How to Get FedRAMP and How Long it Will Really Take

The FedRAMP Certification Timeline:

There are 4 main steps to FedRAMP authorization.

Setting the Groundwork
Creating Compliance Documentation
3PAO Assessment
PMO Review

The conventional path to FedRAMP authorization ranges 8 - 24+ months.

You’ll need to manually write an SSP with this path, so you can expect that to take a good portion of your time.

If you use Paramify, you can expect authorization to take from 1-15 months.

SSP creation is automated with Paramify, so the majority of the time range will depend on how long it takes your organization to put your controls into practice and find a sponsor.

Step 1 - Setting the Groundwork (1-12+ Months)

Calculate your ROI: Does the federal pipeline justify the expense?

FedRAMP authorization can open the door to massive revenue potential.

Your organization will want to calculate whether the possible ROI justifies the costs of getting certified before diving in completely.

Your company should consider:

Potential revenue
Possible government clientele
How your product strategy aligns with government needs

Ready for some good news? it’s officially easier, faster, and cheaper to get FedRAMP authorized than it’s ever been. ‍

Find a FedRAMP Sponsor:

You’ll need to find a sponsor before you can achieve FedRAMP authorization.

“The issuance of an agency ATO represents an acceptance of risk associated with the CSO on the part of the agency’s authorizing official (AO)” - Stack Armor

Your sponsor can be any government entity that wants your product/solution and has the ability to sponsor it.

Finding a sponsor can take a lot of time and effort. It might require many hours of networking and building relationships. These can lead to a partnership with a government agency or representative from the FedRAMP board (formerly Joint Authorization Board or JAB).

Choose Your 3PAO:

Next, you’ll need to choose an accredited 3PAO (3rd-party assessment organization) to help with your FedRAMP assessments.

Finding the right 3PAO is not just about credentials, but also about compatibility, transparent communication, and mutual goals.

Feel free to reach out to contact@paramify.com if you need help finding the right partner for your goals.

Find Your Security Gaps:

You’ll need to do a security gap assessment to know whether or not your security is aligned with the high standard FedRAMP requires.

Once you know your gaps you can start improving your security plan.

Ready to fast track your gap assessment? Schedule a call with the Paramify team to get your free gap assessment in just 30-60 minutes.

You can begin implementing your security controls once you have your gap assessment. We recommend building out your security plan in the form of your SSP first to map out your ideal strategy.

Step 2 - How Long Does it Take to Create an SSP (System Security Plan)?

Manually Written SSP: 6 - 24+ months vs Paramify: 1-7 days

Ah, here’s what has been the FedRAMP nightmare. The SSP.

Organizations have traditionally had to manually write 800 to 1,000+ pages of intricately detailed System Security Plans (SSPs).

Creating an SSP isn’t just about throwing words onto a document. This painstaking process involves multiple stakeholders who are both technical and non-technical. It will include your precise data, evidence, and methodologies.

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The tool you choose will make a difference in how long it takes to build your ATO package.

Many CSPs choose a tool like Word, Google Docs, or SharePoint to create their SSP. But, tools like these aren’t really built to handle documents this massive.

GRC teams often experience crashes, loss of data, or sluggish performance due to the size of SSP docs. This results in wasted hours, tons of stress, and lost information.

OSCAL (Open Security Controls Assessment Language) is a machine readable format meant to address some of these problems. Learn more about the benefits and shortcomings of OSCAL to decide if it’s a good fit for your organization.

Paramify automatically creates both a machine readable, OSCAL-friendly digital ATO package and a human readable version.

Why is FedRAMP authorization so much faster with Paramify?

What used to take months of manual effort can now be done in hours with Paramify’s Risk Solutions platform.

Yup. Hours.

Why? You can create, update, and change your documents by putting the control in once and automatically updating it everywhere it applies. Your SSP(s) become more accurate & consistent and easy to update.

When you have an automated SSP you can kiss software crashes and the never ending requests from your 3PAO to fix inconsistencies goodbye. Paramify limits human error and is built to handle creating, updating, and managing your massive SSP.

→Learn more here about how Risk Solutions work and check out our pricing.

→ Request a demo to see a preview of your OSCAL and human-readable SSP docs created in less than an hour

Step 3 - How Long Does an ATO Audit Take? (1 - 3 Months)

The assessment phase means it’s time for a hands-on, careful review of your systems, controls, protocols, and procedures. Expect thorough checks and refinements.

Your assessment phase will be longer or shorter depending how accurate your SSP is.

SSP documents created with Paramify have received high praise from assessors. Our clients move faster than average through this phase because of their ultra-consistent documentation.

“Paramify has helped organizations, many of which are our clients, automate the creation of documentation packages – in addition to other capabilities – faster and more accurately than I have ever seen in the marketplace to date.” - Mike Parisi, Head of Client Acquisition, Schellman

4. How Long Does it Take to Get FedRAMP Authority to Operate from the PMO (1 - 12 months)

Now you wait for all of your effort to pay off and for your coveted FedRAMP certification to arrive.

If you only created human-readable SSPs this phase may take longer than it will with OSCAL documentation. We expect to see OSCAL docs approved faster, since the process can be automated.

If you used Paramify, you can expect an even faster PMO review since:

Fewer errors = faster review. The Paramify approach prioritizes efficiency, transparency, and accuracy.
OSCAL-based docs enable more automation.

How Long Will Your FedRAMP Authorization Take?

Your approach to FedRAMP will dramatically affect how long it will take your org to achieve FedRAMP authorization.

The traditional, manual approach will take an average of 8 months - 2+ years, depending on the dynamics and complexities of your organization.

Paramify's approach can reduce this to 1 - 15+ months.

It's no exaggeration: just one month from no SSP to a full ATO package.

→Discover how Palo Alto Networks achieved FedRAMP in a month using Paramify.

Start Your FedRAMP Journey

Ready to give yourself the advantage in FedRAMP certification? Get your gap assessment today and see a preview of your ATO Package after just 30-60 minutes.

In the world of FedRAMP certification, knowledge truly is power. The journey, while intense, doesn’t need to be full of obstacles. You’ll save time and peace of mind with Paramify’s Risk Solutions Framework.

If FedRAMP is on your radar, why not give yourself every advantage?

See Paramify in action – request to watch a video demo below:

Have questions? Our team loves to help. Feel free to reach out to contact@paramify.com anytime.

Becki Johnson

Sep 2024

Once authorized, can I sell to any federal agency?

Yes — authorization can be reused by multiple agencies via the FedRAMP Marketplace, but some agencies may request additional requirements.

How is FedRAMP 20x different from traditional FedRAMP?

20x introduces automation, key security indicators (KSIs), continuous monitoring validation, and streamlined authorization (sometimes without sponsor requirements).

→ Compare KSIs to Rev 5 controls

What are the most common reasons for delays or failures in FedRAMP authorization?

Incomplete documentation, insufficient evidence, failing initial gap assessments, lack of executive support, and underestimating resource requirements.

→ How to create the most accurate documentation for audit success

What's the difference between FedRAMP and other frameworks (SOC 2, CMMC, ISO 27001)?

FedRAMP is U.S. government-specific and NIST-based, more prescriptive and granular than commercial standards.

How do inherited controls from my cloud infrastructure provider (e.g., AWS, Azure, GCP) work?

FedRAMP allows CSPs to “inherit” controls from IaaS providers; you must document and verify this inheritance with shared responsibility models.

What kind of technical controls are required under FedRAMP?

Controls follow NIST SP 800-53 Rev 5 (with additional FedRAMP overlays) — covering access control, incident response, risk assessment, configuration management, etc.

→ Get your custom accelerated FedRAMP implementation roadmap

How often do I need to update and submit security documentation?

At minimum:

Monthly POAMs and vulnerability scans
Annual security assessments
Ad hoc submissions for significant changes.

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What is a POA&M?

Plan of Action and Milestones: a document tracking remediation plans for open vulnerabilities, findings, and compliance issues.

→ Learn more about POAMs

What is continuous monitoring (ConMon) and why is it important?

ConMon involves ongoing assessments, vulnerability scanning, reporting POAMs, and keeping security posture current post-authorization.

What documentation is required for FedRAMP?

Major deliverables include a System Security Plan (SSP), Security Assessment Plan (SAP), Security Assessment Report (SAR), Plan of Actions and Milestones (POA&M), Continuous Monitoring (ConMon) documentation, policies/procedures, and more.

Do I need an agency sponsor?

Yes, for now. But, agency sponsorship requirements are evolving — FedRAMP 20x does not require a sponsor.

How do I pick the best 3PAO for my project?

Consider experience with similar environments, references, price, and knowledge of specific cloud implementations.

→ Find the best assessor for your CSP with these tips

What is a 3PAO?

A Third Party Assessment Organization is an accredited independent assessor that conducts key security testing and assessment for FedRAMP.

→ Find a recommended 3PAO

How much does FedRAMP Authorization cost?

Initial costs range from ~$150k to $3M+ for gap assessments, remediation, 3PAO audits, and documentation/reporting.
Annual costs can range from $50k to $1m to maintain documentation, do continuous monitoring, and resource allocation.

→ Learn more about what FedRAMP could cost your organization and whether or not it’s worth the effort

How long does it take to achieve FedRAMP Authorization?

Typical processes take 6–24 months. Paramify accelerates the process to take between 1-10 months with a fully prepared package in less than a month.

Your timeline will vary depending on your impact level, whether you take a manual or automated approach to implementation & documentation, and PMO wait times.

→ Learn about the FedRAMP Authorization process and what it costs.

What’s the difference between FedRAMP Ready, FedRAMP In Process, and FedRAMP Authorized?

Ready: Preliminary review for capability and documentation.
In Process: CSP is actively working toward authorization, usually with an agency sponsor or as part of the JAB program.‍
Authorized: Successfully completed security assessment and continuous monitoring.

What are the different impact levels for FedRAMP?

Low, Moderate, and High — based on the type and sensitivity of federal data hosted (FIPS 199 categories: confidentiality, integrity, availability).

→ Get the details on impact level to know which impact level is right for you.

Do You Need FedRAMP?

Any cloud service provider (CSP) that wants to sell cloud products or services to U.S. federal agencies must be FedRAMP authorized.

→ Learn more to find out if FedRAMP is a good choice for your cloud-based business.

What is FedRAMP

FedRAMP stands for the Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program; it standardizes the security assessment, authorization, and continuous monitoring for cloud products and services used by U.S. federal agencies.

How long will it take to generate my SSP?

If you’re new to FedRAMP: The time required depends on how long it takes to implement your security controls. With Paramify’s living gap assessment dashboard, you can build your compliance roadmap and generate documents instantly with one click.

If you’re already FedRAMP authorized: It can take as little as 3.5 hours or up to a week.

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Can you help me transition from NIST 800-53 Rev 4 to Rev 5?

Yes! No one will help you transition to FedRAMP Rev 5 as affordably and painlessly as Paramify. Learn how you can make a seamless, inexpensive transition to Rev 5.

Can I really generate my SSP in hours?

Are your security controls in place and do you have the certifications and authorizations you need? Then yes, hours it is.

Here’s how one company got their SSP in 3.5 hours.

If you’re in an earlier stage, you may have some security controls in place, but aren’t quite sure which controls need to be satisfied to meet your compliance goals.

Paramify will help you find the gaps in your security program and help you coordinate with your team to address them.

After our intake, you can print your documents at any point. How quickly you can implement your security goals is the only factor in how long it will take you to have a fully accurate and complete SSP.

Do Paramify ATO packages pass audits?

A well-known 3PAO has told us that our customers “are better prepared than other CSPs.”

Our customers have received positive feedback on the accuracy and consistency of their ATO Packages. The Risk Solutions methodology has also been successful at increasing the efficiency and ease of the auditing process.

So yes, the audits are going well.

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Can I use my existing SSP?

Yes, we offer this service and have provided it for many clients. Most of our customers, including those for whom we’ve ingested their SSP, have found that starting from scratch and adopting the full power of Risk Solutions was the better option.

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