Get TX-RAMP Certified
Texas Risk and Authorization Management Program for cloud services used by Texas agencies.
TX-RAMP standardizes security assessment, certification, and continuous monitoring for cloud computing services that process Texas state agency data.
Neutral Partners helps you confirm scope, select the right level, build a defensible evidence package, and manage DIR submissions so certification does not slow procurement.
At a Glance
- Best for: Cloud service providers selling to Texas state agencies
- Certification levels: Level 1 for low impact and Level 2 for moderate or high impact
- Core work: Scope, baseline mapping, evidence library, assessment support, and DIR submissions
- Common failure point: Treating TX-RAMP as paperwork instead of an operating security program
Start with a quick scope check and level decision.
Schedule a Discovery SessionWhat Is TX-RAMP
TX-RAMP provides a standardized approach for security assessment, certification, and continuous monitoring of cloud computing services that process the data of a Texas state agency.
In practical terms, it is a buyer confidence mechanism. Agencies use it to avoid duplicating security reviews for every procurement. Providers use it to prove a consistent security posture across multiple agency customers.
Certification moves faster when scope and evidence are clear from day one.
TX-RAMP Levels and Validation Paths
Level 1 vs Level 2
TX-RAMP offers two certification levels based on data impact.
- Level 1: Intended for low impact information, aligned to a low baseline control set.
- Level 2: Intended for moderate or high impact information, aligned to a higher baseline control set.
Level selection is not a marketing decision. It must match the data types you process and the agency risk profile.
Reciprocity and fast paths
Some providers can reduce work by reusing existing assessments or authorizations when they align to Texas requirements. Reuse only works when evidence is current, traceable, and mapped to the TX-RAMP baseline.
Who Needs TX-RAMP
If your customer is a Texas state agency and your cloud service processes agency data, you should expect TX-RAMP to appear in procurement language.
- SaaS providers: Case management, HR, finance, analytics, and citizen services.
- Hosting and managed platforms: Environments that host agency applications or data.
- Shared service providers: Identity, logging, monitoring, endpoint management, and security tooling.
- Integrators: Teams building solutions that rely on a cloud service requiring certification.
What TX-RAMP Covers
TX-RAMP is built on security control baselines aligned to NIST SP 800-53 Rev. 5. Controls cover governance, technical safeguards, operational processes, and continuous monitoring.
Expect coverage in areas like:
- Governance: Policies, risk assessment, and accountability.
- Asset and configuration management: Inventory, baseline hardening, and change control.
- Access control: MFA, privileged access, and periodic reviews.
- Audit and accountability: Log generation, retention, review, and response.
- Vulnerability management: Scanning, patching, and exception handling.
- Incident response: Detection, escalation, and documented procedures.
- Contingency planning: Backups, recovery testing, and continuity processes.
- Third-party risk: Supplier inventory and inherited control documentation.
Evidence Reviewers Expect
TX-RAMP certification succeeds when you can show, with evidence, that controls exist and operate. Evidence must be current. If an artifact is six months old and the environment changed, reviewers will treat it as unreliable.
Typical evidence includes:
- Scope artifacts: Service description, boundary definition, inventories, data flow diagrams.
- Governance artifacts: Policies, procedures, standards, and defined roles.
- Operational artifacts: Access reviews, change tickets, patch reports, scan results, training records, incident tickets.
- Technical artifacts: Configuration exports, screenshots, encryption settings, logging dashboards.
- Continuous monitoring artifacts: Defined cadence and records showing you execute it.
Rule of thumb: If you cannot prove it with repeatable evidence, do not claim it.
TX-RAMP Roadmap
TX-RAMP work succeeds when you run it like a delivery program and build evidence as you go.
Confirm scope and select level
Determine whether the service is in scope, define the boundary and data flows, and select Level 1 or Level 2 based on data impact and customer requirements.
Run a gap assessment against the baseline
Map current controls to the applicable baseline, identify missing controls and weak evidence, and convert gaps into a remediation plan with owners and due dates.
Implement controls and operational routines
Harden configurations, implement MFA and privileged access management, strengthen logging and response routines, and operationalize vulnerability management and patching.
Build the evidence package
Organize artifacts by requirement, write concise control narratives that match the evidence, and validate traceability so reviewers can follow the story.
Support assessment and DIR submission
Manage evidence requests and question tracking, remediate findings and prove closure, and prepare submissions with clean version control.
Run continuous monitoring
Define cadence for scanning, patching, reviews, and reporting. Assign owners for recurring tasks and keep artifacts current.
Do Not Let TX-RAMP Stall Procurement
We will map your boundary, level, and evidence plan, then build a practical roadmap with your team.
Schedule a Discovery SessionCommon TX-RAMP Gaps
- Misclassified level: Choosing Level 1 when the data impact requires Level 2
- Unclear boundary: Inconsistent inventories, diagrams, and responsibility statements
- Weak evidence cadence: Controls exist, but recurring proof is missing or inconsistent
- Logging gaps: Logs are collected but reviews and response are not evidenced
- Incomplete patch discipline: Scans run, but remediation and exception handling are not provable
- Supplier blind spots: Third party services are used without documented inherited controls
How Neutral Partners Helps
We help you build a program reviewers can validate and agencies can trust.
What We Deliver
- Scope and boundary definition: Data flows, inventories, and a clear responsibility model
- Baseline mapping and remediation plan: Control mapping and prioritized build tasks
- Evidence mapping: Traceability from each requirement to the artifact that proves it
- Readiness testing: Internal audit style checks before submission
- Submission support: Request tracking, remediation validation, and package management
- Continuous monitoring operating model: Cadence, owners, and evidence routines
Proof matters. Since 2017, we have maintained a 100% audit success rate across more than 700 successful audits and assessments.
TX-RAMP FAQs
How do we know if our product is in scope?
Start with the definition of cloud computing services under Texas Government Code 2054.0593 and DIR guidance. If the service processes Texas agency data and fits the cloud service model, assume it is in scope until proven otherwise.
Can we leverage FedRAMP or GovRAMP work?
Sometimes. If you have a current authorization or assessment that maps cleanly to the TX-RAMP baseline, you may be able to reduce duplicated testing. You still need clear mapping and evidence alignment to Texas requirements.
What is the fastest way to shorten the certification timeline?
Tight scope and disciplined evidence. A clear boundary reduces control complexity. Evidence organized by requirement reduces reviewer questions and rework.
Do we need continuous monitoring after certification?
Yes. TX-RAMP expects ongoing monitoring activities. The easiest way to sustain compliance is to build monitoring routines into existing IT operations and collect evidence on a defined cadence.
Does SOC 2 satisfy TX-RAMP?
SOC 2 helps, but it is not a direct substitute. TX-RAMP is baseline driven and expects evidence mapped to its requirements. You can reuse policies and operational proof, but you still must show coverage and traceability.