Fisma vs FedRAMP Certification – Major Differences and Similarities

For Cloud Service Providers (CSPs) and companies wanting to work with United States Federal Government agencies, getting certified is crucial. However, there needs to be more clarity about which certification to go for. When it comes to working with the government, the main certifications you need to know about are FedRAMP (Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program) and FISMA (Federal Information Security Management Act).

Even if you’re not in the public sector right now, it is advisable to get certified. US government contracts are lucrative, and meeting these standards makes you eligible for certain grants. 

In this blog, we’ll cover FISMA and FedRAMP and the differences between Fisma and FedRAMP certification.

What is FISMA?

FISMA, or the Federal Information Security Management Act, was introduced by Congress in 2002. It sets IT and cybersecurity standards for government agencies and contractors. It requires you to keep an IT system inventory, assess system risks, make security plans, use security controls, conduct ongoing monitoring, and do risk assessments.

Remember that FISMA rules apply not just to federal agencies but also to businesses that offer services to them. These agencies need yearly reviews to share their findings with the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). If they don’t follow FISMA, they could face fines and lose their contracts.

What is FedRAMP?

FedRAMP is the Federal Risk and Authorization Management Progra, which started in 2011. It offers a cost-effective way for the federal government to use cloud services while managing risks. FedRAMP works a lot like FISMA in its standardized approach. It uses similar terms like SSP, SAP, and SAR. 

However, unlike FISMA, where you need approval from each federal agency separately, FedRAMP approval lets a cloud provider work with any federal agency. So, with FISMA, there is one approval per agency, while with FedRAMP, one approval covers all agencies.

Difference between Fisma and FedRAMP

Federal agencies trust cloud-based services with the FedRAMP stamp, ensuring safety. FedRAMP ATO allows providers to work with any federal agency, unlike FISMA. FedRAMP’s broader scope makes its certification process more demanding. The difference between Fisma and FedRAMP authorization is wide. Although they might be used interchangeably, they have more differences than similarities.

Let’s see the key difference between FedRAMP and Fisma in the table below:

Parameter	FISMA	FedRAMP
Certification approach	With FISMA, it’s a “one-to-one” process, meaning each federal agency requires a separate authorization process.	Known as a “one to many” approach to certification
Companies required to comply	FISMA rules apply to all federal agencies, departments, and contractors, whether they offer services or not.	FedRAMP is for third-party cloud-based services that either already host or plan to host federal information in the cloud.
Program	It’s a U.S. law that sets up a complete plan to safeguard government information and assets.	It’s a government program that sets a standard way to assess national security.
Compliance Assessor	FISMA lets federal vendors use any third party that can check the compliance process with NIST SP 800-53 security requirements.	For FedRAMP, a 3PAO (Third-Party Assessment Organization) has to do the assessments.
Regulations	FISMA focuses on overall IT security controls and gives government agencies guidelines to safeguard their data.	FedRAMP rules focus on handling security controls for the cloud environment.
Controls and Categories	FISMA uses NIST SP 800-53, with control settings set by the organization serving a federal agency.	FedRAMP uses NIST SP 800-53, with control settings set by FedRAMP, and includes extra controls needed by FedRAMP.
Scope	With FISMA, companies comply based on each agency’s guidelines. So, an IT provider needs to meet the rules for each agency separately.	FedRAMP allows for broader compliance across many agencies, though adjustments might be needed for each.
Assessment	Vendors and agencies need to use the basic required controls and how they’re used through reports and documents.	CSPs get assessed and monitored continuously by a Third-Party Assessment Organization (3PAO) that oversees and checks the vendor.

Similarities between Fisma and FedRAMP

Federal agencies trust cloud-based services that have earned the FedRAMP stamp. Unlike FISMA, getting a FedRAMP Authority to Operate (ATO) allows cloud service providers to work with any federal agency. FedRAMP certification is harder to get because it covers more and is stricter.

FISMA and FedRAMP, though created for different audiences, have a foundational similarity. There are two main similarities between FedRAMP and FISMA:

• Both are frameworks for security assessments to get an Authority to Operate (ATO)
• Both rely on NIST guidelines

Note: For both regulations, agencies need to get an ATO. The government gives the ATO after a third party confirms the security. However, the way to get this authorization varies between the two.

With that being said, both frameworks cover these controls:

• Access Control
• Awareness and Training
• Audit and Accountability
• Security Assessment & Authorization
• Configuration Management
• Contingency Planning
• Identification & Authentication
• Incident Response
• Maintenance
• Media Protection
• Physical & Environmental Protection
• Planning
• Personnel Security
• Risk Assessment
• Systems & Services Acquisition
• Systems & Communications Protection
• Systems & Information Integrity

How do you choose between Fisma and FedRAMP?

When aiming to comply with FedRAMP and FISMA, remember they’re both about securing federal data and guiding agencies in managing security risks. Whichever you choose, you’ll need to undergo a security assessment and get an ATO. So, they’re different approaches to the same goal of federal data security.

When choosing, consider that:

• FISMA: If you’re working directly with specific federal agencies and need to follow their guidelines closely, FISMA might be the way to go. It’s more agency-specific and might be simpler if you’re focused on a single agency.
• FedRAMP: If you want a broader approach that allows you to work with multiple federal agencies without going through separate certifications for each, FedRAMP is a better fit. It’s more standardized across agencies, making it more flexible for working with different parts of the government.

Also, make sure to consider your business goals, the agencies you’re working with, and the level of standardization you need when deciding between FISMA and FedRAMP.

How can Sprinto help?

Complying with U.S. government security standards like FedRAMP and FISMA needs a big investment, but it opens doors to government contracts. FISMA’s risk management approach makes its certification valuable for any organization handling information security risks.

Since FISMA and FedRAMP are similar, vendors in the federal sector can benefit from an automated compliance partner like Sprinto. Sprinto also helps in implementing the Common Control Framework, as the CSF contains 14 control categories, which are 49 control objectives and 156 security- and privacy-related control specifications. 

The beauty of the Common Control Framework is that it helps organizations minimize duplicate efforts by mapping controls across multiple frameworks. This means you can streamline your compliance efforts, saving time and resources.

Sprinto also offers automated evidence collection for auditing, expert support, and continuous monitoring. This can cut down audit times from weeks or months to just days.

FAQs

What’s the difference between NIST and FISMA?

NIST 800-171 is for non-federal systems and mainly protects Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI). FISMA covers a wider range of federal information systems and data for federal agencies and their contractors.

What’s the difference between NIST and FedRAMP?

NIST CSF helps organizations use threat intelligence to better spot and handle the potential impact of cyber threats. FedRAMP asks CSPs to give ongoing monitoring reports to federal agencies to inform them about possible security issues.

Who has to follow FISMA?

Any organization, even private ones, that supports a federal program, offers services or gets grant money needs to follow FISMA. The aim is to lower the risk of unauthorized data use, leaks, or loss, no matter where it happens in the process.

What’s the difference between Fisma moderate vs FedRAMP moderate?

Both FISMA and FedRAMP use “Moderate” to mean that losing data confidentiality, integrity, or availability would seriously harm operations, assets, or people.

For FedRAMP, “Moderate Impact” covers about 80% of  CSP applications. It’s best for systems where data loss would seriously affect an agency’s operations or people.