In today’s increasingly digital landscape, security and compliance are paramount for organizations, especially those working with government entities. As states turn to cloud solutions to increase efficiency and improve services, ensuring secure and compliant environments is critical. 

For state government decision-makers and tech business leaders, integrating StateRAMP into your compliance strategy offers an opportunity to create a unified, streamlined approach to security and regulatory adherence. This article will explore StateRAMP, why it matters, and how to integrate it effectively into your organization’s compliance strategy.

Why StateRAMP Matters

As more states move their operations to the cloud, the need for uniform security standards becomes critical. StateRAMP provides several key benefits for both governments and businesses, including standardizing security measures, increasing proficiency for software adoption and procurement, and developing new lines of business for cloud service providers. 

While StateRAMP is not mandatory, state governments and cloud providers should integrate StateRAMP into a broader compliance strategy. 

Step 1: Assess Your Current Compliance Landscape

Before integrating StateRAMP into your compliance strategy, taking stock of your current environment is essential. Government agencies and businesses must comprehensively understand the compliance frameworks they already adhere to and how they overlap with StateRAMP.

• Identify Existing Security Standards: Many state governments follow specific security frameworks, such as NIST, ISO, or SOC 2. Understanding how these standards align with StateRAMP can streamline the integration process.
• Assess Vendor Security Posture: Evaluate the cloud service providers you currently work with. Do they align with StateRAMP’s security baseline, and if not, what gaps need to be addressed?
• Review Current Certifications: If your organization is already FedRAMP-authorized or certified under other frameworks like SOC 2 or ISO 27001, you may find significant overlap with StateRAMP. Identify the areas of commonality to reduce redundant work during the integration process.
• Map Out Control Requirements: Compare your existing control implementations with StateRAMP’s baseline controls (NIST 800-53). This will help you pinpoint areas where additional controls or documentation may be required.

This initial assessment will lay the groundwork for aligning your current practices with StateRAMP’s requirements.

Step 2: Develop a Gap Analysis

Once you’ve assessed your existing compliance landscape, the next step is to conduct a gap analysis. A gap analysis will help determine where your security controls and compliance measures fall short of StateRAMP’s requirements.

• Analyze Current Vendor Compliance: Perform a gap analysis of your cloud service providers. Are they meeting the security standards required by StateRAMP? If not, what steps must they take to achieve compliance?
• Evaluate Internal Security Measures: Beyond vendor security, evaluating your internal security posture is essential. Are your IT teams equipped to monitor CSPs effectively and manage compliance on an ongoing basis?
• Internal Gap Analysis: Review your internal systems, processes, and security controls. Identify any gaps between your current compliance measures and StateRAMP requirements.
• External Compliance Gaps: If you work with third-party vendors or subcontractors, ensure their systems and processes align with StateRAMP’s standards. Third-party compliance is often overlooked but critical to achieving full authorization.

By understanding where gaps exist, you can prioritize the areas needing attention to meet StateRAMP’s rigorous standards.

Step 3: Streamline Your Control Framework

One of the most significant benefits of integrating StateRAMP into your compliance strategy is the opportunity to streamline your control framework. Instead of managing multiple disparate compliance requirements, organizations can align their security controls with a single set of standards.

• Adopt a Unified Framework: Consider adopting a single framework encompassing multiple compliance standards. For example, using NIST 800-53 controls aligns with StateRAMP and satisfies requirements for other frameworks like FedRAMP or CJIS (Criminal Justice Information Services).
• Leverage Automation Tools: Implement automation tools to monitor compliance with StateRAMP’s continuous monitoring requirements. This will reduce the burden on internal teams and ensure that your CSPs remain compliant.
• Create a Unified Control Environment: Rather than building separate compliance programs for each standard (FedRAMP, SOC 2, ISO), create a unified control environment based on NIST 800-53. This allows your organization to meet multiple regulatory requirements without redundant controls.
• Leverage FedRAMP Experience: If your business is already FedRAMP-certified, you’re on your way to achieving StateRAMP authorization. Use your existing control environment and documentation as a foundation for StateRAMP, adjusting as necessary to meet specific state-level requirements.

Streamlining your controls simplifies compliance and reduces costs by eliminating duplicate efforts.

Step 4: Engage a Third-Party Assessment Organization (3PAO)

Achieving StateRAMP authorization requires an independent assessment from a Third-Party Assessment Organization (3PAO). These organizations are responsible for verifying that your security controls meet StateRAMP’s baseline requirements.

• Select Pre-Vetted Vendors: StateRAMP provides a marketplace of authorized vendors assessed by a 3PAO. Choosing pre-vetted vendors can streamline your procurement process and reduce the time needed for security assessments.
• Engage in Collaborative Security Reviews: Work with your selected CSPs and their 3PAO to ensure their security posture meets your needs. Collaborative security reviews allow for a tailored approach that considers state-specific requirements.
• Choose the Right 3PAO: Engaging a reputable 3PAO is crucial for the success of your StateRAMP authorization. Choose a 3PAO with experience in both StateRAMP and FedRAMP assessments, as they will be familiar with the nuances of each framework.
• Prepare for the Assessment: Before engaging a 3PAO, ensure all your documentation, control implementations, and monitoring systems are in place. The 3PAO assessment can be time-consuming and costly, so it’s essential to be fully prepared to avoid delays or additional expenses.

The role of a 3PAO is essential for verifying your security posture and ensuring that you meet the rigorous standards required by StateRAMP.

Step 5: Maintain Continuous Compliance

Achieving StateRAMP authorization is only the first step. You must adhere to ongoing monitoring and continuous compliance requirements to maintain your status.

• Ongoing Vendor Management: Regularly review your vendors’ compliance status and ensure they meet StateRAMP’s requirements. This may involve periodic security reviews, requesting updated documentation, or engaging with 3PAOs for continuous assessments.
• Continuous Monitoring: Implement real-time solutions that track your vendors’ security posture. StateRAMP requires that CSPs maintain an active monitoring program, so having visibility into your vendors’ compliance status is crucial.
• Implement Continuous Monitoring Solutions: StateRAMP requires continuous monitoring, meaning your security controls must be actively managed and assessed. Automate as much of this process as possible by implementing Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) tools, vulnerability scanners, and incident response platforms.
• Prepare for Ongoing Audits: StateRAMP mandates regular audits and assessments. Keep your documentation current and ensure your internal security posture remains robust to avoid compliance lapses.

Focusing on continuous compliance ensures that your organization remains secure and ready to meet the evolving needs of state and local governments.

Get Ahead of StateRAMP with Lazarus Alliance

StateRAMP will offer increasingly robust business and service lines in the state, local, and municipal cloud software industry. Secure companies will stand at the forefront of this new wave of digital modernization. Ensure you’re one of them: work with Lazarus Alliance for Your StateRAMP assessment needs.

To learn more about how Lazarus Alliance can help, contact us. 

• FedRAMP
• StateRAMP
• NIST 800-53
• FARS NIST 800-171
• CMMC
• SOC 1 & SOC 2
• HIPAA, HITECH, & Meaningful Use
• PCI DSS RoC & SAQ
• IRS 1075 & 4812
• ISO 27001, ISO 27002, ISO 27005, ISO 27017, ISO 27018, ISO 27701, ISO 22301, ISO 17020, ISO 17021, ISO 17025, ISO 17065, ISO 9001, & ISO 90003
• NIAP Common Criteria – Lazarus Alliance Laboratories
• And dozens more!