Introduction
The General Services Administration (GSA), Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP), and the commercial software industry are witnessing significant developments. These initiatives aim to streamline the security assessment and authorization process, making them more efficient and effective for multiple stakeholders. If you are not familiar with these, let’s delve deeper into these changes for you.
The 18-Month Mandate is Here
In December 2022, the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) codified FedRAMP and established it as a crucial framework for security assessments of cloud services for the federal government. In October 2023, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) drafted a pivotal memo which is expected to be finalized soon. The memo mandates that FedRAMP receive authorization artifacts from cloud service providers (CSPs) and third-party assessment organizations (3PAOs) exclusively through machine-readable formats.
This directive comes with a specific deadline: All authorization artifacts must be migrated to Open Security Controls Assessment Language (OSCAL) within 18 months of the memo’s finalization. From then on, all submissions must adhere to the OSCAL format, changing how compliance documentation is prepared and assessed.
FedRAMP Publishes Automation Website
In line with these developments, FedRAMP has made tremendous progress in this direction over the past few years. This month, FedRAMP launched the automate.fedramp.gov site. This platform offers extensive technical documentation, resources, and tools on leveraging OSCAL to meet the recently set OMB requirements effectively.
Now that the OSCAL specifications for FedRAMP are published, CSPs and 3PAOs can start the critical process of migrating their Authority to Operate (ATO) artifacts to OSCAL and be ready to meet the mandate that is expected anytime now.
At DRTConfidence, we have been actively preparing for this transition for several years. Our OSCAL-based Governance, Risk and Compliance (GRC) platform already implements all of the specifications that FedRAMP just released.
FedRAMP Begins Pilot Programs
To facilitate this transition, FedRAMP plans to offer a pilot program to CSPs, federal agencies, 3PAOs, and OSCAL tool providers this year. The objective of this pilot is to validate the resilience and effectiveness of FedRAMP systems in ingesting a complete OSCAL package.
We are excited to participate in this pilot, as we have in the past drawing from experiences in similar programs.
Notably, DRTConfidence stands out as the only platform that has successfully submitted a complete ATO package in OSCAL to FedRAMP, achieving validation for our thorough adherence to their new requirements.
What This Means for CSPs
The implications of the OMB upcoming mandate will be important for cloud service providers (CSPs), an impending necessity that will require immediate attention. Once the mandate happens, the cloud service provider market will be in a frenzy mode to transition to a machine-readable package format. As a result, enterprises looking to maintain FedRAMP compliance shouldn’t delay their migration to OSCAL.
Partnering with an OSCAL-Native GRC tool is strongly advised to ensure a smooth and efficient compliance operation.
Avoid Last Minute CSP Rush
Once the memo is finalized, over 400 CSPs will rush to convert their ATO package into the OSCAL format. This overwhelming surge could create unnecessary delays and challenges for those will wait till the last minute.
Avoid this scenario. Act today to begin the transition process and secure your position in the compliance queue as soon as possible.
Get Started with DRTConfidence
DRTConfidence is proud to be the first and only company in the market to have successfully submitted a complete ATO package in OSCAL format to FedRAMP, receiving successful validation for our efforts. With our GRC tool, we are committed to helping CSPs achieve continuous compliance (cATO) and adapt to evolving federal mandates effectively.
If you’re ready to stay ahead of the changes and meet the new compliance requirements, contact us today for more information about our platform. We invite you to register for a personalized one-on-one demo, where we can showcase how DRTConfidence can support your organization’s transition to OSCAL and streamline your compliance journey.
