FedRAMP Definitions

A vulnerability that the provider does not intend to fully mitigate or remediate, OR that has not or will not be fully mitigated or remediated within the maximum overdue period in FedRAMP Vulnerability Detection and Response rules.

Also: accepted vulnerability, accepted vulnerabilities

A type of significant change that does not routinely recur and does not introduce substantive potential security risks that need to be assessed in depth.

Adaptive changes typically require careful planning that focuses on engineering execution instead of customer adoption, can be verified with minor changes to existing automated validation procedures, and do not require large changes to operational procedures, deployment plans, or documentation.

Also: adaptive, adaptive change, adaptive changes

An entity that helps a provider understand, prepare for, or maintain FedRAMP Certification without replacing the provider's responsibility or the assessor's independence.

Also: advisor, advisors

Has the meaning given in 44 U.S. Code § 3502 (1), which is "any executive department, military department, Government corporation, Government controlled corporation, or other establishment in the executive branch of the Government (including the Executive Office of the President), or any independent regulatory agency, but does not include—(A) the Government Accountability Office; (B) Federal Election Commission; (C) the governments of the District of Columbia and of the territories and possessions of the United States, and their various subdivisions; or (D) Government-owned contractor-operated facilities, including laboratories engaged in national defense research and production activities."

Reference: 44 U.S. Code § 3502 (1)

Also: agency, agencies

All federal entities whose interests are affected directly or are likely to be affected directly in the event of a vulnerability or incident related to federal customer data. This always includes FedRAMP and directly impacted federal customer agencies.

Also: all affected parties

All entities who participate in the FedRAMP assessment of a cloud service offering in the context of a FedRAMP Certification. This always includes FedRAMP and any FedRAMP Recognized independent assessor contracted by a provider to perform a FedRAMP assessment.

Also: all necessary assessors

All entities whose interests are affected directly by activity related to a specific cloud service offering in the context of FedRAMP Certifications. This always includes FedRAMP and any agency customer who is using the cloud service offering, but may include additional parties depending on agreements made by the cloud service provider (such as consultants or independent assessors). Potential agency customers or third-party cloud service providers should also be included in most cases but this is not a mandatory requirement under FedRAMP because the cloud service provider may choose who they wish to do business with.

Also: all necessary parties

Security-related materials that supply information regarding or evidence of functions, policies, decisions, procedures, operations, or other such activities, for the purposes of obtaining and maintaining a FedRAMP Certification. All such artifacts are considered FedRAMP Certification Data and are included in the FedRAMP Certification Package.

Also: artifact, artifacts

An assessor that performs assessment, verification, or validation activities for a cloud service offering seeking to obtain or maintain FedRAMP Certification; FedRAMP is the final assessor for FedRAMP Certification, but FedRAMP Recognized independent assessment services are typically also utilized.

FedRAMP has transitioned from using the historical term "Third-Party Assessment Organization (3PAO)" to align with the explicit terminology used in the FedRAMP Authorization Act and to avoid the confusion caused when the same organizations provide both assessment and advisory services to different customers while being referred to as a 3PAO.

Also: assessor, assessors

The category of assurance that a cloud service offering supplies to federal government customers following FedRAMP Practices, increasing from minimal assurance at Class A to significant assurance at Class D; currently available categories are Class A, B, C, or D.

Also: Certification Class, Certification Classes

A type of significant change that is likely to change the FedRAMP Certification class for the entire cloud service offering (e.g. from Class B to Class C or from Class D to Class C).

Also: certification class change, certification class changes

The collective information required by FedRAMP for initial and ongoing FedRAMP Certification of a cloud service offering, including the FedRAMP Certification Package.

In FedRAMP documentation, certification data always refers to FedRAMP Certification Data unless otherwise specified.

Also: certification data

Has meaning from 44 USC § 3607 (b)(8) given to "authorization package", which is "the essential information that can be used by an agency to determine whether to authorize the operation of an information system or the use of a designated set of common controls for all cloud computing products and services [certified] by FedRAMP."

In FedRAMP documentation, certification package always refers to a FedRAMP Certification Package unless otherwise specified.

Reference: 44 USC § 3607 (b)(8)

Also: certification package, certification packages

The underlying source of the FedRAMP Certification, either from a federal agency sponsored authorization to operate or directly from FedRAMP itself. The agency path is a legacy path that is only available for FedRAMP Rev5 and still requires review and approval from FedRAMP.

Also: Certification Path, Certification Paths

The combination of a FedRAMP Certification Type (Rev5 or 20x), FedRAMP Certification Path (Program or Agency), and FedRAMP Certification Class (A, B, C, or D) for a cloud service offering.

Also: Certification Profile, Certification Profiles

The form of assurance that a cloud service offering supplies to federal government customers following FedRAMP Practices, either Rev5 or 20x. Rev5 follows a legacy approach based primarily on documented plans while 20x follows a modern approach based primarily on measured outcomes.

Also: Certification Type, Certification Types

A specific, packaged cloud computing product or service supplied by a cloud service provider for use by customers, that is the subject of a FedRAMP Certification.

The FedRAMP Minimum Assessment Scope defines the full scope of the cloud service offering from the perspective of a FedRAMP Certification.

Also: cloud service offering, cloud service offerings

An unwanted customer effect that interrupts use of the cloud service for most users or compromises the integrity or confidentiality of most federal customer data. If the adverse customer effect is unknown then it should be treated as if it is debilitating until proven otherwise.

Also: debilitating customer effect, debilitating customer effects

Verifiable data collected directly from an authoritative source that represents a factual and reproducible observation of the attributes of a system such as the system's state, configuration, or behavior.

Probabilistic inferences, generative outputs, or predictive assessments such as those produced using generative transformer models (commonly referred to as “Generative AI”) do not constitute a factual record of the system state and must not be used to generate deterministic telemetry.

Also: deterministic telemetry

An unwanted customer effect that interrupts use of the cloud service for many users for less than 24 hours, or that compromises the integrity or confidentiality of large amounts or many types of federal customer data.

Also: disruptive customer effect, disruptive customer effects

Changes to information resources that cause deviations from the intended and assessed state; common forms of drift include changes to configurations, deployed software, privileges, running processes, and availability.

Also: drift, drifts, drifting

A detected vulnerability that is not actually present in an exploitable state in the information resource

This includes situations where vulnerable software or code exist on a machine-based information resource but are not loaded, running, or otherwise in an operating state required for exploitation.

This only applies if the vulnerability is not and was not present; a remediated vulnerability or a fully mitigated vulnerability cannot also be a false positive vulnerability.

Also: false positive vulnerability, false positive vulnerabilities

All electronic information, content, and materials that an agency or its authorized users upload, store, or otherwise supply to a cloud service for processing or storage. This does NOT include account information, service metadata, analytics, telemetry, or other similar metadata generated by the cloud service provider.

In the context of FedRAMP Certification, "federal customer data" ONLY ever refers to data owned by federal agency customers. Agreements and contracts with specific agencies may require providers to protect additional data or even transfer ownership of telemetry or usage data to the agency; always consult a lawyer that is familiar with company agreements and contracts when determining the scope of federal customer data.

Also: federal customer data

A report that is produced by FedRAMP documenting the results of a FedRAMP Certification assessment. This report is typically produced after the initial FedRAMP Certification assessment on the Program Certification Path and updated as necessary during ongoing FedRAMP Certification, but may be produced at any time by FedRAMP as part of ongoing FedRAMP Certification activities for any cloud service offering (such as corrective action). Cloud service offerings must include these reports in their FedRAMP Certification Package.

Also: FedRAMP Certification Report, FedRAMP certification report, certification report

The status of a cloud service offering that has received FedRAMP Certification and meets the legal requirement to be FedRAMP authorized.

FedRAMP uses "FedRAMP Certified" as the current program term for cloud service offerings that satisfy the statutory concept of FedRAMP authorization.

Also: FedRAMP Certified, FedRAMP certified, certified, FedRAMP authorized, FedRAMP Authorized, authorized

An independent verification and validation assessment, performed by a FedRAMP Recognized independent assessment service or FedRAMP following FedRAMP rules. These assessments are typically first performed to obtain an initial FedRAMP Certification then repeated on an annual basis to maintain FedRAMP Certification.

Also: FedRAMP independent assessment, FedRAMP independent assessments

The security measures, safeguards, precautions, procedures, activities, policies, capabilities, mechanisms, etc. that are expected to be in place by FedRAMP to demonstrate that information resources are properly protected, expressed in FedRAMP 20x Key Security Indicators or FedRAMP Rev5 Controls and supplemented by FedRAMP rules.

Also: FedRAMP Practice, FedRAMP Practices

The status of independent assessment services that are recognized by FedRAMP to perform assessment activities on behalf of FedRAMP for cloud service offerings seeking to obtain or maintain FedRAMP Certification.

Also: FedRAMP Recognized, FedRAMP Recognition

An incident that affects the confidentiality or integrity of federal customer data or is likely to affect the confidentiality or integrity of federal customer data.

Also: FedRAMP Reportable Incident, FedRAMP Reportable Incidents

An email address that follows the FedRAMP Security Inbox rules.

Also: security inbox, security inboxes, FSI

A final report after recovery from an incident that is supplied by FedRAMP Certified cloud service providers to FedRAMP and agency customers, following FedRAMP Incident Evaluation and Communication rules.

Also: final incident report, final incident reports, FIR, FIRs

A vulnerability where the likelihood of exploitation or Potential Agency Impact N-rating has been reduced from the original evaluation until either are negligible, but the vulnerability is still detected.

Also: fully mitigated vulnerability, fully mitigated vulnerabilities, fully mitigate vulnerabilities

Has the plain language meaning inclusive of any possible action taken with information, such as access, collect, control, create, display, disclose, disseminate, dispose, maintain, manipulate, process, receive, review, store, transmit, use... etc.

Also: handle, handles, handled, handling

Has the meaning given in 44 USC § 3552 (b)(2) which is "an occurrence that (A) actually or imminently jeopardizes, without lawful authority, the integrity, confidentiality, or availability of information or an information system; or (B) constitutes a violation or imminent threat of violation of law, security policies, security procedures, or acceptable use policies."

Reference: 44 USC § 3552 (b)(2)

Also: incident, incidents

Has the meaning from 44 USC § 3502 (6): "information and related resources, such as personnel, equipment, funds, and information technology." This includes any aspect of the cloud service offering, both technical and managerial, including everything that makes up the business of the offering from non-machine-based information resources like organizational policies, procedures, employees, etc. to machine-based information resources like hardware, software, cloud services, code, etc.

Information resources are either machine-based or non-machine-based; any requirement or recommendation that references information resources without specifying a type is inclusive of all information resources.

Reference: 44 USC § 3502 (6)

Also: information resource, information resources

The first FedRAMP Certification of a cloud service offering based on the applicable FedRAMP Practices.

Also: initial certification, initial certifications

The first full assessment of a cloud service offering obtaining FedRAMP Certification, coordinated by the provider with all necessary assessors, that results in a FedRAMP Certification.

Also: initial FedRAMP assessment, IFRA

An initial report about an incident that is supplied by FedRAMP Certified cloud service providers to FedRAMP and agency customers, following FedRAMP FedRAMP Incident Evaluation and Communication rules.

Also: initial incident report, initial incident reports, IIR, IIRs

A vulnerability in a machine-based information resource that might be exploited or otherwise triggered by a payload originating from a source on the public internet.

This includes machine-based information resources that have no direct route to/from the internet but receive payloads or otherwise take action triggered by internet activity.

Internet-reachability applies only to the specific vulnerable machine-based information resources processing the payload.

The opposite of this is a Not Internet-reachable Vulnerability (NIRV).

Also: internet-reachable vulnerability, internet-reachable vulnerabilities, IRV, IRVs, NIRV, NIRVs

Has the meaning given in CISA Binding Operational Directive 26-04, which is any vulnerability identified in CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog.

Reference: CISA BOD 26-04

Also: known exploited vulnerability, known exploited vulnerabilities, KEV, KEVs

A reasonable degree of probability based on context.

Also: likely, likelihood

A vulnerability that is not fully mitigated AND is reachable by a likely threat actor; AND a likely threat actor with knowledge of the vulnerability would likely gain unauthorized access, cause harm, disrupt operations, or otherwise have an undesired adverse impact within the cloud service offering by exploiting the vulnerability.

At the absolute minimum, any vulnerability that an automated unauthenticated system can exploit over the internet is a likely exploitable vulnerability.

The opposite of this is a Not Likely Exploitable Vulnerability (NLEV).

Also: likely exploitable vulnerability, likely exploitable vulnerabilities, LEV, LEVs, NLEV, NLEVs

Any information technology information resource—including systems, processes, software, hardware, services, cloud-native capabilities, and any other such capability, component, or resource—that relies primarily on mechanical or electronic devices (i.e. computers) for operation.

All other information resources that do not rely on computers are non-machine-based information resources.

Also: machine-based, machine based

Automatically produced by a computer process, application, or other mechanism without the intervention or manipulation of a human during production.

Also: machine-generated

Has the meaning from 44 U.S. Code § 3502 (18) which is "the term "machine-readable", when used with respect to data, means data in a format that can be easily processed by a computer without human intervention while ensuring no semantic meaning is lost"

Reference: 44 U.S. Code § 3502 (18)

Also: machine-readable

The rule is truly optional. Parties SHOULD address such rules in their security documentation by explaining their decisions about how they handle such rules.

This definition only applies when the term is used in all capital letters in FedRAMP materials, otherwise the plain language meaning applies.

An unwanted customer effect that is only noticeable by some users. This includes minor inconveniences such as reduced performance.

Also: minimal customer effect, minimal customer effects

The boundary of the assessment and FedRAMP Certification for the cloud service offering, which effectively defines the cloud service offering itself for the purposes of a FedRAMP Certification Package; anything that is not entirely included in the Minimum Assessment Scope is a third-party information resource.

The Minimum Assessment Scope ruleset explains how to determine the Minimum Assessment Scope for a cloud service offering.

Also: minimum assessment scope, MAS

The rule is an absolute requirement. Parties MUST meet such rules and address them in their security documentation. Failure to follow the rule is a vulnerability likely requiring corrective action and/or the denial of initial or ongoing FedRAMP Certification.

This definition only applies when the term is used in all capital letters in FedRAMP materials, otherwise the plain language meaning applies.

The rule is an absolute prohibition. Parties MUST meet such rules and address them in their security documentation. Failure to follow the rule is a vulnerability likely requiring corrective action and/or the denial of initial or ongoing FedRAMP Certification.

This definition only applies when the term is used in all capital letters in FedRAMP materials, otherwise the plain language meaning applies.

An unwanted customer effect that interrupts use of the cloud service for some users for less than 12 hours, or that compromises the integrity or confidentiality of an extremely limited amount and type of federal customer data.

Also: narrow customer effect, narrow customer effects

The continued FedRAMP Certification of a cloud service offering based on the applicable FedRAMP Practices.

Also: ongoing certification, ongoing certifications

A regular report that is supplied by FedRAMP Certified cloud service providers to agency customers, following FedRAMP Collaborative Continuous Monitoring rules.

Also: ongoing certification report, OCR, OCRs

A recurring report about an ongoing incident that is supplied by FedRAMP Certified cloud service providers to FedRAMP and agency customers, following the FedRAMP Incident Evaluation and Communication rules.

Also: ongoing incident report, ongoing incident reports, OIR, OIRs

A vulnerability that the provider intends to fully mitigate or remediate but has not or will not do so within the time frames recommended or required by FedRAMP.

Also: overdue vulnerability, overdue vulnerabilities

A vulnerability where the likelihood or Potential Agency Impact N-rating has been reduced from the original evaluation but the risk of exploitation still exists and the vulnerability is still detected.

Also: partially mitigated vulnerability, partially mitigated vulnerabilities, partially mitigate vulnerabilities

Follow-on assessments of a cloud service offering focused on Key Security Indicators, coordinated by the provider with all necessary assessors, to maintain FedRAMP Certification or change its FedRAMP Certification class.

Also: persistent FedRAMP assessment, PFRA

Occurring in a firm, steady way that is repeated over a long period of time in spite of obstacles or difficulties. Persistent activities may vary between actors, may occur irregularly, and may include interruptions or waiting periods between cycles. These attributes of persistent activities should be intentional, understood, and documented; the status of persistent activities will always be known.

The use of persistently indicates a process that may not always occur continuously (without interruption or gaps) or regularly (on a consistent, predictable basis) but will repeat frequently in cycles. It aligns generally with historical misuse of "continuous" in federal information security policies.

Also: persistently, persistent

The estimated cumulative effect of unauthorized access, disruption, harm, or other adverse impacts to all agencies using the cloud service that are likely to result from security incidents or the exploitation of vulnerabilities in the cloud service offering; as estimated following appropriate FedRAMP rules to calculate the Potential Agency Impact N-rating (PAIN).

Potential Agency Impact N-rating (PAIN) levels are defined in VER-EVA-EPA (Estimate Potential Agency Impact)

Also: potential agency impact, potential agency impacts, PAIN, Potential Agency Impact N-rating

An account with elevated privileges that enables administrative functions over some aspect of the cloud service offering that may affect the confidentiality, integrity, or availability of information beyond those given to normal users; levels of privilege may vary wildly.

Any references to privileged accounts in FedRAMP materials should be presumed to apply to privileged roles or other similar capabilities that are used to assign privileges to privileged accounts.

Also: privileged account, privileged accounts

Without unnecessary delay.

The use of promptly in FedRAMP materials frames conveys a need for urgent action where the expected time frame will vary by circumstance but earlier action is more likely to improve security outcomes and increase the security posture of a cloud service offering.

Also: promptly, prompt

The cloud service provider responsible for a cloud service offering in the context of FedRAMP Certification.

FedRAMP Consolidated Rules frequently refer to providers without using the full term "cloud service provider" or acronym "CSP".

Also: provider, providers, cloud service provider, cloud service providers

A regular synchronous meeting hosted by a FedRAMP Certified cloud service provider for agency customers, following FedRAMP Collaborative Continuous Monitoring rules.

Also: quarterly review, quarterly reviews

Performing the activity on a consistent, predictable, and repeated basis, at set intervals, automatically if possible, following a documented plan. These intervals may vary as appropriate between different activities.

Also: regularly, regular

A vulnerability that has been neutralized or eliminated and is no longer detected.

Also: remediated vulnerability, remediated vulnerabilities, remediate vulnerabilities

In a way that shows that you have good judgment and the ability to act correctly and make decisions on your own.

Refrain from broadcasting any details that might assist adversaries in their endeavors, disclosing vulnerabilities prior to full remediation, or providing overly specific technical information that could potentially facilitate further compromise.

Also: responsibly

The type of significant change that regularly and routinely recurs as part of ongoing operations, vulnerability mitigation, or vulnerability remediation.

Also: routine recurring, routine recurring change, routine recurring changes

Has the meaning from NIST FIPS 199, which is "The characterization of information or an information system based on an assessment of the potential impact that a loss of confidentiality, integrity, or availability of such information or information system would have on organizational operations, organizational assets, or individuals." Security categories are often referred to as "impact levels" and include Low, Moderate, and High.

Reference: NIST FIPS 199 Standards for Security Categorization of Federal Information and Information Systems

Also: security category, security categories, impact level, impact levels

A persistently maintained, verified, and validated record of the security decisions made by a provider over the lifecycle of a cloud service offering. The Security Decision Record replaces the traditional System Security Plan and documents how applicable FedRAMP Practices are addressed, including implementation rationale, resulting customer risk, assessment findings, and supporting artifacts.

Also: security decision record, security decision records, SDR

There may exist valid reasons in particular circumstances to ignore this rule, but the full implications must be understood and carefully weighed. Parties MUST address such rules in their security documentation by explaining their decisions about how they handle such rules.

This definition only applies when the term is used in all capital letters in FedRAMP materials, otherwise the plain language meaning applies.

There may exist valid reasons in particular circumstances when the particular action is acceptable or even useful, but the full implications must be understood and carefully weighed. Parties MUST address such rules in their security documentation by explaining their decisions about how they handle such rules.

This definition only applies when the term is used in all capital letters in FedRAMP materials, otherwise the plain language meaning applies.

Has the meaning given in NIST SP 800-37 Rev. 2 which is "a change that is likely to substantively affect the security or privacy posture of a system."

Reference: NIST SP 800-37 Rev. 2

Also: significant change, significant changes

Any information resource that is not entirely included in the Minimum Assessment Scope for the cloud service offering obtaining FedRAMP Certification.

Also: third-party information resource, third-party information resources

The most privileged account with the highest level of access within a cloud service offering for a customer organization, typically with complete control over all aspects of the cloud service offering, including managing resources, users, access, privileges, and the account itself.

Any references to top-level administrative accounts in FedRAMP materials should be presumed to apply to top-level administrative roles or other similar capabilities that are used to assign top-level administrative account privileges.

Also: top-level administrative account, top-level administrative accounts

The type of significant change that introduces substantive potential security risks that are likely to affect existing risk determinations and must be assessed in depth.

Transformative changes typically introduce major features or capabilities that may change how a customer uses the service (in whole or in part) and require extensive updates to security assessments, operational procedures, deployment plans, and documentation.

Also: transformative, transformative change, transformative changes

A secure repository or service used by cloud service providers to store and share FedRAMP Certification Data. Trust centers are the complete and definitive source for FedRAMP Certification Data and must follow the FedRAMP Certification Data Sharing rules to be FedRAMP-compatible.

In FedRAMP documentation, all references to trust centers indicate FedRAMP-compatible trust centers unless otherwise specified.

Also: trust center, trust centers

Confirmation through objective evidence that implemented security capabilities and related certification data are suitable for their intended FedRAMP Certification use and support the expected security outcomes for a cloud service offering.

This adapts the ISO conformity assessment concept of validation to the FedRAMP Certification context.

Also: validation, validate, validated

Confirmation through objective evidence that specified FedRAMP Practices have been fulfilled for a cloud service offering.

This adapts the ISO conformity assessment concept of verification to the FedRAMP Certification context.

Also: verification, verify, verified

Has the meaning given to "security vulnerability" in 6 USC § 650 (25), which is "any attribute of hardware, software, process, or procedure that could enable or facilitate the defeat of [...] management, operational, and technical controls used to protect against an unauthorized effort to adversely affect the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of an information system or its information." This includes gaps in Rev5 Controls and 20x Key Security Indicators, software vulnerabilities, misconfigurations, exposures, weak credentials, insecure services, and all other such potential weaknesses in protection (intentional or unintentional).

Reference: 6 USC § 650 (25)

Also: vulnerability, vulnerabilities

The systematic process of discovering and identifying security vulnerabilities in information resources through assessment, scanning, threat intelligence, vulnerability disclosure mechanisms, bug bounties, supply chain monitoring, and other capabilities. This process includes the initial discovery of a vulnerability's existence and the determination of affected information resources within a cloud service offering.

This definition applies to other forms such as "detect vulnerabilities" or simply "detection" / "detected" used in FedRAMP materials.

Also: vulnerability detection, detect vulnerabilities, detect, detection, detected

The systematic process of tracking, evaluating, mitigating, monitoring, remediating, assessing exploitation, reporting, and otherwise managing detected vulnerabilities.

This definition applies to other forms such as "respond to vulnerabilities" or simply "response" / "responded" used in FedRAMP materials.

Also: vulnerability response, respond to vulnerabilities, respond, response, responded