Glossary / Security
Federal Risk and Authorization Management ProgramFedRAMP
The Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP) standardizes the security assessment, authorization, and continuous monitoring of cloud services used by federal agencies. Cloud Service Providers (CSPs) pursue Authorization to Operate (ATO) at Low, Moderate, or High impact levels, usually through an agency that sponsors and authorizes them (the Joint Authorization Board and its provisional ATOs were replaced by a FedRAMP Board in 2024, and GSA has been piloting a faster process called FedRAMP 20x since 2025). FedRAMP controls are drawn from NIST SP 800-53, implemented through a System Security Plan (SSP), verified by a Third Party Assessment Organization (3PAO), and continuously monitored after authorization.
Why it matters to your pipeline
If your product is delivered as a SaaS and you want to sell into the federal market, FedRAMP is typically a hard requirement. Reaching FedRAMP Moderate takes a large investment of time and money. Once achieved, the authorization can be reused by other agencies, which helps with later sales. Firms that understand the FedRAMP Marketplace and the sponsoring-agency model can compete effectively against much larger CSPs.
When this term shows up in an opening GovSmith finds for you, your vCM explains what it means for that pursuit and does whatever it calls for. You decide; we do the work.
Example
A cybersecurity startup pursues FedRAMP Moderate with DoW as its sponsoring agency. After 18 months of controls implementation and 3PAO assessment, it receives an Agency ATO, which it then reuses to win contracts at Treasury and HHS without repeating the full authorization.
Find out what applies to you
Some terms will matter to your business right away and some won’t for years. A vCM can tell you which are which.