails with provable review processes
- Vulnerability management: Scan, patch, track exceptions, and show remediation discipline
- Incident response: Document procedures, test them, and prove reporting readiness
- Contingency planning: Prove backup, recovery, and resilience capabilities
- Vendor and supply chain risk: Track third‑party dependencies, contracts, and inherited controls
Evidence Reviewers Expect
FedRAMP reviews move faster when evidence is organized, traceable, and written the way assessors and PMOs expect. That means artifacts that show control intent, execution, and results.
Common evidence categories include:
- Core package artifacts: SSP, policies, procedures, control implementation statements, architecture diagrams, network diagrams, data flow diagrams
- Assessment artifacts: Security Assessment Plan (SAP), Security Assessment Report (SAR), and a Plan of Action and Milestones (POA&M)
- Operational artifacts: access reviews, ticketing records, change approvals, vulnerability scan results, patch reports, incident tickets, training records
- Technical artifacts: configuration exports, screenshots, log samples, monitoring dashboards, encryption settings, key management evidence
- Third‑party artifacts: service agreements, shared responsibility statements, inherited control mappings, SOC reports or ISO certificates where applicable
A simple rule helps teams stay on track: for every control statement, attach the evidence that proves it today.
FedRAMP Roadmap
FedRAMP work succeeds when you run it like an engineering program with clear owners, fixed scope, and a weekly evidence cadence.
Define scope, baseline, and path
- Choose the authorization path: Agency ATO or JAB path
- Confirm baseline: Low, Moderate, High, or LI‑SaaS
- Define the boundary: systems, environments, accounts, and third‑party services in scope
- Map data flows: where federal data enters, moves, and leaves the system
Build the FedRAMP control implementation plan
- Map NIST SP 800‑53 to your environment: identify what you already do and what is missing
- Define inherited controls: identify what your cloud provider supplies versus what you must implement
- Create the remediation plan: owners, milestones, budget, and dependencies
Implement controls and build artifacts
This is the heavy lift. It is also where teams burn time if they do not work from a clear evidence plan.
- Implement required technical controls
- Update policies and procedures so they match how teams operate
- Create repeatable runbooks for operational controls
- Collect artifacts as you go, not at the end
Write the SSP and supporting package
The SSP is the blueprint. Reviewers use it to validate the boundary, the architecture, and how each control is implemented.
We build SSP content so it connects:
- architecture and data flows
- control implementations
- evidence references and locations
Run a readiness review and fix gaps
Before you enter a formal assessment, test your controls like an assessor would.
- sample evidence and verify traceability
- test key technical controls
- identify missing artifacts and weak narratives
- close gaps and update the SSP
Support the 3PAO assessment
During assessment, speed depends on responsiveness and evidence quality.
We support:
- evidence request management
- daily triage of questions and follow‑ups
- clarification of control narratives
- packaging fixes when evidence does not align
Navigate PMO review and authorization
PMO review is where many projects slow down. Reviewers will focus on consistency, completeness, and evidence support.
We help you:
- respond to PMO questions quickly
- update package artifacts with clean version control
- close POA&Ms and document remediation
- finalize continuous monitoring plans
Run continuous monitoring
Authorization is not the end. FedRAMP expects a continuous monitoring program that proves controls remain effective.
- scan and patch on schedule
- review logs and alerts on defined cadence
- manage changes with documented approvals
- report required metrics and artifacts on time
Want to know what your FedRAMP project will really take?
We will map your baseline, boundary, inherited controls, and evidence plan, then give you a buildable roadmap.
Schedule a Discovery SessionCommon FedRAMP Gaps
- Over‑scoped boundaries: too many systems in scope, unclear data flows, and undefined shared responsibility
- Incomplete asset inventory: missing components, unmanaged accounts, or undocumented interconnections
- Weak logging discipline: logs exist but do not prove review, alerting, and response
- Patch and vulnerability gaps: scanning without consistent remediation evidence and exception handling
- Policy and procedure mismatch: documents do not reflect how the team actually operates
- Inconsistent evidence: screenshots and exports that do not match SSP statements or are not repeatable
- Third‑party inheritance confusion: unclear mapping of what the cloud provider covers versus what you own
How Neutral Partners Helps
Neutral Partners is built for teams on real deadlines. We do not hand you a checklist and walk away. We plan the work, build the artifacts, and validate readiness like an assessor would.
What you get
- Boundary and scope definition: clear authorization boundary, data flows, and responsibility model
- Control implementation support: technical and operational control buildout mapped to FedRAMP expectations
- SSP and package writing: SSP drafting, narrative alignment, and artifact traceability
- Readiness testing: internal audit style testing to find issues before your assessor does
- Assessment support: evidence management and assessor coordination to reduce back‑and‑forth
- Continuous monitoring program: cadence, ownership, dashboards, and evidence collection routines
How we keep projects moving
- Evidence first: We structure artifacts the way assessors and PMOs expect, which reduces rework.
- Weekly cadence: We run a steady operating rhythm so gaps surface early.
- Clean version control: We keep packages consistent so reviewers do not chase conflicting copies.
Proof matters. Since 2017, we have maintained a 100% audit success rate across more than 700 successful audits and assessments. We pair that track record with practical implementation, not promises.
FedRAMP FAQs
How long does FedRAMP authorization take?
Timelines vary based on baseline, system complexity, and your current maturity. Most teams should plan in months, not weeks. The fastest path usually comes from tight scope, inherited control clarity, and evidence discipline from day one.
Do we need a 3PAO?
For a full FedRAMP authorization, you will work with a recognized 3PAO to perform the assessment. Readiness work before the assessment reduces findings and compresses the overall timeline.
What is the biggest driver of FedRAMP cost?
Scope. The authorization boundary drives the number of components, the volume of evidence, and the assessment testing effort. Reducing scope through clear architecture and shared responsibility is the most practical cost lever.
Can we reuse ISO 27001 or SOC 2 work?
Often, yes. Policies, risk processes, and some operational evidence can carry over. FedRAMP still requires FedRAMP specific documentation, control narratives, and evidence mapping, so reuse works best when it is organized and traceable.
What does “continuous monitoring” mean in practice?
It means you can prove, every month, that key controls remain effective. That includes scanning, patching, log review, change approvals, and incident readiness with evidence tied to a defined cadence.
Key Resources
- FedRAMP documentation and playbooks
- FedRAMP SSP guidance (Rev 5)
- NIST SP 800‑53 Rev. 5 control catalog
- NIST Risk Management Framework (SP 800‑37)
Useful Resources
- [Internal] FedRAMP readiness checklist
- [Internal] SSP writing guide and evidence map
- [Internal] Continuous monitoring runbook
Make FedRAMP a Growth Lever
FedRAMP is not only about meeting controls. It is about building a package reviewers can trust and a monitoring program you can sustain. We will help you get the authorization you need, then keep it current as your product evolves.
Start with a short working session. We will map your baseline, boundary, and the next three moves.