What It Is

FedRAMP (Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program) is a U.S. government-wide standardized framework for security assessment, authorization, and continuous monitoring of cloud services (CSOs) used by federal agencies. Its primary purpose is enabling "assess once, use many times" to reduce duplication, based on risk-based FIPS 199 impact levels (Low, Moderate, High) and NIST SP 800-53 Rev 5 controls.

Key Components

• Baselines with ~156 (Low), ~323 (Moderate), ~410 (High) controls, plus LI-SaaS variant.
• Core artifacts: SSP, SAR, POA&M, continuous monitoring plans.
• Built on NIST standards; involves 3PAOs for independent assessments.
• Agency or Program authorization paths, listed in FedRAMP Marketplace.

Why Organizations Use It

• Unlocks federal contracts worth $20M+; required for CMMC-compliant vendors.
• Demonstrates robust security for commercial differentiation.
• Reduces agency assessment redundancy; builds stakeholder trust.
• Strategic ROI via revenue and risk mitigation.

Implementation Overview

• 12-18 month process: categorization, documentation, 3PAO assessment, authorization.
• High costs ($150k-$2M+); suits CSPs targeting U.S. federal market.
• Requires specialized teams, tooling; ongoing quarterly/annual monitoring.

What It Is

ISO 30301:2019 (Information and documentation — Management systems for records — Requirements) is an international, certifiable standard for establishing, implementing, maintaining, and improving a Management System for Records (MSR). It ensures organizations create and control reliable evidence of business activities, supporting mandate, strategy, and goals. The risk-based approach uses the High-Level Structure (HLS) (Clauses 4–10) plus records-specific operations.

Key Components

• **Clauses 4–10Context, leadership, planning, support, operation, evaluation, improvement
• **Annex A (normative)Operational controls for records lifecycle
• Principles: authenticity, reliability, integrity, usability
• Conformity pathways: self-declaration, external confirmation, third-party certification

Why Organizations Use It

Drives compliance, risk mitigation (evidence loss, retention failures), efficiency in retrieval/disposition, and integration with ISO 9001/27001. Enhances auditability, transparency, governance, and stakeholder trust.

Implementation Overview

Phased: gap analysis, policy/roles, processes/systems, training, audits. Scalable for any organization/size/sector; certification optional via accredited bodies.