A practical path to FedRAMP authorization for cloud service providers selling to US federal agencies.
The checklist
- Determine your impact level — Low, Moderate or High (via FIPS 199), or FedRAMP Tailored (Li-SaaS).
- Choose your authorization path — an Agency ATO, or a Board (formerly JAB) P-ATO.
- Define your authorization boundary — every component that stores, processes or transmits federal data.
- Implement the NIST SP 800-53 baseline for your impact level.
- Write your System Security Plan (SSP) and the required attachments.
- Engage a Third-Party Assessment Organization (3PAO) to assess your system.
- Undergo the security assessment — the 3PAO produces a Security Assessment Report (SAR).
- Build a Plan of Action & Milestones (POA&M) for any findings.
- Obtain your ATO from the sponsoring agency.
- Maintain continuous monitoring — monthly POA&M updates, scans, and an annual assessment.
Where boundary mattersFedRAMP data must stay within an authorization boundary you control. A deployment you run keeps federal data — and its evidence — inside that boundary.
A practical starting checklist, not authorization advice. Assessments are performed by an accredited 3PAO.